⊰ 29 ⊱ In His Arms: Part 3

The cold metal of Luciano's gun presses against the back of my head as I lead him, Fabio, and two of his other men to the parlor. My heart hammers in my chest, each step feeling like a mile, my legs threatening to give out beneath me.

*I can’t believe this is happening…*

But it is. It’s real, and it’s terrifying.

In what feels like only a matter of seconds, we reach the safe, installed into the wall at the far end of the room, right behind one of Marcel’s antique paintings. With shaking fingers, I input the code, the buttons blurring through my tears.

*01-29-93*

Marcel’s birthday.

As the lock clicks open, my mind drifts back to the day he told me about this safe, just a few days after our first ultrasound.

I had gone to his office, wanting to see him, to be near him. The memory of our baby’s strong and steady heartbeat was still fresh in my mind, filling me with a joy I couldn’t contain.

When I walked in, he looked up from his desk, concern etched on his handsome face. “Is everything okay, doll?” he asked, rising to his feet.

I nodded, a small smile on my lips. “Everything’s fine. I just…I miss you.”

His features softened, a tender look in his eyes as he moved from around his desk, meeting me just before it and pulling me into his arms. His lips found mine in a gentle kiss, and I melted into him, breathing in his scent, relishing the solid warmth of his body against mine.

When we parted, my gaze fell on a stack of cash sitting on his desk. Hesitantly, I asked, “Marcel, what are you worth? Your net worth, I mean.”

He chuckled, his hand coming up to cup my cheek. “*We* are worth a lot of money, doll,” he corrected gently.

I knew it was an understatement when he grabbed the stacks and walked over to the massive, walk-in safe. “Your birthdate and fingerprint,” he said, inputting the code and pressing his thumb against the scanner.

*He gave me access to it? He trusts me with this.*

When the door swung open, I couldn’t help but gasp. The safe was nearly filled to the brim with cash, more money than I’d ever seen in my life.

“How much..?” I breathed, my eyes wide.

He smirked, glancing at me over his shoulder. “Two-fifty.”

*Million. He means million.*

I was speechless, my mind reeling as I tried to process the enormity of it all.

The sound of the safe door creaking open jolts me back to the present, to the nightmare I’m living. Luciano’s men move quickly, stuffing the cash into bags, their movements harsh and hurried.

*Five million dollars.*

It’s a fortune, more than most people will ever see in their lifetime. But I know it’s nothing compared to what Luciano really wants.

The quarter of a billion dollars in Marcel’s office.

I pray that Fabio doesn’t know about that safe. I won’t give it up, not if I can help it. I won’t let Luciano have what he’s after—*reparations* for the *merchandise* he’s claiming Marcel destroyed a couple of months ago.

*Please, let this be enough.*

“How much?” Luciano demands, his voice cold and sharp.

“Five million dollars,” I manage to whisper, my throat tight with fear.

He narrows his eyes, the gun digging into my scalp. “Where’s the rest of it?”

“I don’t…I-I don’t know.” I shake my head, tears spilling down my cheek. “Marcel doesn’t keep all the money in this house.”

*Please believe me. Please…*

But he doesn’t. Of course he doesn’t.

He levels the gun at my head, his finger tightening on the trigger. “Are you sure about that?” he asks, his tone deceptively calm.

I nod frantically, a sob lodged in my throat.

This is it. He’s going to kill me.

But then Fabio speaks up, his voice a snarl of fury. “You promised me a *hundred* million. The fuck am I gonna do with this?” He gestures angrily at the bags of cash.

Luciano’s head snaps toward him, irritation flashing in his cold eyes. In one swift motion, he points the gun at Fabio and pulls the trigger.

The shot cracks through the air like thunder, and I scream, my hands flying up to cover my mouth. Fabio crumples to the ground, blood pooling beneath his still form.

*Oh God, oh God, oh God…*

I’m shaking, my entire body trembling as Luciano turns back to me, the gun once again aimed at my head. “Well, we’re going to find out where he keeps the rest,” he says, his voice eerily calm.

He nods towards the door, his men already moving with their duffel bags filled with cash. “Move.”

*No. No, please…*

I know what he’s going to do. He’s going to take me, use me as leverage against Marcel. He’ll torture me, make me suffer until he gets what he wants.

*And then he’ll kill me.*

The thought fills me with terror so profound, it makes me nauseous. I stumble forward on numb legs, Luciano’s grip on my arm bruising, the metal of the gun cold against my skin.

As we step into the foyer, the sudden sound of gunfire rips through the air. Instinctively, I try to run, to break free from Luciano’s hold. But he yanks me back, the gun pressing painfully into my temple.

“Where do you think you’re going?” he hisses, his breath hot against my ear.

Chaos erupts around us, bullets flying, shouts and screams echoing off the walls. I can barely make out Luciano barking orders in Spanish over the deafening noise.

*This is it. This is how I die.*

My heart pounds in my chest, adrenaline pumping in my veins. I keep waiting for it, waiting for the moment a bullet hits my body. But then, like a miracle, the front doors burst open. Marcel storms in, flanked by Levi, Santiago, and Rick, their guns drown, their faces hard.

Relief crashes over me, so strong it nearly brings me to my knees.

*They’re here… He’s here.*

But the relief is short-lived as Luciano tightens his hold on me, using my body like a shield. I feel the cold press of the gun against my head, the fear and murderous rage in Marcel’s eyes as he takes in the scene before him.

“Put the fucking gun down, Luciano!” Marcel snarls, his voice shaking with fury. “Let her go!”

Luciano laughs, the sound chilling me to my core. “You’re in no position to make demands, *amigo*,” he sneers. “Not when I have your pretty little wife.”

I meet Marcel’s gaze, tears streaming down my face.

*I’m sorry. I’m so sorry.*

The words stick in my throat, choked by the sob that threatens to tear me apart.

Marcel’s jaw clenches, his eyes never leaving mine. His grip tightens on his gun, his finger hovering over the trigger. “Let Mercy go,” he grits out. “She’s innocent in all of this. This is between you and me.”

Luciano scoffs, pressing the gun harder against my temple. I whimper, fresh tears spilling down my cheeks. “Innocent? She confessed to building the bomb that killed my brother. I promised her suffering and death. Now, I already delivered one of those when I killed the child in her womb. And I don’t break my word.”

Marcel’s face pales, rage and anguish warring in his eyes. “You’re outnumbered, Luciano,” he says, his voice shaking. “There’s nowhere for you to go. If you hurt her, you’re not walking out of here alive.”

But Luciano merely laughs, a cruel, mocking sound. “And what incentive do I have to let her go? Hmm?” He nods at the doors behind Marcel and his men, grunting, “She’s my ticket out of here. You won’t risk her life.”

In the next moment, he leans in close, his lips brushing my ear. I shudder, revulsion crawling up my spine. “She’s a pretty little thing too, isn’t she?” he murmurs, loud enough for Marcel to hear. “I might just take a turn with her myself before I put a bullet in her head.”

I feel his arousal pressing against me, and bile rises in my throat. Marcel’s face twists with fury, his composure slipping. “I’ll fucking kill you,” he snarls, taking a step forward.

Luciano tsks, shaking his head. “Ah, ah, ah. Not so fast, Marcello. One more move and I paint the walls with her pretty brains.”

Out of the corner of my eye, I see Luciano's men shift beside us, their guns leveled at Levi, Santiago, Rick, and the men standing behind them.

Marcel freezes, his chest heaving. I can see the war raging behind his eyes, the desperate need to tear Luciano apart warring with his fear for my life.

*Please, God. Please, don’t let him do anything stupid. Not for me.*

Suddenly, out of the corner of my eye, I see movement. Ben and Pablo, crouched low, their guns trained on Luciano and his men. They must have been hiding, waiting for the right moment to strike.

*Ben…*

Our eyes meet, a silent communication passing between us. ‘*Now*,’ Ben’s gaze seems to say. ‘*Do it now*.’

Adrenaline surges through my veins. I know I only have one shot at this. One chance to break free, to give Marcel and the others an opening.

With a burst of strength I didn’t know I possessed, I slam my elbow back into Luciano’s ribs. He grunts in pain, his grip loosening for a fraction of a second.

It’s all I need.

I wrench myself out of his grasp, diving to the side as gunshots erupt around me. I hit the ground hard, pain exploding through my body. But I don’t stop. I scramble forward, desperate to reach Marcel.

*Almost there. Almost safe.*

But then, a searing pain rips through my abdomen. I gasp, my steps faltering. I look down, seeing red blooming across my sweater.

*No…*

The world tilts, my vision blurring at the edges. I stumble, falling forward. But instead of the hard ground, I feel strong arms catch me, cradling me against a solid, familiar chest.

*Marcel.*

I look up at him, his face awash with panic and fear. His lips are moving, forming words I can’t hear over the ringing in my ears.

It’s okay. It’s going to be okay.

My gaze falls on the cross hanging around his neck, the one I gave him. The one he promised to bring back to me.

He kept his promise.

A coppery taste fills my mouth, and I realize it’s blood. *My* blood. The room is getting darker, the edges of my vision fading away.

As cold seeps into my bones, my mind drifts back. Back to 7 years ago, to the first moment I knew I loved him.

I was standing in the kitchen of my childhood home, the scent of hot chocolate filling the air. It was late, the house quiet and still. Marcel sat at the table, his hands wrapped around a steaming mug, a soft smile on his lips as he listened to me ramble about how I wished they’d make another season of *The Office* with the original cast.

The warm glow of the kitchen light bathed his face in a golden hue, highlighting the sharp angles of his cheekbones, the fullness of his lips. His eyes, those beautiful golden-brown eyes, were fixed on me, filled with a tenderness that took my breath away.

In that moment, I felt it. A warmth blooming in my chest, spreading through my veins like honey. It was like the world had suddenly shifted, clicking into place. Like I had found a piece of myself I didn’t even know I was missing.

With every fiber of my being, I fell in love with him.

*Maybe someday, we’ll get a chance… a real chance.*

The memory fades, the kitchen dissolving into mist, and I’m back in Marcel’s arms, his tears falling onto my face.

“I love you,” I breathe, my voice barely a whisper. “I loved you all my life.”

He clutches me tighter, a sob tearing from his throat. “Don’t leave me,” he begs, his voice breaking. “Please, Mercy. Don’t go where I can’t follow.”

But it’s too late. The darkness is closing in, pulling me under. I feel his lips on mine, a final, desperate kiss.

And finally…peace.

Endless peace, and the lingering echo of a love that will live on.

Even in death.