Chapter 67 Chapter 67
Chapter 67
Nina’s POV
I sat cross-legged on the bed, back against the headboard, laptop balanced on my thighs. The screen glow was the only light in the room. Curtains drawn tight. House quiet except for the faint hum of the AC somewhere down the hall.
Amanda’s messages stared back at me. A whole wall of them. I scrolled up slow, heart already sinking before I even read the words.
The top one from two days ago:
“Nina. Josh is dead. They found him in his dorm. Overdose they said. But it wasn’t. I know it wasn’t. He didn’t touch that shit. Someone did this.”
My stomach twisted. Josh. The quiet guy from anatomy lab who always shared his notes. The one who blushed when I teased him about his terrible coffee. Dead.
Next message, same day:
“Isabella’s wanted now. Cops put out a warrant. Kidnapping, fraud, something about stolen medical supplies. No one’s seen her since the night they took you. She’s gone ghost. But she texted me once. One line. ‘I’ll make them pay.’ She’s coming for revenge, Nina. I’m scared for her. And for you.”
I pressed my palm to my mouth. Isabella. My roommate. My friend. The one who gave me this laptop, who laughed at my bad jokes, who covered for me when I overslept. Wanted. Hunted. Because of me.
More messages poured in. Amanda venting. Crying in text. Sending voice notes I didn’t dare play yet.
Then the one that really hit.
“Your dad won. Senator now. Big ceremony yesterday. Smiling on every news channel. He’s got the power, Nina. He could pay whatever debt, get you out. But he hasn’t. Not a word. Not a call. Nothing. I’m so sorry. It hurts me to say it but… maybe he doesn’t want to bring you home.”
Tears came fast. Hot. Silent. I wiped them away angry. Senator. The man who used to hug me after school, who promised he’d always protect me. Now sitting in some fancy office while I sat trapped in a house full of killers. He had the money. The influence. And he chose not to use it.
I typed back fast. Fingers shaking.
“Amanda. I’m here. I’m okay. Sort of. I got the laptop. They didn’t wipe it. I’m reading everything. I’m so sorry about Josh. About Isabella. About all of it. I miss you. I miss normal. Tell me what I need to do for school. Please.”
She replied almost right away. Like she’d been waiting.
“Finally! God, Nina. I thought they killed you too. Okay. Listen. You’re behind on three major assignments. Histology report due last week. Pathology case study. And the pharmacology quiz. I sent you the files already—check your drive. But the big one… internship starts in six weeks. Physical hospital. Mandatory. If you don’t show, they’ll drop you. No certificate. No med school finish. Nothing. You have to figure something out.”
I stared at the screen. Internship. Scrubs. Patients. Real medicine. The thing I’d worked my whole life for. Slipping away because I was stuck here.
“I’ll handle it,” I typed. “Somehow. I promise.”
We chatted more. Light stuff to keep from crying. She sent gossip. A second-year got pregnant by a professor. Big scandal. Everyone talking. I laughed once. Small. Real. Felt good for a second.
Then exhaustion hit. Eyes burning. I saved everything. Closed the tabs. Shut the laptop. Curled under the blanket. Fell asleep with wet cheeks and a heavy chest.
The fire alarm screamed at dawn.
Sharp. Piercing. Red lights flashing through the curtains.
I bolted upright. Heart in my throat. Nightie twisted around my legs. Bare feet hit the cold floor. Ran out the door without thinking.
Down the stairs. House dark except the strobing alarm lights. Smoke smell? No. Just the alarm. False? Real? Didn’t matter. Everyone outside.
I pushed through the front door. Cold hit me like a slap. Snow. Thin layer on the ground. First of the season. Breath fogged in front of my face.
Everyone gathered in the driveway. Thirty men. Maybe more. Black tactical gear. Rifles slung. Faces hard. Dogs barking somewhere behind the gate. I hadn’t even known they were here. Hidden. Watching. Always.
Nana stood near the steps. Coat thrown over her robe. Arms crossed tight against the chill.
Dante stood in the middle. Shirtless. Snow melting on his bare shoulders. Chest rising fast. Breathing hard. Hair messy. Eyes wild. For the first time he looked… lost. Confused. Then the anger rolled in. Beast mode. Jaw clenched so tight I thought teeth would crack.
“Who tampered with the safe?” His voice thundered. Echoed off the house. Made me flinch.
Nikolai and Enzo nowhere. Gone. Or hiding. Or worse.
Dante turned slow. Scanned faces. Hands flexed. Gun in his right. Finger near the trigger. Not raised yet. But ready.
I edged closer to Nana. Slipped behind her a little. Nightie too thin. Arms wrapped around myself. Shivering. Not just from cold.
Dante’s eyes landed on me. Held. Dark. Furious.
He took one step forward.
The gun clicked. Safety off.
My breath caught. Nana reached back. Squeezed my wrist once. Steady.
No one spoke.
Snow kept falling. Soft. Silent. Covering everything.
Dante’s voice dropped low. Deadly.
“Someone answer me. Now.”
His finger hovered over the trigger. Snowflakes landed on the barrel. Melted slow.