Chapter 80 Chapter 80

Chapter 80 Chapter 80
\[ IRIS’S POV \]

The sudden crack of gunfire shattered the air. A bullet slammed into the metal of Mira’s car, sending a shower of sparks into the afternoon light.

"No... that’s not real, right?" I whispered, my voice lost in the chaos. This couldn't be happening. My own father, my own sister, were shooting at us.

Mario didn't hesitate. He leaned out of his window, and the deafening roar of his return fire filled my ears. The peaceful town was gone, replaced by the screech of tires and the smell of gunpowder.

Mira was driving like a maniac, one hand on the wheel and the other holding her phone. "Speak!" I heard Salvatore’s voice bark over the line.

Hearing him, even through the noise of the chase, made me sob harder. I hadn't realized how much I missed that cold, steady voice until I thought I might never hear it again.

"They’re here, brother," Mira shouted over the wind. "The Russos are here."

There was a long, chilling pause on the other end. Then, Salvatore asked one thing: "Iris?"

"She’s here, and she’s safe for now," Mira replied.

"Bring her back with you when the deal is done," Salvatore said, his tone final. The line went dead.

The chase tore out of the residential area and into a massive, open field. Suddenly, Mira slammed on the brakes after getting directions from Caleb. The tires gripped the dirt, sending a cloud of dust into the air as the car skidded to a stop. Mira’s car screeched to a halt, and Mario’s car swerved to flank us.

The Russo convoy didn't stop, they surrounded us, circling like sharks until they formed a jagged line of steel and glass right in front of us.

"What are you doing?" I screamed, clutching the dashboard. "Why did we stop? We’re sitting ducks!"

Caleb didn't look at me. The soft boy I had spent the week with was gone. In his place was a soldier. He reached under his seat and pulled out a heavy black handgun, checking the clip with a clinical, terrifying click.

"This is where we settle the score, Iris, stay in the car it’s bulletproof and don’t ever come out no matter what not until you get a signal do you understand me?," Caleb replied.

He opened the door and stepped out, standing tall against the wind. Mira stepped out of her car too, holding her own weapon, a dark smirk on her face as she looked toward the car where my father and Sofia were waiting.

I stayed in the seat, frozen, watching through the windshield as the two families, the one I was born into and the one that had claimed me, prepared to tear each other apart.

\[ SOFIA’S POV \]

The moment I saw Mira standing there, I couldn't explain the surge of joy that hit me. It was like Christmas had come early. Not only did we have Iris pinned, but the Moretti bitch was right there in the open too.

"Isn’t this great?" I whispered to myself, a dark thrill running through me. This was my chance to end it all. One field, two birds, and finally, the Russo name would be clean of these stains.

My father stepped out of the car first, putting on that tired nice father act. He was smiling, calling her honey like he actually cared. I didn't have the patience for his games anymore. I stepped out right behind him, making sure the heavy coil of rope was visible in my hand. I wanted Iris to see it. I wanted her to know exactly what was waiting for her, we weren't here to talk or negotiate. We were here to cage her.

But then, that boy, the one I thought I had ended back at the house, moved like a shadow. He grabbed Iris and practically threw her toward his car.

"Go!" I screamed to our men as they scrambled back into the SUVs.

The chase began instantly. Engines roared, tires tore up the dirt, and the smell of burning rubber filled the air. We were right on their bumpers, the wind whipping my hair across my face as I leaned out the window.

"Don't let them reach the main road!" I yelled over the sound of the wind.

Bullets started flying, metal clashing against metal as we tried to ram them off the path. We chased them through the bends and trees until the world opened up into a massive, flat field.

The bastard slammed on her brakes, his car skidding into a halt that kicked up a blinding wall of dust. Mario’s car screeched to a stop right beside hers. They were trapped, or so they thought.

I jumped out of the car before it had even fully stopped, the rope still gripped in my hand, watching as that boy stepped out with a gun.

"Finally," I muttered, a cold smile spreading across my face. "Let's see who's still standing when the dust settles."

"Hand my daughter over, Mira Moretti, and all this could end nicely," my father said, his voice calm, still playing the role of the reasonable patriarch.

"Really?" Mira asked, letting out a sharp, mocking laugh that grated on my nerves. The nerve of this bitch, standing in the middle of a field acting like she held the cards.

"Hey, Moretti bastard. It’s good we see each other again, isn't it?" I called out, stepping forward.

The smile wiped off her face instantly. She tilted her head, her eyes narrowing into deadly slits. "I dare you to call me that again, Sofia. Or else."

"Or else what, bastard? You’ll post the video to the whole world?" I asked, my smile widening. I knew exactly how to twist the knife.

"What videos are you talking about?" my father whispered, shifting his gaze toward me with a suspicious frown.

I ignored him. He didn't need to know our history; he just needed to know I was winning.

"Hand my sister over and get on your fucking knees, Mira," I barked, my voice echoing across the open field. I tightened my grip on the rope. "This is where you get punished for what you did. No more running. No more Moretti protection."

Mira’s expression shifted again. The anger vanished, replaced by that haunting, confident smirk. "Oh, really?" she said, her smile coming back in full force. It wasn't the look of someone who was about to surrender. It was the look of someone who had a trap already set.

My heart jumped for a second, just a split second. Like she’d actually managed to get under my skin with that look. But I forced it down. She wasn't getting out of this by acting cocky or pretending she had an ace up her sleeve.

"You know what? Never mind," I said, waving a hand dismissively. "It's not like that video or anything else would be useful once you're buried in this field anyway."

"I swear, Sofia," my father’s voice came out as a low, dangerous growl beside me. He wasn't looking at the Morettis; he was looking at me. "If you spoil my plans with your personal vendettas, not only will I disown you... I will make you eat your own flesh."

I felt a chill that had nothing to do with the wind. He meant it. To him, Iris was a paycheck and a power move; to me, she was a loose end that needed to be severed. But I couldn't let him see me blink.

"Don't worry, Father," I muttered, my eyes locked back on Mira. "I know exactly what's at stake."

Across the dirt, Mira was still wearing that infuriating smile, her hand resting casually near her weapon. She looked like she was enjoying the show, watching the Russo family fracture right in front of her.

"Are you two done?" Mira called out, her voice dripping with sarcasm. "Because I'm getting bored, and Caleb here is starting to get an itchy trigger finger."

I looked at Caleb. He hadn't moved an inch. He stood like a statue, his gun leveled at my father's chest. The dead boy was very much alive, and he looked ready to paint the grass red. But he should have stayed dead. He shouldn’t have come back alive and that was the greatest mistake he made, because today is going to be his final.

"Last chance, Mira," I shouted, stepping past my father. I didn't care about his threats right now. I just wanted to see the light leave her eyes. "Give us the girl.

"Stop!" Iris shouted, throwing her door open and stumbling out of the car.

Finally, I thought, a surge of adrenaline hitting me. The cat was out of the bag. She couldn't hide behind her little protectors anymore. While she stood there trembling, I kept my hand low, hidden by my side, and silently sent the signal to the sniper. It had to be now or never.

"Please stop this! You guys should stop!" Iris pleaded, her voice cracking as she looked between us.

"Iris, dear,"my father said, his voice dropping into that smooth, manipulative purr. He stepped forward, reaching out a hand. "Good thing you’re finally using your head. Come. Come, my child... follow me home."

"Get back in the car, Iris!" Caleb roared. He didn't hesitate, rushing toward her to drag her back into the safety of the vehicle.

But before he could reach her, the world changed.

Like ghosts rising from the earth, nearly a hundred Moretti men rushed out from the treeline and the shadows of the hills. They were armed to the teeth, looking dangerous, deadly, and perfectly organized.

My father’s eyes went wide, the color draining from his face. My own hand shook as I gripped the rope. I wasn't expecting this, I was expecting a few guards, not a small army.

"What do you have to say now, Sofia?" Mira asked, her smile stretching across her face like a witch enjoying a curse.

Then, a single, deafening gunshot rang out across the open field.

The sound was followed by the sickening thud of a body hitting the dry earth. Everything froze. The Moretti men stopped their advance mid-stride, their weapons held tight.

"NOOO!" a voice screamed, raw and filled with agony.

The silence that followed was heavy with the smell of gunpowder. I looked down, my breath catching in my throat, trying to see who had been hit and who had pulled the trigger.