Chapter 43

Chapter 43
Adrianna's pov:

"What?" She whisper yells. Her sunken eyeballs look like they will pop out their socket soon enough.

"It just kind of happened. He is my boys actually..." The look she keeps giving me almost makes me sink into the floor.

"You do know that's real messy, right? Of all the guys? How does your dad feel about this? And your brothers?" Looking at her body all worked up and her face looking frustrated, the hole I didn't know was inside my heart starts to close up little by little.

I grew up with no one to call my mother and no one ever became that figure for me. But now, I'm with my mum. Although we are locked up in Lord knows where, we are together for the first time in my life and that suddenly makes everything better.

Even if I were to die today, I would be happy knowing that I was opportuned to see my mum.

"Why are you smiling?" She asks with a confused look on her face.

"You are scolding me."

"Huh? Who smiles when being scolded? Your head should be bowed in shame, you peasant!" She raises her head and finger in mock anger.

"I apologize my Queen. Please accept my humble respect." I bow my head. Peeping a look at her face, we both burst into laughter.

After our laughter dies down, she uses her right hand to brush my hair to the back and smiles at me.

"I'm sorry I wasn't with you. You must have been hurting a lot." Her eyes start tearing up whilst looking into mine.

"Oh mum... You are not even in the position to feel sorry for me or feel guilty about anything. You have been locked up here for Lord knows how long."

"We'll be fine, my baby. We will. I know they will come for you. I can feel it." I rest her head on my shoulder and stroke her hair.



I don't know how much time passes but I am woken up with the sound of gunshots. My mum wakes up immediately and we stare at each other for some seconds.

"What is that? You heard that right?" I ask anxiously.

She stands up hurriedly and helps me to my feet. I'm literally almost at the stage of waddling. I do hope these babies don't drop here.

"Stay down," she hisses, voice rasped and urgent. "Do not move until you hear my voice again."

"But-"

The door bursts off its hinges.

Smoke and dust flood the chamber, and through it, a figure cuts like fire through fog. Dante. Leather jacket torn at the shoulder, a gash running down his cheek, but those dark eyes are wild and searching.

"Adrianna!"

His voice is a roar, pulling me from the haze. I rise just as he reaches me, his hands grabbing my face, checking me over, frantic.

Tears start spilling out of my eyes before I can even control it. I can't believe he is here. He actually came for me. He came for me...

"Dante." I choke out. He pulls me into a tight brief hug that immediately refreshes me.

"We need to get out-" He pauses as his line of sight shifts to the figure beside me.

My mum.

"Who is-" I hold his hand tighter as he looks into my eyes.

"My mum, Dante. She's been alive this entire time." His eyes widen in disbelief.

"Yo..your mum?" He stares at her.

We hear a bang from outside and all turn towards the door.

"You know what? I can kill you later for getting my daughter pregnant. Right now, we need to get the fuck out of here." She says with urgency.

Dante immediately comports himself and straightens up.

Then behind Dante, I hear more footsteps thunder down the corridor.

"Adrianna!"

My brothers. Armando, Elio and Emiliano are here. They are here. Who knew they could work together?

They freeze at the sight of me, relief flooding their faces, well, that is, until their gazes fall on the woman beside me.

For the first time, I see Armando completely disoriented as he stumbles a step back. I don't think I ever imagined that I would see Armando look this terrified and happy at the same time.

"No. That’s… it can’t be."

"No..no.. My mum is dead."

He shakes his head with tears pooling in his eyes.

My mum is staring, looking dumbstruck with her eyes trained on the three of them with her entire body frozen still.

"My boys.." Her voice comes out as a whisper but it's loud enough for everyone in the room to hear.

She takes a step forward and as if on cue, my brothers start walking towards her too.

They are just arm's length away from her when we hear another gunshot near the corridor.

"Ok we can do a reunion later. For now, let's leave this place alive."

Like a switch that has been turned on, Armando's body language immediately changes. His eyes run over mum's figure and the sadness that sits in them breaks me.

Dante helps me to walk faster while Armando and Elio carry mother. Emiliano stays behind us to help us watch.

For a second, time holds its breath. Then a shot rings out.

"MOVE!" Dante shouts, grabbing me and dragging me behind a wall of stacked crates just as bullets explode against the concrete.

Malikai’s soldiers swarm like hornets, armed and lethal. But my brothers, oh my brothers, they descend like wolves.

Armando charges first, barreling into two guards with brutal efficiency. His fists land with sickening crunches, rage spilling out with each blow.

Elio flips over a table, grabbing a broken pipe as a weapon, slashing through the smoke and bodies with agile grace. Blood splashes his cheek, and he doesn’t flinch.

Emiliano is fire, silent but ruthless. He disarms a man with one hand and snaps his arm with the other. His eyes lock on mine once, and in them, I see something unspoken: We came for you.

Dante fights like a devil let loose. He tosses a knife at a man aiming at Elio and doesn't even watch it land in the guy’s neck. He kicks the gun from another’s hand, slams him against the wall, and whirls toward me. "We need to go. Now."

But Elio, my youngest brother... he hasn’t moved. He’s kneeling beside mum, tears slipping silently down his face as he pulls her frail body into his arms. Her hand cups his cheek.

"You’re so grown," she whispers.

"I thought you were dead," he breathes.

Then the door at the far end creaks.

Everyone stills.

The footsteps are slow and calculated.

And then, through the dust and blood and chaos, he emerges.

Malakai. That bastard.

Gun raised. Eyes void of anything human.

He points the weapon at us, at all of us.

But his finger settles on the trigger when he sees mum cradled in Elio’s arms.

"Should’ve finished the job."

Dante moves instinctively, pulling me behind him, shielding me with his body. I grip his jacket, breath caught in my throat.

Elio stands, trembling but defiant, still holding mum against him.

"You won’t touch her again."

Malakai smiles.

"Let’s see you stop me." And then he cocks the gun. Everything holds its breath.