Chapter 44

Chapter 44
Adrianna’s pov~

For a split second, the world narrows down to the barrel of Malaki’s gun.

And then, he pulls the trigger.

“No!”

Dante moves before the sound even fully goes off. His body slams into mine, dragging me down just as the gunshot cracks through the air. The force knocks the breath out of me, my back hitting the cold concrete as dust and noise explode around us.

Gunfire erupts. Dozens.

“Stay down!” Dante roars into my ear, his body shielding mine completely.

I can’t even respond. My ears are ringing, my heart slamming so hard against my ribs it feels like it might break through. The babies shift violently inside me, sharp and sudden, and a gasp tears out of my throat.

Something is wrong. Something is very wrong.

Bullets ricochet off metal and concrete. Men shout, bodies hit the ground and the air fills with smoke, thick and choking

Something inside me snaps. It starts in my chest with a pressure then it spreads. My vision distorts.

Everything blurs at the edges, like the world is melting, colors bleeding into each other. The sounds around me stretch and warp, too loud and too distant at the same time.

My heartbeat isn’t just in my chest anymore. It’s everywhere. In my head, my veins and bones.

“Adrianna-” Dante’s voice cuts through, but it sounds… like it’s underwater.

I blink and suddenly, everything becomes clear. Too clear.

I can see every movement. Every flicker. Every drop of blood in the air. Armando’s fist connecting with a man’s jaw. Elio ducking a bullet. Emiliano twisting someone’s arm until it snaps.

I can see it all and feel it all and it’s too much.

My body surges wildly and uncontrollably. Strength floods my limbs, hot and violent, like I could tear the entire place apart with my bare hands.

“Get down!” someone shouts. Too late. A man lunges toward us, gun raised.

Before I can even think, I move. I shove Dante aside and surge to my feet, my hand shooting out. I grab the man’s wrist midair and twist.

A sickening crack echoes and he screams.

The gun falls and I throw him. Not push or shove. Throw.

His body slams into the wall like he weighs nothing. Silence hits me for half a second.

Everyone freezes. Even me.

What… did I just? Pain explodes through my abdomen.

I gasp, doubling over as the babies shift again, harder this time. It feels like my insides are tearing apart.

“Adrianna!” Dante is at my side instantly, his hands gripping my shoulders.

“I’m fine,” I choke out, even though I’m clearly not.

I’m shaking. My vision flickers again. Behind us, a gunshot rings out followed by a scream. Not just any scream.

My mother’s.

“No!” Elio’s voice cracks. I turn as time slows down.

I see her body jerk. I see the blood bloom across her side like a dark flower. I see her knees buckle and rverything inside me goes still.

"No… no, no, no-”

Armando reaches her before she hits the ground, catching her as she collapses. For a second, he just stares at her like his brain can’t process what he’s seeing.

Then something in him breaks completely.

“You fucking bastard!” he roars. I’ve never seen him like this.

Never. Armando isn’t just angry. He’s unhinged right now.

He drops our mother into Elio’s arms and turns, his entire body radiating pure, murderous rage. The next man that comes near him doesn’t even get a chance to react.

Armando slams into him, fist connecting with his face so hard I hear bone shatter.

Blood splatters everywhere, but he doesn’t care. He grabs another man, smashing his head into the wall. Then another. Then another.

“Elio, keep pressure on it!” Emiliano shouts, already moving to cover them. Elio is on the ground, cradling our mother, his hands shaking as he presses down on her wound.

“Mum, stay with me. Stay with me,” he repeats, his voice breaking. I try to move toward them.

I need to....But my legs won’t cooperate.

.Dante catches me before I fall. “Hey, hey… stay with me,” he murmurs, his hands firm on my face.

“I have to go to her-”

“You can’t even stand.”

"I don’t care-”

Another gunshot cuts me off. We all turn.

Malaki. He’s still standing with a gun in hand and his eyes locked on us.

“You really thought it would be that easy?” he says, his voice calm, almost amused despite the chaos around him.

Dante steps in front of me again, his body going rigid.

“It ends today,” Dante growls. Malaki laughs. A cold, empty sound.

“It ended the moment I got what I wanted.”

Before anyone can react, another shot goes off but this time, it’s not from him.

Malaki’s body jerks forward. His expression shifts from smug to… confused.

He looks down as blood spreads across his chest. Then another shot and another. His gun slips from his fingers as his knees give out.

For a moment, everything goes quiet. My ears ring as I stare at him lying there, blood pooling beneath his body. Footsteps echo from behind us.

I don’t even need to turn to know who it is.

Alessandro. Of course. He always arrives when it’s already too late.

Malaki coughs, blood spilling from his mouth as he struggles to breathe. But somehow… somehow he’s still conscious and looking at me.

"Adrianna…” he rasps.

Dante tenses. “Don’t-”

He smiles. My vision blurs again but this time with rage and pain

“My mother…” My voice shakes. “Why did you keep her alive?” For a second, something flickers in his eyes.

Then it’s gone.

“Leverage,” he says simply. “In case you ever came back.” Something inside me shatters.

“You’re a monster,” Dante spits.

Malaki’s gaze flickers to him briefly before returning to me.

“Maybe,” he murmurs. “But look at what I created.” I want to scream and tear him apart but I can’t move or even breathe properly. Everything is too much.

His eyes soften just slightly as they linger on me one last time.

“Perfect,” he whispers.

And then, he goes still. Gone. Silence falls over the room again.

My legs finally give out. I don’t even feel myself falling.

Dante catches me before I hit the ground, his arms wrapping around me tightly.

“Adrianna. Hey. Stay with me.” His voice sounds far away again. Distant.

My stomach twists again and a whimper escapes my lips before I can stop it.

“Dante…” I whisper, gripping his shirt weakly.

“I’m here. I’m right here.” Something is wrong, terribly wrong.

“The babies…” My voice cracks, panic rising in my chest. “Something is wrong.”

His face changes instantly to fear. Real fear.

“Luca!” he shouts. But I can’t hear anything else because the world is slipping again. Darkness creeping in from the edges.

The last thing I feel is Dante’s hand tightening around mine.