Chapter 128: 128

The hall still smelled of gunpowder and panic.

Kadie’s footsteps echoed as she stormed down the corridor, blood rushing in her ears. Every beat of her heart screamed the same name: Enzo. Her body ached from where she’d been thrown against the dresser, but her mind refused to register pain. Only rage. Only the sick, clawing fear that she'd never see her son again.

Behind her, Camilla loaded a fresh magazine into her weapon, her expression unreadable but her movements precise—practiced. Deadly.

“We’re going after them,” Camilla hissed, heading for the door.

Kadie’s breath came in shallow bursts. “We can’t let Antonio get away—”

Together they reached the heavy wooden front doors, their fingers grazing the handles—

Suddenly, a broad figure stepped into their path.

“Where the hell do you think you’re going?” Pedro’s voice cut through the tension like a blade.

They turned sharply.

Pedro stepped into view, his presence like a wall of calm steel. His dark shirt clung to his frame, the radio at his hip crackling softly. But it was his eyes—stormy and sharp—that froze them in place.

“Move,” Camilla said, the command in her voice unmistakable.

“You’re not going anywhere,” he said firmly. “You’re supposed to be at the hospital. Vincenzo’s condition is unstable.”

Camilla stepped forward, eyes blazing. “Get out of the way.”

“Not this time,” Pedro growled. “You both need to stop and breathe. Charging out there is suicide.”

Kadie’s hands curled into fists. “They took my son, Pedro.”

“I know. But you’re not thinking clearly.”

“I’m thinking more clearly than I ever have in my life,” she said, shaking with fury. “He was right there. In my arms. And now he's gone again!”

“I just got off the phone with the hospital,” Pedro replied, stepping forward. “Vincenzo’s alive. But he’s in critical condition. Kadie, he could wake up any moment—or he could not. If you leave now, who’s going to be at his side if he wakes up? Who’s going to hold his damn hand, Kadie?”

Kadie opened her mouth, but no words came. Her heart twisted painfully.

“You can’t help Enzo by getting yourself killed chasing a man who knows every escape route in Liguria,” Pedro continued, turning to Camilla, something unspoken passing between them. “Cam… if anything happens to you out there, I won’t forgive myself. You know I won’t.”

She blinked fast, emotion flickering behind her steely mask.

Camilla’s jaw clenched.

Pedro took another step toward her. “Don’t do that. Don’t throw yourself at the fire. Not like this. I know you're angry,” he continued. “I am too. But let’s do this the smart way, not the reckless way. We have a lead. Artemus is still working on it. Let us regroup. You—” he pointed to Kadie, “go be with Vincenzo. That man needs you more than ever.”

The silence stretched between them.

“This is about the kid—” she began.

“No,” he cut in, softer now. “This is about you, too. You can’t lose yourself in this war.”

There was a moment of silence. Just the faint hum of emergency lights overhead and Kadie’s uneven breathing.

“You don’t understand,” Kadie whispered, her voice fraying. “Every time I think I’m close… Someone takes him. And now Vincenzo—God, he was just about to reach him. He was right there—”

“I do understand,” Pedro said, his voice a low anchor. “You think I haven’t watched people I love walk into flames they didn’t come back from? You think I’m going to let that happen again?”

He turned to Camilla now, more pointed. “Especially not to you.”

Camilla blinked. Her weapon lowered a few inches.

“You’re supposed to be my safe space, remember?” he asked, voice rough. “You storm off now, and who the hell do I go to when I need peace? Who do I trust to watch over me?”

She looked away, jaw grinding.

Pedro’s gaze returned to Kadie. “Get to the hospital. Be where Vincenzo needs you. He’ll want to know his son is still out there. He’ll want to know you’re okay.”

Tears welled up in her eyes. “But what if he doesn’t wake up?”

“Then make sure the last thing he sees when he opens his eyes is the woman he’s fighting to live for,” Pedro said gently. “Don’t make him wake up alone.”

A deep, aching silence followed. Camilla exhaled sharply and ran a hand down her face.

“Pedro…” she said, her voice catching.

He looked at her, a softness in his expression only she could draw out.

“You’re right,” she muttered, finally lowering her weapon fully. “But you better not do anything reckless without me.”

He gave her a half-smile. “I’d never dare.”

Kadie nodded slowly, her body trembling with the weight of grief and helplessness. “Call me the second you get anything. I don’t care what time it is. Just… call.”

“I will,” Pedro promised, reaching into his pocket and handed her a burner phone. “This line’s direct. I’ll keep you posted. And Kadie?”

She looked up, eyes red and glassy.

“We’re going to get him back. That I swear to you.”

She gave him a small, broken nod before turning away.

Camilla lingered for a beat, staring at Pedro as if memorizing his face.

He reached for her hand, gently curling his fingers around hers for the briefest second. “Come back safe,” he whispered.

“You too,” she said, then let go.

And with that, they parted—two women heading for different battles, both carrying the same fire in their hearts.