Chapter 208 Book 2 CHPT 40: Vendetta Finale

Chapter 208 Book 2 CHPT 40: Vendetta Finale
VALENTINO'S POV

I stayed there, frozen, staring at him as everything inside me twisted in a way I could not control.

The man who betrayed me, the man who saved me, my fratello (brother), lying lifeless in my arms like all the years between us meant nothing and everything at the same time.

A sharp pain cut through my chest, deeper than anything physical, something raw and unbearable.

Slowly, I reached out and closed his eyes, my fingers lingering for a second longer than necessary before I leaned down and pressed a firm kiss to his forehead.

“Riposa in pace (rest in peace),” I murmured quietly.

Then I rose to my feet.

And whatever part of me that could still feel mercy stayed behind with him on that cold ground.

When I turned back, there was nothing human left in me.

Only rage.

Dante had already forced Bianca to her knees, her weapon kicked far out of reach, but even like that, she still held her chin high, her eyes burning with defiance as if she refused to accept defeat.

I walked toward her slowly, my steps steady, deliberate, my gaze locked onto hers as the air between us grew thick with hatred.

“You dare pull the trigger on me?” I said, my voice low and dangerous, each word laced with quiet fury.

I raised my gun and aimed it straight at her head, not blinking, not hesitating.

“Stasera è la tua fine (tonight is your end), Bianca.”

Her lips curved slightly, not in fear, but in something darker, something reckless, as if she would rather die than submit.

Just as I was about to pull the trigger, movement at the edge of my vision caught my attention.

Nikita.

She was attempting to run away.

Run away? After all the role you played in this chaos?

You don’t get to run away, my dear little fiancée. You face the consequences of your actions squarely.

I flicked my gaze toward Dante, sharp and commanding.

He understood immediately.

A gunshot split through the chaos, and the bullet tore into her ankle. She let out a piercing scream as her body collapsed into the snow, clutching her leg as blood spread beneath her.

Bianca moved in that exact moment.

Before I could react, her foot lashed out, kicking the gun from my hand as it slid across the ground, out of reach.

She did not waste a second.

“Attaccate! (Attack!)” she screamed.

And then everything descended into chaos.

Gunshots echoed from every direction, men shouting over each other as bodies collided violently, fists and knives and bullets clashing under the cold night air.

My wolves, in cooperation with the Ruger dogs, lunged at the Bloodhounds at the same time, and the Bloodhounds met them with equal brutality.

The sound of bones, steel, gunshots, and rage filling the space between us.

It was ruthless.

It was merciless.

But none of it mattered.

My only thought was Alina.

I turned sharply, scanning through the chaos until I found her, still on the bench, frozen in place, her face pale with horror as everything unfolded around her.

“Moglie mia (my wife),” I called as I rushed to her, grabbing her hand firmly.

“It’s dangerous here for you and our baby. Let me take you away from this madness.”

She nodded in agreement, stretching her hands out.

I pulled her up and began leading her away from the chaos, moving quickly toward where Sky was parked, every instinct in me screaming to get her out before something else went wrong.

We had barely taken a few steps when she appeared.

Bianca.

Standing right in front of us as if she had been waiting.

Her eyes burned with madness, her chest rising and falling as her lips curled into something unhinged.

“You think you can escape me tonight?” she said, her voice shaking with rage.

“Sopra il mio cadavere (over my dead body).”

Her gaze shifted slowly to Alina, dragging over her like a blade.

“If I can’t kill you,” she continued, her tone turning cold, “then I’ll destroy what you love most.”

My grip on Alina tightened instantly.

“Your beautiful wife.”

And then she pulled the trigger.

I did not think, I did not hesitate.

I pushed Alina away with all my strength and stepped directly into the line of fire.

The bullet hit me square in the chest.

“Nooo!!! Val!!!!” Alina’s scream tore through the night.

The impact slammed into me with brutal force, knocking the air out of my lungs as pain exploded through my body, sharp and burning, spreading fast and deep until it felt like it had reached my bones.

I staggered back, a harsh cough forcing blood into my mouth as it spilled past my lips.

The world tilted above me.

Then, behind Bianca, a sharp crack split the night.

It was Sky. 

He attacked her from behind.

The bullet tore through the air and struck Bianca squarely in the chest.

Her body stiffened violently, her head snapping back as a scream tore from her throat, raw and ragged.

Blood blossomed across her white coat, hot and dark, spreading rapidly over her chest as she staggered.

Her knees buckled, then she crashed backward into the snow with a heavy thud, sliding a few feet before landing in a twisted heap.

Her gun flew from her hand, skidding across the ice.

I barely registered the sound of her body hitting the ground.

My focus was entirely on Alina, her eyes wide with horror and tears falling freely as she ran toward me, screaming my name.

She crouched beside me, sobbing like a child as she lifted my heavy body into her arms.

“Val, stay with me, don’t you dare leave me alone in this wicked world. Please.”

“Alina,” I gasped, wrapping my arms around her, feeling her shake, feeling the panic in her chest echo in mine.

Bianca lay there, gasping, blood pooling beneath her like a dark stain on the snow, her eyes wide with shock and pain.

She tried to push herself up, her lips moving in a whisper I couldn’t hear over Alina’s sobs, over my own heart hammering, over the chaos still raging around us.

And in one last convulsing gasp, her body gave out completely.

I swallowed hard, my jaw tight, my chest aching as I looked up slowly at Alina.

My hands shook as I tried to reach for her, but they felt useless, like I was losing not just the fight, but everything I had ever loved.

“Moglie mia,” I whispered, my voice trembling despite every ounce of strength I had left.

A tear rolled down my cheek, burning as it fell, and my heart felt like it had shattered into a million jagged pieces.

“I’m so… sorry… I… I’m afraid I won’t be by your side… when our child arrives,” I choked out.

“No!” Alina screamed, her face hovering over mine as she held me tighter in her arms.

“Noooo!!!”