38. Dario
38
DARIO
T he gun slips from my hand, clattering to the ground as I surge forward, desperately searching for Ginny through the thick smoke. I’d heard her scream my name before that cry of fear pierced the chaos.
In a moment of panic, I fired into the sky, hoping to instill terror in her captors. My heart races in my chest as I wonder if any of them had gotten to her again.
The smoke is thick, burning my lungs and stinging my eyes, but all I care about is finding her. I release a sharp, relieved breath as her voice rings out again. She’s still safe. She’s still here. My heart pounds as I push through the haze, my hand waving the smoke away so I can see clearer.
That’s when I see her.
Her body is slumped on the ground, coughing and struggling against the ropes binding her hands together. My breath catches as I rush towards her, dropping on my knees beside her.
“Dario?” she asks as I immediately lift her into my arms. She doesn’t wait to see my face before a relieved sob escapes her lips. “Oh my god, Dario. I thought...”
“You’re okay, Ginny,” I say through gritted teeth, something cracking within me at the sound of her broken voice. “We’re okay.”
I cradle her fragile body in my arms as I carry her out of the smoke. She rests her head against my chest, and my heart clenches painfully when I feel her tears soaking through the light material of my shirt. We reach where my car is parked. I open the back door, place her in a sitting position to face me by the door, and sink onto my knees before her.
A mixture of anger and pain cuts through my chest as I observe her face. She’s pale, her face streaked with dirt, blood, and tears. My hands tremble as I tear at the knots I realize are still tied around her wrists. She looks different—malnourished, weak, broken...
But she’s still alive. Relief floods through me, but my anger still burns right beneath it.
I open my mouth to speak, to tell her I’m sorry for having her dragged into my mess and for making her life miserable since the moment we met. But my throat feels heavy, and I’m seconds away from breaking into tears. Because I can’t resist, I pull her into my arms again, holding her tight as if she might disappear. She clutches me, shaking, her fingers clutching at my shirt as if she’s afraid.
“Dario,” she whispers again, her voice weak, but I hear the relief in it.
“I’m here, baby.” My voice cracks as a lone tear slips down my eyes. “You’re safe now.”
I press my forehead to hers, trying to calm the storm inside me, but anger still burns in my chest.
Before I can say anything more, another panicked voice breaks through the smoke. “Dario!”
I look up to see Lorenzo pushing through the smoke, his eyes wide with panic as he spots us. He hurries over, his gaze immediately locking onto Ginny. As he reaches us, she pulls away from me and turns to look at her brother. There’s a fleeting hesitation, a moment where he almost stops, as if unsure how to approach his sister after everything.
“Enzo...” she whispers hoarsely.
Lorenzo’s face crumples as he strides over to where she’s sitting and pulls her into his arms, holding her close. “I’m sorry,” he mutters, his voice hoarse. “I’m so sorry, Ginny.”
She shakes her head, her tears mixing with his as she clings to him. “You came. You’re here now. That’s all that matters.”
“Of course I came.” He chuckles, then sniffs as he tightens his arm around her. “You’re my sister.”
My heart squeezes in gratitude and disbelief. Our plan had worked.
It feels like a lifetime ago that we sat down and made it, though it’s only been hours. Hours since I showed him the text. Hours since we dug deep and found out about Rinaldo’s sketchy movements from all the sources we reached out to.
We’d predicted he was the kidnapper, and we were right. Rafe was the person I hadn’t expected to be involved.
I remember the look on Lorenzo’s face when I told him everything—the shock, the anger, but most of all, the guilt. The guilt he’s carried since the day he’d betrayed me as a child. But this time, I was ready to set aside my hatred.
This wasn’t about us anymore. It was about Ginny.
“You owe me, Lorenzo,” I had told him, grabbing the front of his chest in desperation. “If anything happens to Ginny...I’ll never forgive you.”
He didn’t reply at first, just stared, the weight of my words sinking in. I could see it in his eyes—this was his chance to make things right, to fix the mess he’d created all those years ago.
And he had.
He’d hijacked the bus with Rinaldo’s men and paid them off—triple what Rinaldo and Rafe were offering. Convincing them to switch sides was easy, as was replacing their guns with blanks and setting off the smoke bomb. He’d even joined in my beating, a risky move that could have cost us everything. But for Ginny, I’d take that risk.
And it worked. It fucking worked.
The sight of them reunited should ease the tension in my chest. But all I feel is the boiling rage inside me still waiting for release. This isn’t over. Not yet.
I rise to my feet, my hand on the gun at my waist. The first thing I did when the smoke bomb went off was find my gun.
“Stay with her,” I tell Lorenzo in a cold voice. His eyes flicker to mine, and for a moment, we exchange a silent understanding.
He nods, pulling Ginny closer. “I’ve got her.”
I turn to Ginny, and she’s looking up at me, her eyes filled with fear and desperation. “Dario, don’t... Don’t go. Please.”
I crouch beside her, taking her hand and brushing my thumb over her knuckles. “I’ll be back,” I tell her softly. “Just one minute.”
She grips my hand tighter, her eyes pleading as I try to pull away. “One minute,” I repeat, my promise lingering in the air. I turn to Lorenzo again, my voice hardening. “Don’t let anything happen to her.”
I press a chaste kiss against her forehead before I turn and stride back to the center of the junkyard.
The smoke has cleared up now, and I see the two men tied up ahead. They’re on their knees, their faces twisted in fear with the men that once answered to them standing by the side. The fire in my chest burns hotter at the sight of them, my steps slow and deliberate as I come to stand before them.
They’d tried to take everything from me. They’d put a gun to Ginny’s head. They’d laid their fucking hands on her.
Rafe spots me first, and immediately he begins to plead in a trembling voice.
“Dario...wait—please...”
Rinaldo’s eyes meet mine, and though he tries to put on a brave front, I can see the fear in his eyes. Rafe is shaking at this point, his breaths coming out in fast, uneven gasps. They both know what’s coming.
“We didn’t mean for it to go this far, man. I swear...”
My fist connects with his face before he can finish his plea. He falls backward, gasping in pain, blood pouring from his nose.
“You didn’t mean for it to go this far?” I spit, standing over him. “You kidnapped her. You put a gun to her head.”
Still trying to hold onto some shred of dignity, Rinaldo sneers. “What? You think killing us makes you a big man, Dario? You think this makes you...”
I don’t give him a chance to finish. I raise my gun and shoot him in the leg. He clamps down on his lips with his teeth, but a deep groan slips past his throat, echoing in the night.
This makes Rafe even more scared.
“Dario! Please! I swear, I didn’t want any of this. He convinced me,” he points towards Rinaldo, who is clutching his leg. “He blackmailed me.”
“With what?” I demand, taking a step closer, aiming the gun at his hand. “What did he blackmail you with?”
His eyes go wide as he stammers, scrambling for an answer, for a lie.
I aim for his mouth and pull the trigger. The shot rings out, and Rafe’s screams become muffled as he cradles his bloodied face.
“You lied to me the first time,” I say, reaching over to grab his hair roughly and pull him up. “Did you really think I would believe you again?”
Senseless mumbles mixed with groans escape his lips. His face is a mess, with tears, blood, and snot seeping through the available holes.
Rinaldo’s face is pale now, the arrogance gone. “You really think this is going to change anything? You think killing us makes you better than me?”
I crouch down in front of him, gun still in hand, our faces inches apart. “I don’t give a fuck about being better,” I say in a quiet, cold voice. “This is to make sure you never hurt her again.”
I stand up and fire a shot into Rinaldo’s arm. He grits his teeth, refusing to scream, but I see the pain etched on his face, the tears slipping from the corners of his eyes. He’s trying to maintain control, but it’s of no use. He’s going to die anyway.
I point the gun at his other hand. “You should have known better,” I say softly, my voice almost a whisper. “You should’ve known better than laying your filthy hands on her.”
I fire. Rinaldo finally lets out a guttural cry, his two hands a bleeding mess. But there’s no mercy in me. Turning, I raise the gun one last time and aim it squarely at Rafe’s head.
Rafe’s eyes widen, filled with pure terror as he shakes his head vigorously, unable to speak or beg.
The shot is swift and final. Rafe’s body slumps forward, lifeless. Dark red blood pools beneath him, soaking into the dirt.
I turn to Rinaldo. His chest is heaving with labored breaths, blood seeping from his wounds. The fear in his eyes is thick, but he’s too proud, too arrogant, to beg for mercy, even in the face of death.
I don’t give a fuck about that. Whether he begs or not, he’ll still be a dead man in...
I glance at my watch. The one minute I promised Ginny is almost up.
“I’ll give you credit,” I say, cocking the gun again. “You’ve got guts. Too bad they’ll be spilled all over this very ground by noon when the vultures find your body.”
“My father will come for you,” he splutters, his body visibly vibrating when I raise my gun to his head. “You won’t get away with...”
The gun fires, the bullet piercing into the center of his forehead. His body crumples and collapses beside Rafe.
The silence that follows is deafening. I stand there, breathing heavily, staring down at their bodies. There’s no satisfaction in their deaths—only cold, hollow emptiness. The only thing that satisfies me is the thought of reuniting with Ginny, of continuing our lives together without any threats.
“Leave their bodies here,” I tell the men hovering around. I meant it when I said they’ll be consumed by vultures.
The men have their heads bent down in fear. Their hitting me was also part of the plan. Since their guns were basically useless, we didn’t want Rafe or Rinaldo catching on to the deceit.
Plus, I intended to kill these bastards in cold blood—no police involvement.
I turn and stride back to the car. Lorenzo is already in the driver’s seat when I arrive. I slip into the back where Ginny waits. Her large hazel eyes scan me as I pull her into my arms.
“I told you, Ginny,” I murmur as the engine rumbles to life. “I’ll be back in just one minute.”