Chapter 24 Cristian
CRISTIAN
Maksim's fingers dig into her flesh just enough to make her wince. That tiny expression of pain snaps something inside me.
I've watched men die.
I've killed men myself. But seeing her trapped here, being pawed at and tormented by this monster who plans to break her spirit, it’s all I can do not to kill him right now.
My hand slides to my holster, fingers curling around the grip of my gun.
“You’re expected at home, Ms. Dante,” I say, stepping forward.
Maksim's eyes narrow. "You forget your place, dog."
"And you forget she's still a Dante," I reply, daring him to force me to kill him.
He laughs, turning to Valentina. "Your brother should train his pets better."
When he reaches for her again, everything slows down. I watch him pull her up and tug her hard into his body, his hand sliding down to her ass.
I do the only thing I can. I draw and fire in one fluid motion.
The bullet catches Maksim in the temple, spraying crimson across the pristine wedding plans.
His body crumples before he even registers surprise.
His two guards reach for their weapons, but I'm already moving.
Two more shots, two more bodies hit the floor.
Valentina’s eyes are wide, fixed on Maksim’s body.
“We need to go now." I reach my hand out to her, and she takes it without hesitation.
We run out the back of the restaurant and to my car.
"Get in," I urge, sliding behind the wheel as she buckles herself into the passenger seat.
I floor the accelerator, tires squealing as we tear away from the scene. As we flee to freedom.
“Cristian?”
A hand settles on my arm. I blink.
Valentina stands in front of me, looking up at me with a curious expression.
“Don’t forget what I said, Valentina.” Maksim buttons his coat.
Her eyes stay fixed on me, and I realize I was lost in a fantasy. A fantasy I could still make real.
My fingers twitch toward my gun.
“Let’s go, Cristian.” This time, her expression is urgent. Almost like she knows what I’m thinking and wants to stop me from doing something stupid.
These violent thoughts keep ambushing me. Vivid daydreams where I end this farce with a bullet. They feel so real that sometimes, I worry I might act on them without meaning to.
I nod and step aside to open the door for her.
But even then, I’m imagining reaching for my gun and firing.
This can’t go on.
Every minute I let this continue feels like I'm failing her.
We need a plan.
Something better than my murderous fantasies.
Something that won't start a war.
Something that will free her without getting us both killed.
But watching Maksim track Valentina from the room, his men positioned strategically throughout the restaurant, I wonder if such a solution exists.
I usher Valentina away, my hand protectively placed on her elbow.
Once we're safely inside our vehicle and pulling away, she lets out a breath that seems to deflate her entire body.
“You okay?”
She sucks in a breath that returns color to her cheeks. It’s amazing how fast she can rally. "If looks could kill, Maksim would be nothing but dust right now," she jokes, a halfhearted smile touching her lips. "I thought you might actually murder him with your eyes."
"If only that were true," I mutter, gripping the steering wheel tighter and imagining it is Maksim’s throat. "I'd have turned him to ash weeks ago."
The joke falls flat between us, weighed down by the reality of our situation.
I check the rearview mirror, not risking another ambush.
“Yes, well, you’d have to turn your death stare on my brothers too.” She rubs her temples.
"You know what really gets me? Your brothers act like this is some minor inconvenience for you. Like you're just attending some boring function instead of sacrificing your entire fucking life."
She sighs. "What choice do I have?"
"That's just it. You don't have a choice.
And they don't even acknowledge what you're giving up.
" I hit the steering wheel, feeling so fucking helpless.
"You're literally putting your life on the line to keep peace between families, and they treat it like you should be grateful for the opportunity. "
She turns to me, those gray eyes softening. "Thank you for seeing that. For understanding what they can't."
"Or won't," I add, not hiding my bitterness.
Her hand finds mine, and it grounds me, when I’m the one who should be helping her. "It doesn't change anything, though, does it?"
"No. Not without starting a war that would kill hundreds. Not just us, but innocents caught in the crossfire."
We drive in silence for several minutes, her hand still on mine.
"I keep thinking there must be a way out," I finally say. "Some angle I haven't considered. Something that saves you without destroying everything else."
She squeezes my hand. "If you find it, let me know."
I bring her hand to my lips, a dangerous gesture in public, but I can't help myself. "What about Luca?" I say, the thought forming as I speak. "He's family. He cares about you. And he already hates Maksim after what happened with Katerina."
Valentina shifts in her seat, turning toward me. "I thought about it. But I can't bring Luca back here."
"Why the hell not? He'd put a stop to this in a heartbeat." There’s a part of me that thinks Luca could have taken the Dante family from Alessandro if he wanted.
The guy has a reputation for having balls of steel and zero fear.
He’s the only one who’s ever made Maksim hesitate.
"Luca's return would threaten Alessandro's position. Again. He's already insecure about his authority after Father died."
I scoff, accelerating through a yellow light. "I don't give a fuck about Alessandro's fragile ego. If he doesn’t have the balls to do his fucking job, then someone else should.”
"Cristian," she warns, but there's no heat behind it.
"It's true. Luca would never allow this. He'd have put a bullet in Maksim's head the moment he suggested it."
“First, he knows what’s going on—”
“What?” I gape at her.
“He doesn’t like it, but I convinced him it was the only way.”
“Jesus.” I glance at her again. “You can change your mind. He’d understand.”
“Yes, but I can’t. For one, he’s got a wife, a son, a baby on the way. Plus, if Luca kills Maksim, we're at war with the Bratva. If he challenges Alessandro, our family fractures from within. Either way, blood flows."
“Blood's going to flow regardless. Yours. When that bastard gets his hands on you."
She goes quiet, staring out the windshield.
"I'm sorry," I say, softer now. "I just can't accept that there's no way out of this."
"There isn’t.” Her resignation guts me.
"But you're his family too," I argue. "Luca doesn’t want this for you. He’d help in a—”
Valentina shakes her head. "Luca has finally found peace. I won't be the reason he loses that happiness."
Her selflessness infuriates me almost as much as it makes me love her. Always putting others first.
"So, that's it? You just accept this fate because you don't want to inconvenience anyone?"
"Don't you dare," she snaps, fire flashing in her eyes. "You think this is easy for me? I'm terrified every single day. But I won't destroy my brother's family or start a war that kills hundreds just because I'm scared."
I pull the car over, tires crunching on gravel. Turning to face her, I take both her hands in mine.
"I understand sacrifice, Valentina. It's what I've built my life around. But there is a line. And watching you walk into Maksim's house, knowing what he'll do to you…" Anger tears at me. "That's a line I can't cross. I'll find another way."
"I wanted a way out before I fully understood what was at stake," Valentina says. "But I see it clearly now. If I back out, good men will die. Loyal men. You could die, Cristian. Alessandro or Adriano could die. I can't live with that."
"So you'll live with being Maksim's prisoner instead?" I demand, my voice rough with emotion I don’t bother to hide.
She reaches up, her hand pressing against my cheek. "Better than living with your blood on my hands."
I catch her wrist, pressing my lips to her palm. "My blood isn't your responsibility."
"It is if you die trying to save me. Every choice leads to someone getting hurt. At least this way, it's only me."
I want to shake her.
I want to make her see that she matters more than some political alliance, more than peace between criminals.
But the selflessness in her eyes stops me cold.
I have to respect her wishes.
I pull back out onto the road, heading back to the Dante estate.
I glance over at her, admiring her strength even as I hate her determination.
She's changed so much these past weeks.
The flirtatious girl who jumped into the pool half-naked to tease me has hardened into a woman making impossible choices with courage I’ve never seen in any of the men I work with.
And I fucking hate it.
She shouldn't have had to grow up like this.
Forced to sacrifice herself for men who will sleep soundly in their beds while she endures Maksim's mental and physical brutality.
Hell, they’ll pat themselves on the back at how they kept the peace and improved profits.
Meanwhile, Valentina slowly dies.
I'm supposed to protect her.
That's my job.
But every scenario I play out ends the same way.
Valentina broken or me dead. Sometimes both.
I've gone through each possibility, testing it for weaknesses, for some path that leads us both to safety.
But in this world we live in, there are no happy endings for people like us.
"You're grinding your teeth again," Valentina says softly.
I force my jaw to relax. "Just thinking."
"About killing Maksim?"
"Among other things."
She turns to me. "You know why we can't."
"I know why we shouldn't," I correct her. "There's a difference."
"Cristian…" Her voice holds a warning.
This is why I tried so hard to resist her.
Why I insisted our night together would be just that… one night.
Even sneaking up into her room, I kissed her, but no more.
It couldn’t be more without ripping my heart from my chest.
But that’s what’s happening anyway.