Giovanni
GIOVANNI
T he shipping yard is eerily quiet as we move through it. The only sounds are the distant hum of the city and the crunch of gravel beneath our boots. No guards. No movement. It feels wrong. Too wrong. Every instinct I have is screaming at me.
“This isn’t right,” Mihai mutters beside me, his voice low, dark eyes scanning the area. “Where the fuck is everyone?”
I grit my teeth, my eyes flicking over every dark corner, every shadow, looking for the trap that has to be waiting. “I don’t know. But it’s too quiet.”
Nikolai moves in front of me, his gun drawn, his movements sharp and precise. “They had to know we’d be coming. It’s like they cleared out. I don’t like this.”
Connor, who usually has a grin on his face, isn’t laughing now. His jaw is set, his eyes narrowed as he checks his own weapon. “Feels like we’ve walked into a fuckin’ ghost town, lads.”
One of Dmitri’s scouts comes jogging up to us, pale and out of breath. “Boss, there’s nothing. No guards, no patrols, nothing. It’s like they up and vanished. ”
Nikolai shares a look with me, the tension palpable. This isn’t normal. It’s not how things are supposed to go down. Someone should be here guarding their prize. Chiara. They wouldn’t just leave her unprotected unless?—
“It’s either a trap or they’ve already moved her,” I mutter, the thought sending a wave of dread through me.
Nikolai’s lips thin into a hard line. “We’ll find out soon enough.”
“Stay sharp,” I bark, signaling to Dmitri’s men to spread out and cover the perimeter. Every second that ticks by feels like a fucking hour, my heart pounding in my chest. Chiara is here somewhere. She has to be. But if they’ve touched her, if they’ve hurt her…
Mihai glances at me, his face unreadable but his dark eyes flashing with something dangerous. “We don’t know what we’re walking into. Keep your head, G.”
I give him a sharp nod, though keeping my cool feels impossible. The GPS led us here, to this goddamn shipping container, and if anything has happened to her?—
Nikolai moves to the side of the container, his gun at the ready, his expression taut with barely controlled fury. “Ready?”
“Do it,” I growl, my voice rough with tension.
He signals to one of the men to pry the door open, and the metal groans in protest as it swings open, revealing the dark interior. My heart lurches in my chest as the scent of something sharp and metallic hits my nose—blood.
Mihai stiffens next to me, his face hardening, while Connor’s eyes darken as he moves closer. “That’s never a good sign,” he mutters.
I don’t wait for the others. I shove past them, storming into the container. My eyes are adjusting to the dim light, and I’m praying—praying that the GPS was wrong, that she’s not here, that she’s not? —
My heart stops, the air sucked out of my lungs as I take in the scene in front of me. It’s a scene straight out of my fucking nightmares.
Chiara is tied spreadeagled to a bed in the middle of the container, her wrists and ankles bound tightly to the bedposts. She’s naked and unconscious, her body limp, her face pale as death. Blood drips from a cut on her forehead, staining the sheets beneath her. But that’s not what makes me see red.
It’s Leo Volkov.
The fucking bastard is standing over her, his shirt unbuttoned and his dick out, and a sick smile on his face.
I don’t even think—I just move, lunging forward and grabbing Leo by the throat, my fist connecting with his jaw so hard it feels like my bones might shatter from the impact. He stumbles back, his expression shifting from surprise to fear as he tries to recover, but I’m not giving him the chance. I’m on him in an instant, my hands gripping his throat as I slam him to the floor.
“You motherfucker!” I roar, slamming him down, my fist connecting with his face. Once, twice, again and again. I can feel the bones in his nose shatter under my knuckles. I can feel the warm spray of blood as it splatters across my skin, but it’s not enough.
I want to destroy him, to erase the very fucking existence of this piece of shit who dared to lay a hand on her.
Leo’s trying to say something, trying to choke out words through the blood and broken teeth, but I don’t care. I don’t fucking care what he has to say. All I want is to make him pay, to make him feel every ounce of pain he’s caused Chiara.
“Gio!” Nikolai’s voice is a distant echo, drowned out by the pounding in my ears, the bloodlust that’s taken over. “G, stop! We need him alive!”
Mihai’s voice cuts in, desperate. “Gio, think! We need answers! ”
I don’t care. All I see is red. Leo’s blood. Chiara’s blood. It’s all the same to me right now.
Connor grabs my arm, trying to yank me off. “He’s not worth it, mate! We need to find out what the fuck he was planning!”
But I shove him off, my knuckles raw, bruised, and bloody from beating Leo senseless. I’m about to land another hit when a small, weak voice breaks through the haze.
“Gio…?”
I freeze, my fist reared back to punch him again and my heart skipping a beat. Slowly, I turn my head, my breath catching in my throat as I see Chiara’s eyes flutter open. She’s weak, barely conscious, but she’s looking at me. Looking at me like I’m her lifeline.
“Chiara,” I breathe, my voice trembling as I let go of Leo, shoving him away like the worthless piece of shit he is, and scramble to Chiara’s side.
She’s still tied down, her wrists raw and bloody from where she’s struggled against the restraints. Her eyes are glassy, unfocused, but she’s looking at me, trying to reach for me.
“Chiara, baby, I’m here,” I say, my hands shaking as I take a Karambit knife from my boot to cut her hands loose, desperately trying to free her. “I’m going to get you out of here, okay? You’re safe now.”
She doesn’t respond, just watches me with those big, terrified eyes, and it fucking kills me. I want to take her in my arms, to hold her and never let go, but first, I need to get her out of these goddamn ropes.
Finally, the last of the restraints falls away, and I wipe the blood on my cargo pants before I pull her onto my lap, holding her close. She’s so small, so fragile in my arms, and I can feel her trembling; feel the fear and the pain radiating off her.
“It’s okay,” I whisper, my voice thick with emotion. “You’re safe now. I’ve got you. ”
I shrug off my jacket and wrap it around her, trying to cover the torn remnants of her clothes, trying to give her some sense of safety, of protection. But it feels like a fucking joke—how can I protect her from this? How can I make this right?
Nikolai is already at the doorway, his face pale as he takes in the scene. “Mihai, Connor, grab the fucker and make sure he lives. We’ll deal with him later.”
As I lift her up, cradling her against me, I shoot a look at Nikolai, my jaw tight. “Make sure the fucker knows what’s coming.”
Nikolai nods, his face set in stone. “We’ll handle it.”
I don’t stay to watch. I can’t. Not when Chiara is still trembling in my arms, her breath coming in short, shallow gasps, her body weak and fragile against mine. I turn and carry her out of the container, my heart heavy with the knowledge of what she’s been through, of what I couldn’t protect her from.
As we make our way through the shipping yard, the men around us stand down, their expressions grim as they see the state she’s in. They know what’s happened, even if they don’t say it. They know the kind of hell Leo put her through.
“Get the car ready,” I bark at one of the men. “We’re leaving. Now.”
The man nods and sprints ahead, and I don’t stop moving until I reach the SUV, the door already open and waiting for us. I carefully place Chiara inside, making sure she’s comfortable before I climb in after her, pulling the door shut behind me.
As soon as we’re inside, I pull her into my lap, holding her close, my arms wrapped tightly around her as I press my face into her hair. She’s shaking, her body trembling with the aftershocks of whatever Leo did to her, and all I can do is hold her, trying to offer her some semblance of comfort, of safety.
“I’m sorry,” I whisper against her hair, my voice cracking with the weight of my guilt. “I’m so fucking sorry, Chiara. I should have been there sooner. I should have protected you. ”
She doesn’t respond, just buries her face in my chest, her fingers clutching at my shirt as she lets out a broken sob. My heart shatters at the sound, and I tighten my hold on her, my own tears burning in the corners of my eyes as I realize just how close I came to losing her.
One fucking slip up and my heart got ripped from my chest.
“I’m never letting you go again,” I vow, my voice rough with emotion. “Never.”
The ride back to my estate is a blur, the men around us silent, respectful, as they drive us away from the nightmare we just escaped. I don’t let go of Chiara, not even for a second, my heart still pounding with fear, with anger, with the overwhelming need to make sure she’s okay.
When we finally reach the estate, Dmitri and my father are already waiting for us, Dmitri’s expression dark with worry as he sees the state Chiara’s in. He doesn’t say anything, just steps aside as I carry her inside.
“It was Volkov,” I say, and I watch the anger flare up in his eyes. “Nikolai has him.”
He nods and looks at my father before pulling out his cell phone. My father gives me a weird look before walking off with Dmitri— something tells me this war has just escalated.
“Get the doctor,” I say, my voice tight as I head for the stairs. “Now.”
One of the men nods and rushes off to make the call, and I continue up the stairs, my arms aching from holding Chiara so tightly, but I don’t care. I won’t let go of her until I’m sure she’s safe, until I’m sure she’s okay.
I carry her to one of the infirmary rooms, gently laying her down on the bed, and she lets out a small whimper as I pull back, her hand reaching out for mine.
“Don’t leave me,” she whispers, her voice trembling.
“I’m not going anywhere,” I promise, my heart aching as I see the fear in her eyes. “I’m right here, baby, I’m not leaving you. Never again.”
Dr Marshall arrives a few minutes later, her expression grave as she examines Chiara. I have to force myself to stay calm, to stay in control as she checks her over, looking for any signs of lasting damage.
“She’ll be okay,” Dr Marshall finally says, her voice gentle as she turns to me. “Physically, she’ll recover. But emotionally … it’s going to take time. She’s been through a lot. I’ve done a kit and taken a few blood samples. I’ll be back later tonight.”
I nod, my throat tight as I look down at Chiara, her eyes already closed, her body limp with exhaustion. “Thank you,” I say, my voice barely above a whisper.
She nods and quietly leaves the room, and I sit down on the edge of the bed, taking her hand in mine.
“I’m here,” I whisper, my voice rough with emotion. “I’m right here, and I’m not going anywhere.”
I stay there for hours, just watching her sleep, my heart heavy with the weight of everything that’s happened. I’ve seen a lot of shit in my life, done a lot of things I’m not proud of, but this … this is something I’ll never forgive myself for. I should have been there. I should have protected her.
But I wasn’t. And now, all I can do is try to pick up the pieces, to help her heal from the nightmare Leo put her through.
“I’ll make it right,” I whisper. “I’ll make it right, Chiara. I promise you that.”