Chapter Eleven
Inferno
Stefano
The docks reek of saltwater and diesel. Fog curls low over the black water, swallowing the outlines of cranes and rusted containers.
My boots are silent on the wet pavement, my Glock heavy in my hand.
Around me, the family moves like shadows, Severu to my right, Mancuso a few paces back, Alceu directing soldiers with clipped gestures.
Every man is armed. Every man is silent.
The air is thick with tension, the kind that comes before a storm.
But none of them are as dangerous as what’s inside me.
Rage churns in my chest, molten and merciless. Every heartbeat is another second Andrea is tied up in that warehouse, afraid, maybe hurt, maybe worse. The thought claws at me, sharp and unrelenting. I grind my teeth so hard my jaw aches.
They think they can use her against me. They think she’s a weakness. They have no idea what they’ve done. Because Andrea Rossi isn’t my weakness. She’s my reason. And I’ll paint these docks in blood to get her back.
We huddle behind a stack of containers, the warehouse looming a hundred yards ahead. A guard smokes near the door, his rifle slung carelessly across his chest. Another paces, muttering into a radio.
Severu crouches beside me, his eyes sharp. “We’ll need to take them out quiet. No alarms. Once we’re inside, it’ll get messy.”
“Messy works,” I growl.
He studies me, something like worry flickering in his gaze. “You’re not thinking straight, little brother. You’re thinking angry. That gets you killed. It could get her killed.”
I glare at him, my voice low and lethal. “Either help me or stay out of my way.”
For once, he doesn’t argue. He just nods, sliding his knife free, giving me his answer.
Alceu signals. Two soldiers peel off, circling wide. Seconds later, the guard with the cigarette slumps forward, a blade buried in his throat. The pacing one turns, confused, and a silenced round drops him before he can shout.
The path is clear.
We move fast, cutting across the open ground. My pulse thunders in my ears, every sense sharpened. The metal door groans softly as Severu eases it open. Inside, the air is thick with smoke, booze, and sweat, the murmur of voices drifting from deeper within.
I slip inside first, my gun raised, and my body coiled tight. The hallway is narrow, lit by flickering fluorescent bulbs. Footsteps echo faintly from ahead. We move in formation, each step measured, silent, and lethal.
At the first corner, I press my back to the wall, peering around. Two men lounge near a crate, their rifles leaning against the metal. They’re laughing, passing a bottle between them.
Idiots.
I signal. Mancuso slides forward, smooth as a snake, and drives his blade into one throat, muffling the gurgled scream with his palm. I lunge for the other, my knife punching between his ribs. His eyes widen, breath catching, before I twist and let him drop.
The floor is already slick with blood, and it won’t be the last we spill tonight.
Deeper inside, the laughter grows louder. Voices in Spanish, the scrape of cards, the clink of bottles. My chest tightens. Where is she?
We creep closer, every muscle screaming to sprint, to tear through the door and get to her. But Alceu’s hand clamps on my shoulder, grounding me. His eyes are steady. “We go in smart. Not wild. She dies if you rush.”
He’s right. The words taste like ash, but he’s right.
I nod once, then crouch by the door, listening. My heart stops when I hear it. Her voice. Faint. Shaking. But hers.
“Please, Stefano. Find me.” A sob follows.
The sound slices me open. My grip on the Glock tightens until my knuckles ache. She’s calling for me. She’s still fighting. And I swear to God I’ll answer.
Alceu signals the men into position. Severu and Mancuso flank the far side of the door, soldiers lined behind them. I take point. My blood hums, my vision narrowing as I focus on the task at hand. A single thought keeping me grounded.
Andrea.
I slam my boot into the door and the warehouse erupts in chaos.
Shouts and gunfire bounce off the walls.
The sharp crack of rifles, the roar of pistols.
Men scramble from their chairs, cards and bottles scattering.
One lunges for his weapon, but I put two rounds in his chest before he can lift it.
Another raises his rifle but Severu drops him with a shot clean through the head.
Chaos engulfs the room. Soldiers clash, bullets flying, blood spraying and bodies falling. The air fills with smoke and screams.
And in the center of the chaos is Andrea. Her body held against that of her captor, using her as a shield. Her eyes are wide and filled with terror, her face streaked with tears. Relief floods her features when she sees me.
“Stefano!”
The sound of my name on her lips is a weapon and a plea. I surge forward, cutting down anyone in my path.
Matías presses a pistol pressed to Andrea’s temple. He holds her tightly against his torso, his sneer sharp as he shouts over the gunfire.
“Stop, or she dies!”
My heart slams against my ribs. I freeze, my gun trained on his head. Every muscle trembles with the need to end him, but one twitch of his finger could take her from me.
Andrea whimpers, her eyes locked on mine. She’s terrified, but she’s strong. Always strong.
“Drop it, Cammareri!” Matías snarls, his accent thick as he presses the barrel of his gun harder against her skin. “Drop it, or I’ll paint these walls with her blood!”
I lower the gun an inch, just enough to ease his finger from the trigger. My voice is calm but lethal. “You don’t want to do this.”
He laughs, wild and bitter. “Oh, but I do. You killed my brother. You ruined everything. And now, I’ll take the thing that matters to you most. I’ll take your heart.”
Andrea squeezes her eyes shut, a tear sliding down her cheek. My pulse roars in my ears, my vision narrowing to the bastard holding her.
I shift my stance, subtle, but lining up the shot. One chance. One bullet. That’s all I need.
Severu’s voice cuts through the chaos, sharp. “Stefano...”
“Shut up,” I growl. My finger tightens on the trigger.
Matías sneers. “Do it, then. Kill me. But she goes with me.”
“Wrong,” I snarl. “You don’t get to take her anywhere.”
Andrea’s eyes snap open. They lock on mine, wide and wet, and in that moment I see it, the trust. The faith. The love she’s too afraid to speak. She believes in me.
I exhale. My world narrows to the trigger, the sight, his skull.
One shot.
The gun bucks in my hand.
Matías’s head snaps back, blood spraying the wall. His body crumples, Andrea stumbling free as his grip loosens. I lunge, catching her before she falls, pulling her against me.
Her sobs break open against my chest, her body trembling violently. I cradle her head, fury and relief crashing through me like a tidal wave.
“I’ve got you,” I rasp, my voice raw. “You’re safe now. I’ve got you.”
Around us, the gunfire fades. Cartel men lie dead, soldiers sweeping through to finish the stragglers. Severu curses under his breath, shaking his head. Mancuso lets out a low whistle while Alceu barks orders to clear the scene.
But none of it matters. All that matters is the woman in my arms.
Her wrists are raw from the ties, her cheek swollen from a slap, and her dress torn. But she’s alive. She’s breathing. And she’s looking at me like I’m not a monster, but a savior.
Her fingers clutch my shirt, desperate, as if letting go will mean letting go of herself. I press my lips to her hair, breathing her in, grounding myself in the fact that she’s real. She’s here. And I’ll never let anyone take her from me again.
Severu steps closer, his voice low. “You went full darkness back there.”
I glance at him over Andrea’s head, my eyes cold. “I’ll go darker if it keeps her safe.”
His gaze flickers, a warning in it. But he says nothing more.
I lift Andrea into my arms, her body curling instinctively against me. She’s light, too light, but she’s warm. And she is alive. My chest tightens as I carry her through the ruined warehouse, past bodies and blood and smoke.
Outside, the night air hits her face. She breathes deep, shuddering, and clings tighter to me. Soldiers fan out, checking corners, but I don’t stop. I carry her straight to the SUV waiting at the edge of the dock.
The world can burn around us. I don’t care. Because I have her back. And now that I do, I’ll never let go.