The sudden dead weight breaks Torretti's grip. As I drop, I kick off my right shoe, and grab the nail file as it falls.
The gun goes off with the shot passing through empty air where my head was a heartbeat ago. I twist when I hit the floor, driving the sharpened nail file up into the inside of Torretti's thigh.
The blade sinks deep into his femoral artery. He screams as blood sprays hot across my face.
Chaos erupts inside the warehouse.
Torretti's guards go for their weapons. Matteo's team opens fire. I'm on the ground, scrambling away from Torretti as blood pumps from his leg in rhythmic spurts.
Someone grabs me and I instinctively fight back, the nail file still gripped in my hand.
"It's me!" Renato's voice cuts through the panic. His arms wrap around me, pulling me behind cover as bullets ricochet off metal.
The firefight lasts maybe thirty seconds. Torretti's men are outgunned and caught in crossfire. When the shooting stops, both guards are down. Torretti is on his back, hands pressed uselessly against the fountain of blood from his thigh.
"Pressure," he gasps, his face already pale. "I need an ambulance."
"You need to answer questions," Renato says coldly, kneeling beside him while keeping one arm around me. "How long you survive depends on how cooperative you are."
Matteo approaches, pulling zip ties from his tactical vest. "I've got him, boss. Take her out of here."
"Get everything," Renato says, standing and keeping me close against his side. "Names, locations, other operations. All of it."
"He'll talk." Matteo's voice is matter-of-fact as he begins applying just enough pressure to keep Torretti conscious but not enough to save him. "They always do."
I'm still pressed against Renato, my hands shaking, the bloody nail file clenched in my fist. The gray dress is soaked with blood.
"You're okay," Renato murmurs, his hand on the back of my head, already guiding me away from the scene. "You're safe now."
But I don't feel safe. I feel like I'm still falling, still fighting, still waiting for the next threat.
"Camilla." He turns me to face him, his hands gentle despite the violence still echoing around us. "Look at me. It's over."
"Is it?" My voice sounds strange, detached.
"You’re safe." He cups my face, forcing me to focus on him instead of the carnage. "I’ve got you."
The adrenaline starts to crash, leaving me hollow and shaking. I look down at my hands. Blood under my nails. Blood on the dress. Blood everywhere.
"I thought the buyer was waiting," I whisper.
"I would never let that happen." His thumb brushes across my cheekbone, wiping away blood. "Never."
Behind us, Matteo is efficiently extracting information from Torretti, who's bleeding out but still conscious. Names, locations, other operations. Everything spilling out as his life drains away.
"Boss?" Matteo calls. "He gave up his whole network. You want him kept alive?"
Renato looks at me, waiting for me to answer.
I study Torretti's face. His skin is gray now, lips already turning blue. He's dying whether we help him or not.
"Let him bleed out," I say quietly. "I want him to know what he did."
Renato nods to Matteo, who steps back from the wound. No pressure. Just gravity and biology doing their work.
Torretti's eyes find mine. I’m glad he knows I’m watching him die. His mouth moves but no words come out.
"Come on," Renato says, helping me stand. My legs shake but hold. "Let's get you home."
