Yuri came over, holding the phone out. "Boss, it's from the estate. You should–"
"Not now," I cut him off.
He looked at me, nodded, and backed away.
I stared at the bodies one last time. "Clean it up," I said quietly. "Leave nothing."
When I finally walked out, the sky was dark like it was bleeding too. And even with the smoke, the fire, and the smell of death around me... all I could think about was her.
The fight was almost done, and the club was quiet now, only the sound of glass cracking under our boots. Smoke still hung in the air, mixed with blood and cheap perfume.
"Boss, we found one still breathing," Sergei said.
They dragged a man toward me. His face was bruised, his shirt was soaked in sweat and blood. He was shaking, barely standing. I stared at him, waiting.
"Talk," I said.
He coughed, spitting out blood. "Please... I'll tell you everything."
"Then start before I change my mind."
His voice broke. "They're changing plans."
My brows lifted. "What plans?"
"The Italians... they're not going for the Bratva anymore." He paused, breathing hard. "They're going for her."
I didn't move. But my hand tightened around the gun, and my face stayed calm. "Her?"
"Marco's daughter," he said fast, like saying it quickly would save him. "They know, boss. They know she's your weakness now."
The words hit harder than any bullet, and for a second, no one breathed. Even the air seemed to freeze, and then I raised my gun. He tried to back away, stuttering, "I swear, that's all I–"
One shot, and his body hit the ground with his eyes wide open, and his mouth still moved without sound.
The room went silent again as blood spread across the floor. No one said a word. My men had seen this before, the calm after my rage. Roman looked at me but didn't speak. Sergei kicked the man's gun away.
I holstered and started moving fast. But even as I walked away, the man's last words echoed in my head. They know she's your weakness. I hated how it sounded. Outside, the air was cold, and the night wind cut through the smoke. I lit a cigarette, trying to steady the noise in my head. My hands were still shaking, though I'd never admit it.
They were coming for her, and if they touched her, even once... I'd burn every city from here to Rome.
I don't hesitate, and I don't have mercy. If Isabella was my weakness, then I'd turn that weakness into a weapon.
The drive back to the penthouse felt endless, and the city lights flashed through the tinted windows, slicing across my face like sharp blades. The city looked alive, but I wasn't. Not tonightbecause my mind was in chaos, rage, fear, and something worse that I refused to name.
Yuri sat in front, quietly. He knew better than to talk when I was like this. The car was filled with silence, except for the hum of the engine.
When we reached the building, I got out without a word. The guards moved aside, and I could feel their eyes on me, all of them waiting, watching. They've seen it before, the calm that came before the blood.
Inside, I didn't slow down. I barked orders instead, the moment I hit the elevator. "Double security on Isabella. No one gets near her."
Yuri followed; his steps were quick. "Already done, Boss, but–"
I cut him off, turning on him sharply. "No, but. She doesn't leave without a word. Not for sunlight. If anyone tries, I don't care who... you end it."
He hesitated. "Even the staff?"
"Especially the staff." My voice came out harder than I meant it to.
