The captain's jaw clenched. But he signaled to someone. Slowly, one by one, the guards lowered their weapons. The gate started opening with a mechanical whir.
I looked at Marco. "Lead the men in. Secure the perimeter. Anyone who resists, take them down."
"On it." Marco started barking orders.
I was about to follow when gunfire erupted. Not from the gate. From inside the compound. From the main house. Everyone dove for cover. Bullets hitting stone. Metal. Missing us by inches.
"Return fire!" Marco shouted.
"Hold!" I countermanded. Spotted my father on the second-floor balcony. "That's Salvatore. We need him alive. Don't kill him."
But my father wasn't interested in surrendering peacefully. He kept firing. His guards joining in. Turning this into exactly what I'd hoped to avoid.
A full-scale firefight.
"Suppressing fire! Move in!" I led the charge. Using the gate for cover. My men following. Returning fire but aiming to disable not kill.
We pushed forward. Across the courtyard. Taking out guards who were too loyal or too stupid to surrender. Moving toward the main house where my father was barricaded.
Where Aria was being held.
Every second felt like an eternity. Every step forward bought with bullets and blood. My arm screamed but I ignored it. Ignored everything except the goal.
Find Aria. Get her out. Kill anyone who tried to stop me.
We reached the main house. My father had pulled back inside. Firing from windows. Making us pay for every inch of ground.
"Marco! Cover me. I'm going in."
"That's a suicide mission! The place is probably booby-trapped. Your father knows you're coming."
"Then today looks like a good day to die." I checked my weapon. Made sure I had extra magazines. "Get our men in position. Storm the compound. I'm going for Aria."
"Kai, wait..."
I didn't wait. Couldn't wait. Aria was in there. Scared. Alone. Waiting for rescue that had to come now.
I kicked in the side door. Entered the house with my gun up ready for anything, time to end this one way or another.
Either I saved Aria or I died trying, there was no third option.
Chapter Twenty-Six
ARAI
I'd been faced with so much death this year that at one point, I'd actually prayed for it.
Prayed for it to take me. To end the nightmare. To stop the pain of losing Mama to cancer and Papa to murder. To escape the trap of marrying Salvatore. To find peace in whatever came after this brutal, violent world.
Death had seemed like mercy. Like the only way out.
But now, sitting in this locked room with my hand pressed against my still-flat stomach, I wanted nothing more than to live.
Not just for myself. For this tiny life growing inside me. This child who deserved a chance I'd almost given up on. This baby who would be born from love instead of violence. From hope instead of despair.
This child would grow up knowing they were wanted. Loved. Protected. They'd have Kai's eyes, I decided. Those dark, intense eyes that saw straight through to my soul. Those eyes that looked at me like I was worth moving heaven and earth for.
This baby would never know the fear I'd lived with. Would never be sold off like property. Would never watch their parents die and feel helpless to stop it.
