No More Running
Mia barely had time to think. The moment the two men burst into the stairwell, Marco shoved her back, raising his gun. But he wasn't fast enough. One of the men fired first, the deafening blast echoing in the narrow space.
Marco grunted as the bullet tore into his shoulder, staggering against the wall.
Mia's stomach dropped.
The second man was already moving toward them, his gun shifting from Marco to her.
No.
Mia refused to freeze.
Her eyes darted to Marco's gunâhis grip had loosened as he struggled to stay upright. Without hesitating, she lunged, fingers wrapping around the cold metal just as the man reached for her.
She didn't think. She just reacted.
With a surge of adrenaline, she twisted her body, lifting the gun the way she'd seen Lorenzo do countless times. Her hands shook, but she held her breath and pulled the trigger.
The blast rang in her ears.
The man jerked back, clutching his side as he stumbled against the door. His partner turned his attention to her, and Mia barely ducked in time as another shot whizzed past her, splintering the wall behind her.
Marco, groaning through the pain, reached for his own weapon again and fired. The second man dropped instantly.
Mia's chest heaved as she turned her gaze back to the first man, who was still writhing in pain against the wall. Blood seeped between his fingers where her shot had landed.
She had shot someone.
Her hands trembled slightly, but she refused to let fear take over.
"We have to move," Marco gritted out, pressing a hand to his wound. "There could be more of them."
Mia nodded, shaking herself out of the daze. She reached for Marco, helping him steady himself as they pushed through the door at the bottom of the stairs.
The alley behind the building was dark and silent, a sharp contrast to the chaos inside.
Mia kept the gun clutched tightly in her hands, every nerve in her body on high alert. Marco leaned against the brick wall, breathing heavily.
"You okay?" she asked, scanning their surroundings.
Marco huffed out a dry laugh. "I've had worse."
Before she could respond, the sound of tires screeching against pavement made her heart lurch. Headlights flashed across the alley as a black SUV came to a sudden stop.
For a split second, she braced herself for another attack.
But then the driver's door flew open, and Lorenzo stepped out, his expression murderous.
Mia's breath caught.
He looked wild. Dangerous. His suit jacket was gone, his shirt slightly disheveled, and there was blood splattered along his sleeve.
His eyes locked on her immediately.
"Mia."
She exhaled sharply, but before she could take a step toward him, he was already in front of her, his hands gripping her shoulders as his eyes scanned her frantically.
"Are you hurt?" His voice was low, rough, barely controlled.
She shook her head. "No. Marco got hit, but Iâ" She hesitated, her grip on the gun tightening. "I shot one of them."
Lorenzo stilled. His gaze dropped to the weapon in her hand, then back up to her face. Something dark flickered in his eyes.
"You did what you had to," he murmured.
Mia wasn't sure how to respond to that. She wasn't sure how she felt about it yet.
Before she could dwell on it, Lorenzo turned to Marco. "Can you walk?"
Marco gave a strained nod. "I'm not dying yet."
Lorenzo signaled to one of his men in the SUV. "Get him in the car. Now."
As they helped Marco into the backseat, Lorenzo turned back to Mia. His hands cupped her face, his touch surprisingly gentle despite the tension radiating from him.
"This is exactly why I wanted to get you out," he murmured, his thumb brushing against her cheek. "They won't stop, Mia."
She swallowed hard. "Then neither will I."
Something in his expression shifted. It wasn't approval. It wasn't anger. It was something deeper, something unreadable.
"You don't have to be part of this," he said quietly. "You can still walk away."
Mia lifted her chin. "I think that choice was taken from me the moment I fell for you."
Lorenzo's eyes darkened, but before he could respond, another car engine roared in the distance.
"We need to go," one of his men called out.
Lorenzo didn't hesitate. He took Mia's hand and led her to the car, his grip firm. Protective.
As the SUV sped away from the alley, Mia knew there was no turning back now.
She had fought. She had survived.
And now, she was truly part of this world.