Valentina.
The wind whipped through my hair as we sped down the empty road, the tires of Isabella’s car humming against the quiet pavement.
It was quiet.
Too quiet.
I gripped the door handle tighter as the tension in my chest continued to build every past second. The conversation with mom still echoed in my mind, her cold eyes, the way she dismissed us like we didn’t even matter.
Isabella’s eyes flicked to the rearviee mirror, and I saw her jaw clench, the same way it had when we were leaving the Russo’s mansion.
The place we had called home for years.
“Do you think she was lying?” I asked, finding my voice after so many hours.
“Does it matter?” Isabella’s voice was cold, her fingers tight on the steering wheel. “She’s never going to tell us the truth.”
I didn’t have the energy to argue with her.
Maybe she was tired.
As we neared the highway, Isabella glanced over at me. “We’ll lay low at the safe house for a few days. I’ve already arranged everything.”
“Can’t I call Matteo now?”
Her grip on the wheel tightened. “No.”
I knew better than to press her on that. Isabella and Matteo would have to deal with their issues on a later date, when she is ready, because the last thing we needed was more drama.
But I missed him badly.
If only I had hugged him tighter, kissed him harder….
Isabella cursed under her breath, her eyes darting to the rearview mirror again.
“What?” I turned, peering out the back window.
That’s when I saw it.
A sleek black SUV, following too closely, its headlights cutting through the darkness like a predator stalking its prey.
Luca had found us, Luca..
“Are we being followed?” I asked, pulse racing.
“Definitely,” Isabella spat. “They’ve been tailing us for the last mile.”
Panic clawed at my throat. “What do we do?”
“We don’t stop.” Her voice was steel, and she slammed her foot on the gas. The car lurched forward, the speedometer climbing. But the SUV didn’t back off. If anything, it was getting closer.
“They’re going to force us off the road!” I cried out, my heart thudding wildly as the car jerked violently when Isabella swerved to avoid them.
“Hang on!” Isabella barked, her eyes narrowing in determination. She made a sharp right turn onto a dirt road, the car bouncing and swaying dangerously as the tires fought for grip.
The SUV was relentless, matching every move, getting closer.
They were better.
“We can’t outrun them!”
“Then we fight.” Isabella snapped back with a calm voice.
The kind of voice she used when she wasn’t getting what she wanted.
Before I could process her words, the SUV rammed into our back bumper, sending us skidding sideways. I screamed as the car spun out of control, the world a blur of dust and darkness.
With a loud crash, we slammed into a ditch, the airbags deploying with a violent hiss. My vision swam as I tried to catch my breath, the metallic taste of blood in my mouth.
“Valentina!” Isabella’s voice was distant, muffled.
I forced myself to move, blinking away the haze. Isabella was already out of the car, pulling at my door. “Come on! We need to move!”
I staggered out, my legs trembling as I tried to regain my footing. But we didn’t get far. The black SUV screeched to a halt just ahead of us, and four men jumped out, guns drawn.
He had gotten to us.
“Luca’s men,” Isabella growled under her breath. “Shit.”
One of them, a tall man with a scar running down his cheek, stepped forward, “You two are coming with us.”
“We’re not going anywhere with you,” Isabella spat, her hand reaching for something in her jacket, but before she could pull it out, two of the men grabbed her arms, forcing her to her knees.
“No!” I shouted, rushing toward her, but another man caught me by the waist, pulling me back. His grip was like iron, and no matter how much I struggled, I couldn’t break free.
The man with the scar smirked, his gaze flicking to me. “You should listen to your sister. This doesn’t have to get messy.”
I glared at him, but there was nothing I could do.
They had us.
“Matteo will kill you,” I spat, trying to sound braver than I felt. “If you touch us, you’re dead.”
The man laughed, a deep, guttural sound. “Matteo’s not here to save you. Besides, it’s not him you should be worried about.”
They shoved us toward the SUV, and despite our struggles, there was no escape.
They were too strong, too prepared.
My heart pounded in my chest as they threw us into the back of the vehicle, slamming the door shut behind us. The inside of the SUV was dark, suffocating, the smell of leather and sweat thick in the air.
“We’re screwed,” Isabella muttered, her voice laced with anger. She looked at me, her eyes filled with a fury I hadn’t seen in a long time. “I should have killed them when I had the chance.”
I didn’t respond. My mind was racing, trying to figure out how we were going to get out of this.
Matteo had to know by now. He had to be coming for us, right?
Coming for me.
The ride to wherever they were taking us felt like an eternity, the silence heavy and oppressive. The men didn’t say a word, and neither did we. There was no point. We were at their mercy.
Finally, the SUV came to a stop, and they dragged us out, marching us into what looked like an old, abandoned warehouse. The cold, industrial smell hit me like a wave as they shoved us inside, the large metal door clanging shut behind us.
Luca was waiting.
He stood in the centrer of the room, arms crossed, his expression unreadable. The sight of him made my blood run cold.
“Well, well,” Luca said, his voice low and dangerous. “Look who we have here. The Russo sisters. I was wondering when you’d show your faces.”
“Let us go, Luca,” Isabella hissed.
“Now why would I do that? After all the stress it took me to find you,” Luca stepped closer, his eyes narrowing.
My heart raced as his gaze locked onto mine. Those green eyes were filled with so much malice, a twisted smile playing at the corner of his lips.
“What do you want, Luca?” I forced the words out, trying to stay calm.
“What I’ve always wanted,” He replied, circling around us like a predator. “For Isabella to be mine. And Matteo to relinquish everything to me.”
The world blurred.
This was all a game to Luca, a way to hurt Matteo, to take what belongs to him.
“You’re insane.” I ended up whispering.
Luca chuckled. “Maybe. But I always win.”
The door to the warehouse burst open just then, and I turned, my heart skipping a beat when I saw who stormed in.
Matteo, his face a mask of fury.
And when his eyes locked onto mine, for a moment, I thought I saw something close to worry flash across them.
But then his gaze shifted to Luca, and all I saw was rage.
“Let them go, Luca,” Matteo growled, his voice deadly calm. “Now.”
Luca smirked. “You’re a little late, brother.”
“I’m not here to play games with you,” Matteo took a step forward, his fists clenched at his sides. “Let them go, and end this right now.”
Luca’s men shifted, their hands resting on their weapons, ready for a fight.
But Luca just laughed. “You’re not in control here, Matteo. I am. And if you want them back, you’re going to have to play by my rules.”
Matteo’s eyes darkened, his jaw tightening as he took another step forward. “Last chance, Luca.”
“Only if you give me what I asked for.” Luca shrugged as if the whole thing was amusing to him. “If Valentina means that much to you, it shouldn’t be that difficult.”
But yes, it would be that difficult.