Valentina.
Luca made sure we wouldn’t be able to see a thing.
There were no lights outside.
As we ran through the shadows, my mind reeled, every instinct screaming to keep moving.
Reed’s firm grip on my arm grounded me, his voice steady and insistent as he urged us forward. Isabella, on the other hand, clubs to me, her breath ragged and shallow, but there was no time to stop.
No moment to comfort her.
All we had was the bitter wind stinging our faces and the gravel crunching beneath our feet as we bolted across the lot.
Ahead, a dark car sat idling, headlights dimmed, as if waiting for us. Relief surged through me… we were so close, just a few more steps, and we’d…
The driver’s door flung open, and a masked figure stepped out, body tense as they scanned the area, gesturing frantically for us to hurry.
“Get in, quickly!”
That voice. I knew that voice.
I barely had a moment to reflect when the sound of a gunshot rang behind us. Reed shoved me forward, his body acting as a shield, his eyes never leaving the path we had just taken.
“Go, Valentina! Now!”
Without hesitation, I pulled Isabella with me, practically throwing her into the back seat as I scrambled in after her.
Reed dove in right after, slamming the door as the masked figure floored the gas pedal, the car lurching forward with a squeal of tires.
Through the rear window, I caught a glimpse of Luca’s men spilling out of the warehouse, their shouts fading into the distance as we sped away.
My heart hammered in my chest, a wild beat of fear and adrenaline, but it was drowned by the overwhelming relief of being away… finally away from that nightmare.
“Thank you…” I managed, not knowing what to call the person behind the wheel, my voice hoarse. “We would’ve…”
But something in their body language stopped me cold.
They gripped the wheel tightly, knuckles from what I could see white, but there was something else, a subtle shiver in their arm, the way they pressed a hand to their side as if…
A dark stain seeped through their light cloth, vivid against the blue.
“Reed…” my voice cracked as realization dawned, a chill creeping over me. “You’re hurt.”
They spared a quick glance over their shoulder. “It’s just a scratch, dear. Nothing you should worry about.”
Dear.
I knew that voice. It tugged at my brain, she lectured me…
Caterina.
“Nothing…” I could barely get the words out, my chest tightening with a sudden, sickening dread. “That’s not a scratch. You’re bleeding. We need to get you help.”
She waved me off, her hand slipping back to the wheel as she pushed down on the accelerator, her eyes fixed on the road ahead.
“We need to get you three to safety first. That’s all that matters right now.”
“But you…”
“Listen to her, Valentina,” Reed’s voice cut in, firm but strained. His eyes shifted between Caterina and me, the worry etched into his face mirroring mine. “We can’t stop now. Caterina knew the risk.”
You fucking asshole.
“Reed…” my protest died on my lips as Caterina’s breathing grew shallow after she snatched the mask away from her and clenched her jaw, forcing herself to keep going.
I could see her fingers tremble on the wheel, a small but unmistakable sign of her pain.
Caterina had come for me.
Caterina was hurt.
We were being driven on a highway by a woman who was bleeding profusely.
Isabella was silent beside me, eyes wide and haunted as she took in the scene, her hand clutching mine with a grip so tight it hurt.
The minutes passed in tense silence, every second stretching into an eternity as we raced down deserted roads, each turn probably bringing us closer to safety… and father from any help Caterina might need.
I had no idea when Reed knew her strength was beginning to waver. But he performed a manoeuvre so complicated before her hand slipped from the wheel, falling limply to her lap, and her breathing hitched, a choked gasp escaping her lips.
“No,” I whispered, panic clawing up my throat as I leaned forward, reaching out to steady her. “Caterina, please, stay with me. We’re almost there. Just hold on a little longer.”
She turned to me, her gaze softening, a flicker of warmth in her eyes despite the pain. “Valentina… you’ve always been strong,” she murmured, her voice barely above a whisper. “Promise me… you’ll stay that way.”
Her words pierced through me, a bittersweet ache that I couldn’t bear. “Don’t talk like that. You’re going to be fine, okay? We’re going to get you out of this, I swear…”
But she just smiled, a faint, fragile thing that barely touched her lips. “I was never meant to be more than a chapter in your story, my dear. But I’m glad I got to see the person you’ve become. Forgive Matteo when the time comes.”
A sob choked in my throat as I held her hand, feeling the warmth drain away, her grip loosening despite my own tightening desperately around hers. “No, Caterina, you can’t… please…”
Her eyes fluttered closed, her breathing slowing as she leaned back against the seat, a calmness settling over her face that broke my heart.
The car came to a stop at that moment.
Reed’s hand found my shoulder, his hands firm but gentle as he pulled me back a bit.
“She’s gone, Valentina.”
I shook my head, refusing to believe it, clinging to the hope that maybe, just maybe, she’d open her eyes, flash me that familiar, knowing smile, and tell me this was all some terrible mistake.
But she didn’t move. Her chest was still, her face serene, like she’d simply fallen asleep.
No one said a word.
Save for the low hum of the engine and the muffled sobs I could no longer hold back, the car was silent. I buried my face in my hands, the weight of the loss crashing down on me.
“Valentina,” Reed whispered, his voice rough with his own grief. I wondered how much he knew about Caterina.
“We need to keep moving. For her. For Isabella. She sacrificed herself to give us this chance. Don’t let it be in vain.”
Even his words weren’t enough to take me out of my guilt infused state, but I had to do this for Isabella.
She had gone through so much already.
I wiped my eyes, steeling myself, even as every fibre of me wanted to crumble. I looked at Caterina’s still form, a fierce burning promise already settling in my heart.
Her sacrifice wouldn’t be for nothing.
“We’ll leave her in the car and continue the journey by legs. The safehouse isn’t too far from here…” He spared a glance at Isabella. “I’ll be back tomorrow to give her a nice little burial.”
I could hear the words coming out of his mouth, but I couldn’t process it.
Not really.
With one last look at her, I took a deep breath and turned to face the road ahead, my resolve hardening with each passing second.
“Let’s go.” I said quietly, the words barely audible.
Luca had taken too much from me already.
And for every life Luca had taken, I would make sure he paid in full.