Fire and Blood
The estate courtyard was a battlefield. Gunfire cracked through the night, echoing against the high stone walls. Sparks flew from bullets striking metal, and shouts rang out in the chaos.
Lorenzo strode through the gunfire like a storm, his black coat billowing behind him. His men followed, moving with trained precision, taking cover, returning fire.
And then he saw him—Marco.
The rival boss stood just beyond the gates, flanked by armed men, his grin wild and unhinged.
"Lorenzo!" Marco shouted over the noise. "You know how this ends. Hand her over, and I'll let your precious little empire stand another day."
Lorenzo's eyes blazed. "Over my dead body."
Marco laughed darkly. "That can be arranged." He raised his gun and fired.
Lorenzo ducked behind a pillar, returning fire with deadly accuracy. Two of Marco's men dropped instantly. The courtyard smelled of gunpowder and blood.
"Push them back!" Lorenzo roared. His men surged forward, driving Marco's soldiers toward the gates.
But Marco was no fool. He moved like a shadow, slipping behind cover, waiting for his moment. When his eyes landed on one of the upper windows—the window to Isabella's room—his grin widened.
Amara's silhouette flickered against the curtain as she shielded Isabella. Marco raised his gun.
Lorenzo followed his gaze, and fury ripped through him like fire.
"Don't you dare!"
He sprinted into the open, gun blazing. Bullets whizzed past his head, but he didn't slow. He aimed straight for Marco, forcing him back step by step. Their eyes locked—two predators circling.
Marco spat blood from a grazed wound, still smirking.
"She's mine, DeLuca. She always was. You can't keep her from me."
Lorenzo's jaw clenched, his finger tightening on the trigger. "The hell I can't."
The two men raised their weapons at the same time—
And the night exploded in a hail of bullets.
---
⚡ That's the fight itself.