THE DEVIL YOU KNOW

~~NICCOLÒ~~

The compound was already in chaos when we moved.

Matteo drove like the devil was behind us. I sat in the passenger seat, jaw locked, eyes scanning every shadow beyond the headlights.

My phone was clenched in my hand, the distorted voice still ringing in my head.

~“We already have someone inside.”~

I should have locked her down tighter. One fucking night and they already had her. The thought burned like acid. Control was everything in my world, and tonight it had slipped through my fingers.

“East service road,” Matteo spoke in a tight voice without looking at me. He flicked two fingers toward the tree line.

I nodded once. We understood each other without words. Years of this shit made that easy.

The black van came into view just as it started moving. Gravel sprayed under its tires. Lena’s face was visible for half a second through the side window — wide eyes, mouth open in a silent scream, her hands pressed desperately against the glass.

Too late. I was too fucking late.

“Stop the car,” I ordered.

I was already moving before Matteo fully braked. The door flew open, and I jumped out. Cold night air hit me like a slap as I raised my gun and ran across the uneven ground.

One of the kidnappers leaned out of the van’s window, firing blindly. Bullets struck the ground near my feet, kicking up dirt. I didn’t flinch.

“Lena,” I breathed, the word slipping out before I could stop myself. It was low, almost swallowed by the engine roar and the ringing in my ears.

I fired twice. The first shot blew out the rear tire. The van swerved hard. The second hit the front wheel. Metal screamed as it lost control and crashed into a tree with a violent crash.

My men were already moving out of the second car. Matteo signaled left with a sharp hand motion, and two guards broke off into the darkness. I took the right side, moving fast.

“Don’t shoot unless I say,” I called out, eyes locked on the van.

The side door burst open. One man dragged Lena out by her arm, using her as a human shield. Her bare feet scraped painfully over sharp gravel, stumbling hard.

The heavy smell of spilled fuel hung thick in the air, mixing with gunpowder. She was gasping, fighting every step, her small hands clawing at the man’s wrist.

I locked eyes with the bastard holding her. He pressed a gun hard into her ribs, his face twisted in panic. Lena was too close. Way too close. My shot would risk hitting her if he moved even an inch.

I raised my weapon. My finger tightened… and froze.

“Fuck,” I growled under my breath, unable to pull the trigger.

Matteo rushed in from the side without hesitation. One clean shot, and the man dropped. Lena stumbled forward with a sharp, broken cry. I lunged and caught her before she could hit the gravel.

My hand closed around her arm too tightly at first, fingers digging into already-bruised skin. She flinched.

I loosened my grip immediately and pulled her in closer instead, one arm locked around her waist like I could keep her steady just by holding her there.

The muffled sound of the final shots faded behind us as my men finished the rest. I barely registered it.

I cupped her face with one hand, tilting it up roughly under the weak moonlight. Split lip. A dark bruise blooming on her cheekbone. My thumb brushed near the injury without thinking.

She was breathing too fast. So was I.

“You’re safe,” I said, voice low. The words felt strange in my mouth. I wasn’t even sure if they came out clear.

—

Back at the mansion, the doctor worked on her quickly. Minor cuts on her feet, the split lip, the bruise forming on her cheek. Shock setting in.

I stood by the window the entire time, arms crossed, watching every movement. When the room finally cleared and the door clicked shut, Lena stood up on shaky legs, wincing.

“I want to leave,” she said, voice hoarse but defiant.

I turned slowly. “No.”

She let out a bitter laugh. “You don’t get to save me and own me in the same night, Niccolò. That’s not how this works. You’re a killer. I saw what you did out there. You shot that man without blinking.”

I studied her, the defiance still burning bright despite everything she’d been through. “This isn’t the first time you’ve seen me kill.”

Her eyes flashed with pure hatred. “That is the problem.”

She stepped closer, accusation burning in her voice. “Did you know this would happen? Am I just bait?”

“I won’t let them take you again.”

The contract folder sat on the desk like a loaded gun. Minutes of heavy silence passed. She finally dropped into the chair but pushed the folder away hard.

“No. I’m not signing this.”

My voice came out low and controlled. “Think carefully.”

She stood immediately. “I don’t need to think. I’m not yours to sign over.”

She turned toward the door.

I caught her wrist before she took two steps. Not hard at first, just enough to stop her. But when she tried to yank away, my grip tightened and I dragged her back into the room with one sharp pull.

Her back hit the edge of the desk. She looked up at me, eyes wide with fury and fear.

“Stop acting like a fucking baby, Lena. Your father sold you without blinking. Your stepmother couldn’t wait to hand you over. Out there, you’re nothing but meat for whoever pays the most. In here, with my name, at least the devil you know might keep you breathing.”

I held her gaze, not letting go. “Sign it or don’t. But don’t pretend you still have choices. The world already took them from you.”

The words hung heavy between us. Tears gathered in her eyes, but she refused to let them fall, still staring at me like I was the enemy.

After a long, tense silence, she snatched the pen with shaking fingers and signed.

I exhaled slowly. She was bound to me now, on paper, in blood and by that signature.

Matteo burst through the door without knocking, breathing hard. Two guards dragged a bloodied, barely conscious man behind him.

“Boss. We found the leak. He confessed fast.”

I stared at the broken man, cold rage building in my chest. My voice came out flat and final:

“Take him to the basement. Break his fingers first so he remembers exactly whose line he crossed. Then make sure he talks until there’s nothing left to say.”

Lena’s head snapped toward me, horror written all over her face. “What the hell is wrong with you?”