They say the first step is the hardest, but today, I knew that’s a lie.The first step felt almost easy, because I was still full of adrenaline, still clinging to that quiet rage that had been building in me since the warehouse. I laced up the gloves Marco had left for me and I walked into the gym with my chin lifted.Marco said he didn't want to watch, he couldn't stand watching me in pain. I didn't mind though, I knew what I wanted. I thought I was ready, Matteo stepped in.He didn't introduce himself, he just jumped into business. “Okay! First we start with warm-up. Were going three rounds each round you'll do ten burpees, ten jumping jacks, five pushups. And lastly, don’t stop between rounds.”I blinked. “That’s the warm-up?”His only answer was a timer. And then a beep.I started moving, the first ten burpees knocked the breath from my lungs.I hadn’t expected the floor to hit so hard. My knees throbbed, the push from the ground to jump felt like dragging dead weight. I was bar
Emily looked at me with wide eyes, she had not expected the news. “I’m… what?”“You’re carrying our baby.”Her hand flew to her stomach, trembling. “Is the baby okay?”I nodded. “The doctors said the baby is fine. But you need rest. No stress, no lifting, no worrying. You're staying here until they say you’re strong enough to come home. Even then, you’re not lifting a damn finger.”She let out a weak laugh. “You’re bossy.”“Protective,” I murmured. “I couldn’t lose you. Not either of you.”She squeezed my hand gently before her eyes drifted shut again, this time in peace.I leaned back in the chair, her fingers still locked in mine.My girl, my child, my family. I can't believe that God actually gave me a child, I didn't merit it, I had done so many bad things that I didn't know I could ever be happy. First Emly came into my life, a light in my darkness and now, she brought another light. I smiled, thank you, I murmured to God. I didn't know if he was hearing me, but I meant every
The ambulance arrived a few minutes later, I sat at the back, holding Emily's hands as we drove to the hospital. The paramedics were trying their best to keep her conscious. The sound of sirens clawed at the edge of my mind as the ambulance screeched into the emergency bay of the hospital. I didn’t wait for the driver to park. The door was open before the tires even stopped rolling. I jumped out and stormed toward the rear, heart pounding hard enough to crack my ribs.“Get a stretcher!” I roared. “NOW!” I didn't know what else to do. All that mattered to me was Emily. The paramedics were already on the move, but I couldn’t hold back the fury and panic boiling inside me. My Emily—my girl—lay there in the stretcher with her skin too pale, her lips tinged blue. Blood caked her temple. Her wrists were bruised and scraped, marks I didn’t even want to think about. Her blouse was torn, there were cuts along her ribs. Signs of pain, of suffering on her. My woman.Jonathan met me on the oth
I watched the video again, I didn't leave anything out. From the sound of birds chirping on the call, I knew they were somewhere in the woods. But I didn't exactly know where. frame by frame. Analyzing every detail.There was a broken window in the far corner. I saw rusted iron bars by the side. There was a distinctive red light blinking from an old generator. I knew that setup, there was this rundown warehouse department in the woods we had used for interrogation years ago, but had abandoned it after a raid.Ridgeport Industrial Park. Sector C.That was where Seraphina was and also where my Emily was.I loaded my gun, strapped a backup piece to my ankle, pulled on my jacket and headed out with the rest of my men. The ride there was a blur, my knuckles were white from folding my hands. As we rode, I replayed Emily's cries again and again, fueling the rage inside me. I would gut Seraphina myself without any hesitation.When we reached the warehouse, the building was surrounded within m
Marco's POVThe car drove into the compound and parked, some guards were standing in front of the house with guns in their hands. The first thing I smelled immediately I stepped out of the car was gunfire. The sharp, metallic bite of blood followed immediately after.I looked around, the guards at the gate were missing, none of them at the usual posts. The sleek black security SUV was still running by the entrance, its headlights casting wide beams across the paved compound, but no one sat in it.Something was wrong.“Boss,” one of my men called from behind, running toward me from the west wing of the compound. His shirt was stained with something dark, he was breathing hard. “We were ambushed.” I didn’t wait for therest of the story, the first thing that came to my mind Emily.My feet carried me forward, I ran as fast as I could, drawing my gun as I moved past the trimmed hedges and columns. I followed the trail of shell casings, blood splatters, and bullet-riddled walls. The fro
The masked man carried me over his shoulder, like I weighed nothing. I struggled, but it was all to no avail. He carried me outside and placed me inside the trunk of a car. Over the next hour, or so I thought, I lay in the there with my hands. Every bump in the road sent pain shooting through my arms. I pepped outside through a hole in between the trunk's door and the other part of the car. The route was very unfamiliar, I tried to memorize turns, timing, anything I could use later. But the drugs in my system were still fogging my thoughts.Then the car came to a stop, another masked man came and I was yanked out and forced to walk barefoot down a cold concrete hallway. A man shoved me into a metal chair, and Seraphina entered behind me, now wearing a bulletproof vest. "You know," she said, standing across from me. "Marco always liked games. I thought we’d play one. See if he comes running when he hears your screams."She raised a hand, and another masked man approached with a cam