Blood Ties

The cabin went silent. Ava stared at the photograph on Sofia’s phone, unable to look away from Luca’s face bruised, bleeding and still staring directly into the camera with cold defiance even while a gun pressed against his head.

Something twisted painfully inside her chest. “He’s alive,” she whispered. “For now,” Sofia replied quietly. Ava looked up sharply. “You keep saying that.” “Because Vittorio doesn’t kill quickly when he’s angry.” Fear settled deeper into Ava’s stomach.

Thunder shook the cabin windows while Sofia walked toward the kitchen counter, placing the phone down carefully as if it carried poison.

Ava followed her immediately. “We have to help him.”Sofia looked at her with unreadable eyes. “You think I don’t know that?” “Then why are we standing here?”

“Because charging into Vittorio DeLuca’s estate without a plan is suicide.” Ava clenched her fists.

“Maybe Luca wouldn’t leave us behind.” Sofia’s expression darkened slightly. “No,” she admitted softly. “He wouldn’t.”The honesty surprised Ava again.

Everything about Sofia confused her. She expected jealousy. Anger. Competition. Instead, there was something colder between them. Understanding Two women connected by the same dangerous man.

Sofia opened a hidden drawer beneath the counter and pulled out several weapons.

Ava stared at the guns nervously.

“There’s no way you expect me to use one of those.”“You don’t have a choice anymore.” Ava hated how true that sounded. Sofia placed a smaller handgun on the table.

“Safety here. Aim carefully. Don’t hesitate.” Ava didn’t touch it.“I’ve never even held a gun before.”

“You learn fast or you die slow.”The bluntness of the statement made Ava shiver.

Sofia finally softened slightly. “Luca tried very hard to keep you innocent.” “Innocent?” Ava laughed bitterly. “That ended around the time snipers started shooting at us.” A faint smile touched Sofia’s lips. “Fair point.”

For a brief second, the tension eased between them. Then headlights suddenly flashed through the cabin windows. Both women froze instantly.

Sofia grabbed her gun. Ava’s heart nearly stopped.“Who is that?”

Sofia moved silently toward the window and peeked through the curtain.Her entire body stiffened.“That’s impossible,” she whispered.

Ava stepped closer nervously. “What?”

Sofia looked genuinely unsettled for the first time.“Stay here.”

Before Ava could argue, Sofia opened the cabin door cautiously.A tall man stepped out of the darkness.

Older. Mid-fifties maybe. Dark coat soaked by rain. Sharp features hidden beneath the shadow.

And strangely, He looked familiar.

The man’s eyes landed directly on Ava.

Shock crossed his face instantly. “No,” he breathed. Ava’s pulse quickened. She knew that voice. Somewhere deep in her memory.

The man stepped closer slowly like he couldn’t believe what he was seeing.

“Ava?” Her blood turned cold.

Only one person ever said her name like that.

Impossible. The man removed his hood. And Ava forgot how to breathe.

Because standing in front of her Alive Was her father. The same father she buried twelve years ago.

Ava stumbled backward.“No.”

Emotion cracked across the man’s face.

“Ava, listen to me” “You’re dead.” “I had to disappear.”

“No,” she whispered again, tears filling her eyes now. “No, I watched them bury you.”

Sofia looked between them silently.

Like she already knew.

That betrayal hurt instantly.

“You knew?” Ava asked shakily.

Sofia didn’t answer fast enough.

Which was answer enough.

Ava’s father stepped inside carefully.

“Ava, please. I can explain everything.”

“You let me believe you were dead.” “It was the only way to protect you.”Protect me from what?” The man’s expression darkened heavily.

“From the DeLucas.”Silence crashed through the cabin. Ava stared at him in disbelief.

“You know them?”A bitter laugh escaped him.

“Know them?” He looked toward Sofia briefly. “I helped build their empire.” Ava felt sick.

Every secret somehow became worse than the last. Her father moved closer carefully.

“Vittorio is dangerous, Ava. You cannot trust that family.” “What about Luca?”

At Luca’s name, something complicated crossed her father’s face. Pain, regret and guilt.

“That boy,” he said quietly, “is the reason I disappeared.”

Ava’s heart stopped.

“What does that mean?”

Before he could answer

Sofia suddenly raised her gun toward the door.

“Down!”

Gunshots exploded through the cabin windows instantly.

Glass shattered everywhere.

Ava screamed as bullets ripped through the walls around them.

Her father tackled her to the floor just as another round tore across the room.

Outside, Multiple vehicles surrounded the cabin. And through the chaos, a familiar calm voice echoed from the darkness.“Family reunion’s over.”

Damien.