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The door bursts open, and Matteo stumbles in, his appearance shocking. He’s covered in blood, his eyes wide with terror.
“Hide!” he gasps out, a command that sends a jolt of fear through me. “He killed Lucas. He’s coming for you. I was on the phone to Alessandro, telling him everything was fine.”
He thrusts his gun into my hands, the cold metal foreign against my skin. He staggers, his knees giving way. “Oh, fuck, that hurts. He gutshot me, the son of a bitch. Should have seen him coming. I fucked up.”
Panic seizes me, a vice tightening around my heart. Matteo’s eyes meet mine, filled with pain and urgency, before he collapses, his blood staining the floor. “No, Matteo,” I whisper, tears blurring my vision. “Help me.” I freeze in place, unable to move.
I shake off the fear, a voice inside me that I know all too well. You are strong, it says. You can do this.
I use Matteo’s still warm finger to unlock his phone, my hands trembling as I dial Alessandro. No service. I wave my hand around and there’s a click. By the window, it rings. He answers immediately, his voice crackling and faint.
“Alessandro,” I choke out, “something’s wrong. Matteo’s dead, and someone’s coming. Help me.” Thoughts of Alessandro hurting someone are gone. I need him to save me.
“Stay calm, Jess,” His voice cuts through my panic, an island of calm in the storm of my fear. “Have you got any kind of weapon?”
“I’ve got Matteo’s gun.”
“Good. Check the safety. On the side. Is it switched on or off?”
I glance at both sides of the gun. “It says off.”
“That’s good. Remember, squeeze it gently. Be prepared for the kick back. Unload the whole lot into him. You’ll only get one chance. Make it count.”
My hands tremble as I grip the gun. “I will.”
“Good. Now, find somewhere to hide, somewhere you can see the door but stay out of sight,” he continues, his tone steady and reassuring.
I nod, even though he can’t see me, and move to a corner of the room that offers a clear view of the entrance. “I’m hidden. How soon can you be here?”
“I’m on my way. Stay hidden, and don’t come out until you see me, understand?” His voice is firm, leaving no room for argument.
“Okay,” I whisper into the phone, my body tensed in the shadows. The space around me feels too open, too exposed. “Alessandro, there’s a better spot. Near the back, a hidden alcove. I’m going to move.”
His voice comes through, firm and commanding. “No, Jess, stay where you are. He could find you out in the open.”
I can’t suppress the frustration boiling inside me. “I can’t just sit here when there’s a better place to hide. You’re not here, you can’t see what I can see.”
“Damn it, stay where you are.”
“I’m moving. It’s safer over there.”
There’s a pause on the line, a moment that stretches out, filled with unsaid fears and silent prayers. “Jess,” he finally says, his voice softer, laced with something like resignation, “Move to the alcove. But be silent. Keep the line open.”
Heart racing, I clutch the phone tighter. I make a dash for the alcove as I hear a door opening downstairs.
The realization hits me, not like a thought but a tidal wave, washing over me with cold certainty. This is the life I’ve stepped into, a world where love is intertwined with danger, where every moment shared is precious because it’s not guaranteed.
I understand now, more than ever, why Alessandro does what he does, why he wraps me in layers of protection, why his decisions weigh heavy with the burden of our safety.
In the stark clarity of danger, I find an unfamiliar resolve blossoming within me.
It’s not the fear that defines this moment but my determination to survive it, to be more than a pawn in a game played by men with power. This isn’t about defiance or proving a point; it’s about embracing the strength I’ve always had but never acknowledged.
If Alessandro’s world demands resilience, then I will meet it not with fear, but with a resolve as unyielding as his own.
This epiphany doesn’t diminish the terror of the moment, but it sharpens my focus, turning fear into a tool, not a cage.
With Matteo’s gun in my hand, I realize this is what Alessandro feels every time he makes a decision to protect us.
