AllFreeNovel
Share Us
One right, another right, and I’ll be where I need to be - the third doorway in that hall.
I round the first corner and come face-to-face with one of Rafaele's guards. He’s just sitting there on a chair in a blind corner from where I had peeked through earlier. There’s no way I could have detected his presence.
He sees me and comes at me. There's no time for hesitation – I strike first, landing a hard punch to his jaw. He staggers backward, dazed but not out. We exchange blows, my fists connecting with flesh, his swinging wildly in the dim light. My heart races as adrenaline courses through my veins, fueling each powerful hit.
"Give up," I growl, more to myself than the guard. "You won't stop me."
With a final blow, the guard crumples to the ground, unconscious. I wipe sweat from my brow and continue down the hallway, knowing that Romola's safety hangs in the balance.
"Romola, hold on," I whisper under my breath, hoping she can sense my presence drawing closer.
Finally, I reach the door where Romola is held captive. Gathering every ounce of strength, I kick it, the door slamming open with a bang.
“What the…?” I hear a man exclaim. I step in, and the sight before me sends a jolt of fury through my veins: Rafaele stands by the window, smirking, my half of the diamond gleaming in his hand.
Romola is resting her neck against the wall, the rest of her body sprawled out across the floor, her gray eyes wide with fear as she clutches her stomach. I see bruises and some cuts.
Rafaele’s dog, that brutish man Franco, towers over her.
“Fiero?” she whispers in disbelief. I can see the doubt on her face. She doesn’t believe she’s worthy. I want to take her in my arms, wipe away her tears, and tell her we’re going to talk through this. But first, there are some assholes I must deal with.
"Let her go," I demand, my voice cold as ice.
"Ah, Fiero," Rafaele sneers, casually tossing the diamond from one hand to the other. "You really thought you could just waltz in here and save the day, didn't you?"
“Give me the girl and my diamond,” I snarl at him.
"Must I now?" Rafaele counters, a wicked grin spreading across his face. "I must say, I am surprised at your wholesome goodness,” he patronizes me. “Coming all the way here to rescue the girl who teased you and stole from you. How utterly… charming. I have mommy issues, do you?”
"Enough with the banter, Rafaele," I snap, my patience wearing thin. The mention of Romola's past actions doesn't sway me from my mission. "Hand over the diamond and release her. This doesn't have to end in bloodshed."
Rafaele chuckles, his dark blue eyes glinting with malice. "Oh, but Fiero, this was always going to end in bloodshed. Acquiring the diamond was never going to be a peaceful negotiation. And Coniglietteo over here, I must say, Fiero, I quite enjoy seeing you all riled up over a woman like Romola." He gestures towards her with a mocking smile.
Romola looks up at me, her eyes pleading for rescue yet warning me to stay safe.
I take a step closer, my gaze locked on Rafaele. "You have two choices, Rafaele. Release her willingly and hand over what's rightfully mine or face the consequences."
"Ah, Fiero," Rafaele taunts, twirling the diamond between his fingers like it's a mere toy. "You're always playing the villain with morals, aren't you? Come on, then, come and take it." He waves the precious gem mockingly in front of me.
"Very well," I reply through gritted teeth. I take a deep breath and lunge toward him, my fists clenched up for battle. He ducks just as I aim to jam him in the chin, but I do a reverse maneuver and manage to knock him on the side of his abdomen, on the kidneys.
He doubles over for just a second before rising and slamming his fist onto my jaw. I stumble back but quickly regain my balance.
"You won't get away with this, stronzo," I spit, launching myself at him. The fight becomes purely primal as sounds of bones crunching fill the air. I knock over a table as I dive across it to kick him in the chest. He goes flying back.
“Franco, no!” Romola yells.
I turn around and see him raising his gun at me. Instantly, I pull out my own weapon, and he freezes for a second. I take this chance to slide to the ground and kick his feet out from under him. I grab his gun and chuck it out of the open window.
“Don’t you dare slit my throat from behind, fucker!” I tell Franco before grabbing him by the collar and slamming him against the wall.
Suddenly, from behind, I see something blue glitter in the periphery of my vision. Rafaele’s hand comes clenching across my neck, pulling me back. From the other, he hurls the diamond at Franco.
“Go,” he tells Franco as his henchman catches it in the air. “Bring it to safety.”
I watch in horror as Franco catches the precious stone mid-air, clutching it tightly in his grasp. He scurries out of the room, taking the diamond with him.
Rafaele still holds a strong grip across my neck, clenching my very breath out of me. I begin to lose focus, struggling for air. My legs kick at the floor beneath me, and my nails dig into his arms as I try to free myself.
