Chapter 14: Blood and Betrayal

The air was thick with the scent of rain and gunpowder. The black car sped through the dimly lit streets, cutting through the city like a predator on the hunt. Jenny sat in the backseat, her hands clenched into fists against her thighs, her breath shallow as she watched the world blur past.

She still wasn’t sure how she had ended up here.

After the message—after the name Alexander Romano was spoken—everything had shifted. Marcus hadn’t hesitated. He had begun making calls, summoning people Jenny had never seen before. Men and women who moved like ghosts, their presence heavy with unspoken history.

And now, here they were.

On their way to strike first.

Jenny swallowed hard, her gaze drifting to Marcus. He sat beside her, his expression unreadable, his fingers resting against the handle of his gun. He hadn’t spoken much since they left the mansion, but she could feel the storm inside him, a silent fury simmering beneath the surface.

Elena, seated in the front passenger seat, glanced back. “You still have time to back out, princesa.”

Jenny stiffened. “I’m not leaving.”

Elena smirked. “Brave.”

Jenny didn’t feel brave.

Rafael, who was driving, let out a low chuckle. “She’s stubborn. I like it.”

Marcus didn’t respond.

The car pulled up outside an old warehouse near the docks. The structure was barely standing, rusted metal and broken windows giving it an abandoned look. But Jenny knew better. This wasn’t just an empty building.

This was a trap.

Marcus turned to her, his dark eyes locking onto hers. “Stay close to me.”

Jenny nodded, her throat tight.

The doors opened, and they stepped out into the cold night. The others—five men and two women—were already waiting. They moved like soldiers, their weapons concealed but their eyes sharp.

Elena exhaled. “So, what’s the plan, boss?”

Marcus’s gaze swept the area. “Romano thinks he’s untouchable.” He tilted his head. “Let’s remind him he’s not.”

A ripple of dark amusement passed through the group.

Jenny felt her heart hammer against her ribs.

They moved quickly, slipping into the building through a side entrance. The air inside was stale, thick with dust and oil. Jenny’s pulse spiked as they navigated through the narrow corridors, Marcus’s presence steady beside her.

Then—voices.

Low murmurs ahead.

Marcus raised a hand, signaling for silence.

Jenny barely had time to process what was happening before the first shot rang out.

The world erupted into chaos.

Shouts, gunfire, the clash of bodies against metal—everything became a blur of motion. Marcus pushed her back, shielding her as he fired at a figure emerging from the shadows. The man dropped instantly, his gun clattering to the ground.

Elena moved like a phantom, her knife flashing in the dim light. Rafael was a storm, ruthless and efficient, cutting through their enemies with deadly precision.

Jenny’s breath came in short gasps as she pressed against the wall, her hands trembling. She had never seen violence like this—never been inside it.

A hand grabbed her arm.

She gasped, twisting, but before she could react, Marcus was there.

One shot.

The man slumped to the ground.

Marcus’s grip on her arm tightened, his gaze burning. “Stay with me.”

Jenny swallowed hard. “I—okay.”

They pushed forward, bodies falling in their wake.

Then, just as suddenly as it started, the gunfire stopped.

Silence.

Marcus scanned the area, his gun still raised. Then, a slow clap echoed through the space.

Jenny turned, her stomach twisting.

A man stepped forward from the shadows.

Tall. Refined.

Dangerous.

Alexander Romano.

He smiled, leisurely, like he wasn’t standing in the middle of a battlefield. “Impressive, Marcus.”

Marcus’s jaw clenched. “You made a mistake.”

Romano’s gaze flicked to Jenny. “Did I?”

Jenny felt cold.

Romano exhaled, shaking his head. “You’ve changed, DeLuca. The old you would have killed her by now. Cut off the weakness before it could be exploited.”

Marcus’s hand flexed on his gun. “She’s not my weakness.”

Romano’s smirk deepened. “No? Then why are you here?”

Jenny’s breath hitched.

Marcus didn’t answer.

Romano chuckled. “I suppose it doesn’t matter. Because this—” He gestured around them. “—was never about her.”

Before Jenny could process his words, something shifted in the air.

A flicker of movement.

Then—

Pain.

Searing, blinding pain.

She gasped, her legs giving out as fire spread through her side.

A gunshot.