Page 88 of Shackled

Without hesitation, Isabella draws her blade across his throat in a swift, practiced motion. Blood gushes out, and his eyes widen in shock and horror. He collapses to the ground, twitching, his life draining away in a growing pool of crimson.

We stand there, panting, covered in blood, the echoes of the brutal fight still ringing in our ears. Isabella kneels in front of him. “You will die with the knowledge that I am the new head of Los Sangre Dorada. You have lost, Javier. And so has our father.”

She looks at me, her face hard but her eyes softening.

"Let’s get that damn map and call your brothers," she says quietly. “Before anyone else comes."

I nod, tossing the pipe aside.

We work side by side. Isabella's nimble, blood-stained fingers dance over the map, tracing paths and uncovering hidden messages while my mind maps out the strategic implications of each discovery.

Minutes pass, every second crucial. We’re exhausted, but we push through. We’ve ended the first part of Javier’s reign of terror. We have to finish it off completely.

Exhaustion tugs at our edges, but we continue, driven by the glimmer of hope our combined efforts have reignited. Finally, a breakthrough comes.

Isabella's eyes widen as she deciphers the final piece of the code. "Lev, this is it. These coordinates lead to a hidden compound. It's where they're holding prisoners and planning their next move.” She shakes her head. “It was under our noses the whole time.”

My eyes narrow with fierce determination. "We have to move quickly. We'll gather our forces and strike before they have a chance to retaliate."

I call Mikhail. Isabella places a hand on my arm and whispers, “We can do this. Together.”

I bend and kiss her while Mikhail answers the call. I hold her gaze.

“Javier is dead. Carlos is heading to the location I’ll send you.”

I tap on my phone and send him the coordinates.

“Aria was close,” he says with pride. “We’ve got our men two blocks away. Hang on, they’re closing in.”

My heart is beating too fast. I don’t want to let her go. I came so close to losing her. If only Javier hadn’t wanted me to feel the pain of her death, I would have.

In the midst of the chaos and urgency, I find strength in her. Forged by fire, through pain, I feel as if we’re invincible. Together, we’ll face any storm, and in the aftermath, we’ll create our future together.

We leave the lifeless body of our enemy behind, stepping over the blood-soaked floor.

“We’re there,” Mikhail says. “Stand by.” Isabella closes her eyes. We’re close. So fucking close. She leans her head on my shoulder, and I slide my arm around her slender back.

“They’ve got Carlos in sight. Ollie and Nikko are there, and Viktor’s not far behind. He has a blonde woman with him…”

Isabella’s eyes fly open. “Renata! Oh my God! Be careful with her!”

Mikhail curses. The telltale sounds of a gunfight breaks out, muted by the phone, but Isabella’s eyes are filled with terror. She covers her mouth with her hands and whispers a prayer in Spanish. My heart beats along with hers.

I want to give her peace. Quiet. Safety.

The keys to her kingdom.

“I’ve got him!” someone shouts in the background.

“That’s Carlos,” Isabella whispers. She closes her eyes, and a tear rolls down her cheek. “But what about Renata? My God, how could he bring her?”

He brought her because she was the last bargaining chip, I’d guess. I clench my jaw.

“And the woman?” I ask Mikhail. My heart beats faster alongside Isabella’s.

No answer.

“Renata?” Isabella says, her voice choked. “Do you have her?” She cries freely now. Isabella puts on such a brave face, but when she loves, she loves deeply. She’s been through so much, my brave, beautiful woman.

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