Page 24 of The Brat's Bargain

When the shooting finally stopped, Damien hauled Antonio to his feet. "We need to move," he said urgently. "There'll be more coming."

They made their way through the chaos of the penthouse, stepping over bodies and debris. Antonio tried not to look too closely at the carnage, focusing instead on the solid warmth of Damien's hand in his.

Just as they reached the emergency stairwell, a new volley of gunfire erupted. Damien cursed, shoving Antonio behind a overturned table for cover.

"Stay here," he ordered, eyes blazing with protective fury. "I'll draw their fire. When it's clear, run for the stairs. Don't look back, don't stop for anything. Understand?"

Antonio's eyes widened in panic. "No! I'm not leaving you?—"

Damien cut him off with a bruising kiss, pouring all his desperation and unspoken feelings into it. When he pulled back, his expression was fierce. "You have to. Please, baby. I can't lose you."

Before Antonio could protest further, Damien was gone, drawing the attackers' attention with precise shots. Heart in his throat, Antonio waited for his chance.

The moment came sooner than he'd expected. As the gunfire moved further away, he made a break for the stairwell. He was almost there when a meaty hand clamped down on his arm, yanking him back.

"Well, well," a gravelly voice chuckled. "Look what we have here. Benedetti's pretty little boy toy."

Antonio struggled, but the man's grip was like iron. "Let me go, you fucking?—"

A sharp crack, and Antonio's world exploded in pain. As consciousness faded, he caught one last glimpse of Damien, eyes wide with horror as he realized what was happening.

"Antonio!" Damien's anguished roar was the last thing he heard before darkness claimed him.

***—

Damien stood in the wreckage of his penthouse, fists clenched at his sides as he surveyed the damage. But it wasn't the destroyed furniture or the blood-stained carpet that held his attention.

It was the empty space where Antonio should be.

"Find him," he snarled at Gina, who hovered nearby. "I don't care what it takes. Tear this city apart if you have to, but bring him back to me."

Gina nodded, her expression grim. "We'll get him back, boss. I promise."

As she hurried away to coordinate the search, Damien allowed himself a moment of vulnerability. He sank into his chair, head in his hands, the weight of his failure crushing down on him.

"Antonio," he whispered, the name a prayer and a curse on his lips. "I'm so sorry, baby boy. I should have protected you better."

The memory of Antonio's terrified face as he was dragged away haunted Damien. He'd never felt so helpless, so utterly powerless. It was a feeling he despised, one that brought back dark memories of his own past.

A past he'd sworn Antonio would never have to face.

With a growl of frustration, Damien surged to his feet. He couldn't afford to wallow in self-pity. Not when Antonio needed him. Not when his boy was out there, scared and alone, at the mercy of animals like Rizzo.

The thought of what they might be doing to Antonio, to his sweet, bratty little prince, made Damien's blood boil. He'd tear the city apart brick by brick if that's what it took to get him back.

As he strode towards the door, purpose renewed, Damien's phone buzzed. An unknown number. With a feeling of dread, he answered.

"Benedetti." Rizzo's oily voice slithered through the speaker. "I believe I have something of yours."

Damien's grip tightened on the phone, plastic creaking under the pressure. "If you've hurt him, I swear to God?—"

"Now, now," Rizzo chuckled. "No need for threats. Your pretty little pet is unharmed... for now. Whether he stays that way is entirely up to you."

"What do you want?" Damien bit out, struggling to keep his voice level.

"Simple. I want what's mine. The territory you've stolen, the respect you've taken. And most of all..." Rizzo's voice hardened. "I want you to suffer, Benedetti. To know what it feels like to have everything you love ripped away."

There was a shuffling sound, then Antonio's voice came through, weak but defiant. "Don't listen to him, Damien! Don't you dare give this asshole anyth?—"

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