Page 22 of Savage Book Boyfriend

I braced myself, my grip tightening on the gun. “Now!”

We bolted from cover, the hail of bullets chasing us as we ran. My heart pounded, every instinct screaming to keep moving, keep fighting. We ducked behind the car just as Beni let loose a barrage of fire behind us, keeping Chant’s men at bay.

“Go, go!” Beni shouted, his gun still blazing as he sprinted towards us.

I jumped into the driver’s seat, slamming the car into gear just as Beni dived in beside me. Massimo slid in the back, panting but unharmed.

“Drive, Dante!” Massimo yelled.

I didn’t need to be told twice. Tires screeched as we peeled out of the lot, bullets still chasing us. But we were faster. Chant’s men faded in the rearview mirror, just like their leader.

As the city lights blurred around us, the adrenaline slowly drained away, leaving only the reality of what had just happened. Chant was dead. His men were scattering.

But the fight wasn’t over yet. Not by a long shot.

“You good?” Beni asked, glancing at me from the passenger seat.

I nodded, eyes on the road. “Yeah. Just a little late, that’s all.”

Massimo chuckled darkly from the back. “Chant's men don’t know it yet, but they’re done.” He was busy doing something on his phone. Though I didn't want to know what ‘murder them all’ text he'd sent. I knew Massimo was the brute force in the Beniamino-Massimo show. But hell, Beni had held his own today.

I tightened my grip on the wheel, my mind already shifting to what came next. I needed to get back to Genesis. To Mimi. This was just the beginning.

And I wasn’t about to let anyone else suffer because of Chant’s ghost.

GENESIS

Isat in the hospital chair, clutching Mia close, her small body curled up against my chest. The sterile scent of antiseptic filled the room, but all I could focus on was the empty feeling gnawing at my insides. Cecil was gone. Dead. I still couldn’t wrap my mind around it, and now Dante was out there, chasing after Chant—after blood. My heart raced as I tried not to imagine the worst, but the fear was thick, weighing on me with every breath I took.

Mia stirred in my arms, and I smoothed her hair back, careful not to wake her. She had no idea what was happening, how close we’d all come to danger. But I did. And as much as I tried to push it down, the fear refused to let go. I couldn’t lose anyone else, not now. Not after everything.

The image of Cecil’s face as he struggled for breath burned in my mind. I still hadn’t processed it all—the loss, the betrayal, the fact that he was the reason this mess started in the first place. It didn’t matter, though. He was still my brother, and even with all his mistakes, I loved him. Now he was gone, and Chant was the reason. He had to be.

I shifted Mia in my arms, the weight of my exhaustion pulling at me, but sleep wasn’t an option. Not while Dante was out there. He’d told me to stay here, to wait. But how could I sit back when he was out there putting his life on the line for us? For me?

Every time I closed my eyes, all I saw was his face—strong, determined, ready to do whatever it took to end this nightmare. I hated the violence, the danger, but I couldn’t deny the fire in his eyes when he talked about protecting us. It was the kind of fierceness that made me feel safe, even now when everything felt like it was falling apart.

The door to the waiting room creaked open, and my heart leapt into my throat. My eyes shot up, and there he was—Dante. His face was bruised, his knuckles bloodied, but he was standing. Alive.

I rose to my feet, my legs shaky as Mia’s weight pulled on me, and I held her closer, my eyes searching his. “Dante?” I whispered, my voice barely steady.

He crossed the room in a few long strides, his arms coming around both of us. The tension in my chest loosened the moment he touched me, and I let out a breath I hadn’t realized I was holding.

"It’s over, Genesis. It’s done," he said softly, his voice a low rumble against my ear.

My heart pounded, trying to catch up with the relief washing over me. "Chant?" I managed to ask, my voice barely above a whisper.

"He’s gone. He won’t hurt you or anybody else ever again." Dante pulled back slightly to meet my gaze, his eyes fierce, the truth in them undeniable.

I let out a shaky breath, burying my face in his chest. “Thank God,” I whispered, clinging to him. The relief was almost too much to process all at once, and my body trembled with it.

But as I held him, the weight of everything came crashing down on me. Cecil was dead, Chant was gone, but the scars of it all were still there. I couldn’t help but feel the heavy pull of guilt. Dante had risked everything to protect us.

“What about you?” I asked, pulling back just enough to look up at him. “Are you okay?”

His thumb brushed against my cheek, the touch gentle despite the battle he’d just been through. “I’m here, and that’s what matters,” he said, his eyes softening.

I didn’t miss the flicker of something darker in his gaze, but I didn’t press him. Not now. He was here, and for tonight, that was enough.

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