Page 115 of The Don's Soulmate

She raises an eyebrow. "Always the gentleman, aren't you?"

I growl, my patience wearing thin. "Move your ass, I'm not leaving you behind."

As Sofia scrambles up, I keep my gun trained on the door. The footsteps are getting closer, and my blood sings with the promise of violence. Part of me wants to stay and face this threat head-on. But Carlotta's face flashes in my mind, and I know I can't risk it.

With one last glance at the door, I holster my weapon and haul myself into the fireplace. The brick scrapes my skin as I climb, but I barely notice.

I emerge from the chimney onto the rooftop, my lungs burning with exertion. The cool night air hits my face, and I scan our surroundings quickly. Sofia and Carlotta are huddled nearby, their faces pale in the moonlight.

"We need to move," I hiss, grabbing Carlotta's hand. Her fingers tremble in mine, and I feel a surge of protective rage.

Sofia's voice breaks through my thoughts. "There's a fire escape on the east side. I saw it when we came in."

I nod, impressed by her quick thinking. "Good eye. Let's go."

We make our way across the rooftop, staying low. Every step feels like an eternity, my senses heightened to a painful degree. I can hear Carlotta's ragged breathing, feel the tension radiating from Sofia.

Suddenly, a shot rings out, shattering the silence. Carlotta screams, and I instinctively pull her close, shielding her with my body.

"Down!" I roar, pushing them both behind a large air conditioning unit. My hand goes to my gun, adrenaline surging through me.

"Ettore," Carlotta whimpers, her green eyes wide with fear. "What do we do?"

I cup her face, forcing her to focus on me. "We survive, tesoro. That's what we do."

Sofia's voice is surprisingly steady. "The fire escape is just beyond that ledge. If we make a run for it..."

I nod, already pulling Carlotta and Sofia along. "Run. Don't stop, don't look back. Understand?"

They both nod, and we run for our lives, almost gliding down the fire escape.

Chapter 56

Carlotta

My heart pounds as we reach the bottom of the fire escape, our feet hitting the pavement with a dull thud. Ettore's hand grips mine tightly, his fingers intertwined with my own so hard I’m afraid he'd never be able to let go. Sofia stands beside us, her blonde hair disheveled from our frantic descent.

"This way," Sofia hisses, jerking her head towards her sleek black car parked nearby.

We sprint towards it, the cool night air stinging my face. Suddenly, the sound of heavy footsteps echoes behind us, growing louder with each passing second. My blood runs cold, but I don’t dare turn back.

I’m petrified. "He's coming," I gasp, fear clawing at my throat as I feel my baby kick.

Ettore's jaw clenches, his blue eyes flashing dangerously. "Get to the car, now," he growls, his voice low and commanding.

We reach Sofia's vehicle, our hands fumbling for the door handles. The footsteps are getting closer, the threat of our pursuer looming large.

"Hurry!" Sofia urges, her usual wit replaced by raw panic.

My heart races, threatening to burst from my chest. I can't help but wonder if this is how it ends—our curse to never be together again, to be relived in the next lifetime.

The night explodes with the loud crack of a gunshot. I cringe, a scream caught in my throat, but I bend down. I look up, to see a bullet on the car side, just where my head was. Before I can react, Ettore's strong hands are on me, shoving me roughly into the backseat of the car.

"Get down!" he roars, his body covering mine protectively.

I feel the heat of his skin and smell the mix of cologne and sweat. My heart pounds wildly, not just from fear but from his proximity. Even in this chaos, my body betrays me, responding to his touch.

"Ettore," I gasp, clutching at his shirt.

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