Page 52 of His

“Damn it!” I roared, frustration boiling over as I watched the car disappear down the narrow street. The darkness swallowed them up, and I knew we had lost our chance to stop him.

Fuck.

Immediately, I turned, racing back to where Sofia stood with wide-eyed guests milling around, panic setting in again. “We have to move—now!” I shouted. “Get everyone as far from the building as possible!”

Sofia nodded once, instantly understanding. She grabbed the man next to her, pulling him along with her, and I began shouting at the remaining guests. “Out of here! Move! Everyone, get out—now!”

But even as we pushed them toward the gates, I heard a low rumble—an ominous sound that made my heart drop.

The explosives.

“Massimo!” Sofia’s voice cut through the noise, panic tinging the edges of her words. “We’re not far enough!”

Before I could answer, a blinding flash lit up the night and a deafening boom reverberated through the air. The force ofthe explosion tore through the front of the building, sending debris and shattered glass flying in every direction. A shockwave knocked me off my feet, and I hit the ground hard, the impact rattling through my bones.

Sofia screamed, but I couldn’t see her through the dust and smoke. My ears rang, the sound of the explosion still echoing in my skull. I struggled to my feet, my vision blurred, every instinct telling me to find her immediately and make sure she was okay.

“Sofia!” I shouted, coughing against the thick, acrid smoke that filled my lungs. “Sofia!”

“I’m here!” Her voice came from somewhere to my left. I stumbled toward it, my heart pounding in my chest, my vision hazy. Finally, I saw her through the smoke—she was on her knees, her arms shielding her face. There was debris scattered all around her.

I rushed to her side, pulling her to her feet. “Are you okay?” I asked, my hands gripping her shoulders tightly. She nodded, but it wasn’t enough for me. Carefully, I ran my hands up and down her body, needing to see for myself. When I was certain she was alright, I led her away from the wreckage as more explosions went off inside the building, smaller but just as deadly. The ground shook beneath our feet.

We managed to reach the courtyard, where emergency vehicles were already arriving—police cars, firetrucks, and ambulances, their sirens all wailing in the night.

Sofia and I staggered back, catching our breath as we watched the chaos unfold. My heart was still racing, adrenaline coursing through my veins.

I started to pull Sofia away from the frenzied scene, but I paused, glancing back at the burning building. The flames were raging higher, smoke billowing into the night sky, and people were still stumbling around in a daze, some clutching their wounds, others calling out for missing loved ones. The sound of sirens blared in the distance as more emergency vehicles approached.

Sofia squeezed my hand, sensing my hesitation. “Massimo, we can’t just leave them,” she said, her voice steady despite the tremor in it. “There are still people who need help.”

She was right. Damn it, she was right. I looked at her, seeing the resolve in her eyes. She was covered in soot, her hair tangled, her dress torn, but there was no fear—only a fierce tenacity that matched my own.

I nodded, my grip tightening around her hand for a moment before letting go. “Alright. We’ll help get them out. But we stay close, understand? I don’t want to lose sight of you in this mess.”

“I promise,” she said, and with that, we turned back toward the wreckage.

We moved quickly through the chaos, helping people to their feet and guiding them away from the burning structure. The heat was intense, the roar of the fire like a living thing, hungry and angry. I saw a woman struggling to carry her young daughter, her face streaked with tears and smoke. I rushed over, taking the child into my arms, nodding to Sofia to help the mother.

“Follow us,” I urged, my voice calm but firm. “We’re getting everyone to safety.”

The woman nodded, clutching Sofia’s arm as we led them toward the ambulances. I could hear the little girl coughing in my arms, her small body trembling against mine, and I felt asurge of anger. There was no doubt in my mind that Raffaele was at fault for this, but for all that I’d seen tonight, I couldn’t figure out why.

We reached the paramedics, handing over the woman and her child. “There are more people inside,” I told them. “Get as many as you can. This building is coming down.”

The paramedic nodded, moving quickly to help others, and I turned back to the scene. Sofia was already moving to another group of guests, helping an elderly man who seemed disoriented. I followed her, lifting a piece of debris that had fallen in his path, clearing the way for them.

“Thank you,” the man muttered, his voice weak. “I… I didn’t see this coming…”

“None of us did,” Sofia replied gently, guiding him toward the emergency personnel. “Just keep moving, sir. You’re safe now.”

A young woman appeared in front of me, her face streaked with soot, panic in her eyes. “My husband!” she cried, grabbing my arm. “He was right behind me, but I lost him in the smoke!”

“Where?” I asked urgently.

She pointed back toward the far side of the building, where the flames were starting to consume one of the entrances. “There! I saw him near the door!”

I nodded, squeezing her shoulder. “Stay here. We’ll find him.”

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