Page 78 of The Alpha's Forbidden Heir

I turn toward him, but before I can take another step, the unmistakable click of a gun echoes through the room. Vittorio has a pistol aimed directly at my chest.

“Not another move, Bane,” he growls. “I don’t care how strong you are. A silver bullet to the heart will finish you.”

I freeze. My men, bloodied but alert, stiffen at the sight. Rook growls low, his fingers twitching toward his weapon.

“Stand down, Rook,” I say quietly, not taking my eyes off Vittorio.

Rook hesitates but obeys.

Vittorio’s lip curls into a mockery of a smile. “Smart choice, Alpha. Maybe you’re finally learning.”

I exhale sharply, letting the rage simmer just beneath the surface. “Vittorio, enough of this. You’ve lost. Your men are finished, Nathaniel is dead, and you have nothing left. Let them go—Aria and Elias.”

He barks a laugh. “You don’t deserve my daughter. And you certainly don’t deserve to live.”

I take a step forward, his finger twitching on the trigger. “I love her, Vittorio,” I say firmly, my voice steady.

The room seems to still at those words. Even Vittorio blinks in surprise, the gun wavering slightly.

“You?” he says, incredulous. “Love? You expect me to believe that after all this bloodshed? After the way you barged in here like a brute?”

“Yes,” I say, taking another step. “I love her. And I will protect her and Elias with everything I have.”

For the first time, Vittorio hesitates, his eyes narrowing as he studies me.

“I don’t care what you believe,” I continue, my voice raw. “But look at her, Vittorio. Look at your daughter.”

His gaze flicks to Aria, who stands in the corner, trembling as her fiancé’s grip on her tightens. She isn’t crying anymore.

“She doesn’t look happy,” I say quietly. “She hasn’t been happy since you took her and her son away. And if you ever cared about her, even for a moment, you’ll let her go.”

Before he can respond further, her fiancé erupts, his voice shrill and hysterical. “No! She’s mine! You have no right to her, you filthy mutt!”

Rook and I exchange a glance, a shared smirk that promises nothing good for him.

“I’ve had enough of him,” Rook mutters.

“Rook, wait—” I begin, but he’s already moving.

Rook’s pistol is out and fired before the fool even realizes what’s happening. The fiancé screams, dropping Aria as two precise bullets tear through his hands.

Rook’s expression is unhinged as he walks toward the man, his weapon still raised. “You dare to lay your filthy hands on the Alpha’s mate? You dare?”

The man scrambles backward, clutching his mangled hands, his screams turning to whimpers. “Please! I didn’t mean—”

“Rook,” I bark, pulling him back. “That’s enough.”

Rook steps back reluctantly, still glaring at the groveling man. “Pathetic,” he mutters.

The moment Aria is free, she runs to me as well as Elias. I crouch, pulling them close, my arms wrapping around them protectively.

“It’s over,” I whisper into her hair.

Elias’s small voice trembles as he pulls away just enough to look up at me. “You found us, Dad,” he whispers, looking scared.

I nod, my throat tight. “I promised I would.”

Aria presses her forehead against my chest, her hands clutching the front of my shirt. “I’m so sorry, Bane. I—”

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