Page 34 of Bound By Honor

“She betrayed us!” His control finally cracks. “She was going to tell you everything, expose our whole operation. I couldn’t let that happen.”

Through my earpiece, I hear Dominic’s quiet command: “Hold your positions. Wait for my signal.”

“You’re surrounded,” I tell Alessandro, forcing my voice steady. “It’s over.”

“Is it?” His laugh turns manic. “I don’t think so.” He unties Aurora and yanks her up, his gun never leaving her head. “Drop your weapons, or I paint these walls with her blood.”

“Like hell.” Aurora drives her elbow back, catching him in the ribs. The gun wavers—just enough.

Chaos erupts again, but this time it’s different. Personal. Raw. Aurora twists free, but Alessandro recovers too quickly. His arm locks around her throat as he drags her across the catwalk.

“Stay back!” he shouts, but there’s desperation in his voice now.

“Let her go, Alessandro.” I advance slowly, hands raised. Through my peripheral vision, I see Marco’s men taking position. Dominic and Enzo flank me, their presence solid and deadly. “This isn’t about her.”

“Isn’t it?” His grip tightens, making Aurora gasp. “She looks so much like Maria sometimes. Same fire in her eyes. Same way of looking at you like you’re her whole world.”

“I am nothing like Maria,” Aurora spits, struggling against his hold.

“No?” His laugh is bitter. “Then why does history keep repeating? Why does my brother always take what’s mine?”

“I was never yours,” she says fiercely. “And neither was she.”

Time fractures into crystalline moments. My pulse pounds in my ears as I register every minute detail—the slight shift in Alessandro’s stance, the way his finger whitens around the trigger, the sudden metallic taste of fear flooding my mouth. Aurora’s eyes meet mine, and my chest constricts with terrible understanding. Every muscle coils to spring, even as my mind screams that I won’t be fast enough. Not this time.

“Don’t,” I warn, but it’s too late.

Everything happens at once. Aurora stomps on his instep as I lunge forward. The gun goes off, the sound deafening in the enclosed space. For one endless heartbeat, the world stops spinning.

Then Aurora crumples, and my universe shatters.

The sound of her body hitting the concrete reverberates through my bones. My hands shake as I catch her, her blood hot and slick between my fingers. The metallic scent fills my nostrils, making my stomach heave. Each of her shallow breaths feels like a knife in my chest, every heartbeat under my palms a desperate prayer.

“No!” The word tears from my throat as I run to her. Warm blood seeps through her dress, staining my hands crimson. Behind me, I hear Dominic’s roar of rage, Marco’s men charging forward, but none of it matters.

Alessandro’s laughter echoes as he disappears into the shadows. “Some stories are worth repeating, wouldn’t you agree?”

“Stay with me,” I beg, pressing my hand against the wound. “Aurora, look at me. Stay with me,Principessa.”

“Luciano.” Her voice is barely a whisper, her skin growing colder under my touch. “I’m sorry about Maria?—“

“Shh.” I brush hair from her face with trembling fingers. “None of that matters now. Just stay awake. Please.”

Dominic appears beside me, his face carved from stone. “Medics are three minutes out.” His hand grips my shoulder, steadying me. “We’ll find him, Luciano. Whatever it takes.”

“I can’t lose her.” The words scrape my throat raw. “Dom, I can’t?—“

“You won’t.” His voice carries absolute authority. “We won’t.”

Aurora’s eyes flutter, each breath more shallow than the last. Blood continues to seep between my fingers, carrying her life away with each heartbeat.

“Ti amo,” I whisper against her hair, no longer caring who hears. “Do you hear me? I love you. So don’t you dare leave me.”

Her fingers weakly grip my shirt. “Promise me...”

“Anything.”

“Promise you’ll end him.” Her eyes lock with mine, burning with that same defiance that first stole my breath. “Make him pay for everything—for Maria, for us, for all of it.”

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