Page 63 of Bound to the Enforcer

The Italian head reaches for his gun, his eyes wild. "You're making a mistake, O'Conner. You've sealed your fate."

Domenico's men, who had been silently watching from the sides, suddenly move. The heavy click of weapons being drawn fills the room.

"Get down!" Alessio shouts, shoving me to the ground as bullets ring out. I hit the floor hard, pain shooting through my side, but the pain doesn't matter. We're in the middle of a firefight now.

The Irish family head is the first to make a move, firing his gun and taking down one of Domenico's men. The room erupts into chaos as gunfire fills the air, the sound deafening.

I scramble to my feet, my hand reaching for my gun, and I return fire, taking down two of Domenico's men who were advancing on Alessio. The air is thick with smoke, the gunfire echoing off the walls.

"Stay low!" Alessio yells as he dives for cover behind one of the massive chairs at the table. He fires back, his shots accurate and deadly.

I hear shouting from the other side of the room, and before I can react, one of Domenico's guards is charging toward me. I fire once, twice, hitting him in the chest, but he's still coming.

I barely dodge as he swings a knife at me, but his hand catches my arm. The pain shoots up my arm as I twist and drive my elbow into his face. The force of it sends him stumbling back, and I don't hesitate. I fire.

Bodies fall. The gunfire is relentless. But all I can focus on is keeping my head down, my gun steady, my aim true.

Domenico's men are closing in. They won't stop until they've wiped us out.

The world around me is noise and smoke, but there's only one thought in my mind: We can't lose now. We've come too far.

And I won't let him win.

The world spins and tilts as I chase after Domenico, adrenaline surging through my veins, drowning out the pain in my side. I hear gunshots, shouts, chaos from the room behind me, but I can't stop now. He's too close to escaping, and I won't let him get away.

I round the corner of the hallway, and there he is—Domenico, striding toward the back exit, confident that he's evaded us. I push through the pain, moving faster, closing the distance between us. He hears me coming, but it's too late.

I barrel into him, knocking him off balance, sending him sprawling onto the cold marble floor. His gun clatters out of his hand, and we struggle as I try to pin him down. My vision blurs, my body shaking with exhaustion and blood loss. I can barely keep my grip on him.

He kicks out, knocking me back. My head slams against the stone, a flash of pain shooting through me. I shake it off, fighting to stay upright.

"You're too slow," Domenico sneers, grinning like this is some game.

But I'm not stopping. I can't.

With everything I have left, I push myself forward. I grab my gun, aiming it at him, but he's already reaching for another weapon, a small revolver hidden in his coat. I fire first, the bullet grazing his arm. He stumbles back, his grin faltering just for a moment.

But I can feel myself weakening, the world around me becoming more and more distant.

"Damn you!" Domenico roars. He raises his gun, but I'm faster. I fire again, and this time, it hits him in the chest. He stumbles backward, a look of shock crossing his face before he crashes to the ground.

I stand over him, my breath ragged, the world spinning as I try to keep my feet. I see him—Domenico—lying motionless at my feet, but I can't process it. I can't think. The blood loss, the pain, it's all too much.

I feel my legs give out beneath me, the room tilting as I stagger forward. My vision goes black around the edges.

"Sophia!"

I can't hold myself up anymore. I crumble to the ground, the cold marble meeting my skin like a slap. Darkness swallows me whole, and the last thing I feel is Alessio's arms around me.

My body feels like it's slipping away.

"Sophia, stay with me."

He's there, kneeling beside me, but I can barely hold onto the moment. His hands are shaking as they lift me, he is frantic. "No, no, don't do this."

But I can't answer him. I can't even lift my head.

"Please." His voice cracks, desperation and fear flooding it. He pulls me into his arms, but it's like I'm already too far gone. I feel weightless, the world becoming a blur of faces and shouts.

---