Page 93 of Blood Heir

She pushes off, landing hard on the ground beside me with a thud. Her knees buckle, but I catch her under the arm before she falls.

“I knew you could do it.” My voice comes out in a breathless laugh.

Emilia exhales shakily, leaning against me. “We’re alive.”

“Not for long if we don’t move.”

Without another word, I grab her hand, and we take off running into the darkness. The ground beneath us shifts to loose gravel, our feet slipping as we push forward. My heart beats so loud it almost drowns out the distant sounds of shouting behind us.

We burst out onto a narrow gravel road. In front of us, parked crooked under a flickering streetlamp, is a car. Two men lean against the hood, lazily smoking, their faces lit up by the faint glow of their cigarettes.

The moment they spot us, they straighten.

“Well, well—what do we have here?” one of them whistles, his voice thick with amusement.

I raise the gun, steady despite my racing pulse. The metallic click of the safety snapping off echoes like a warning shot. My arm doesn’t waver. “Keys. Now.”

Their cocky smirks vanish. The taller one’s eyes widen as he spots the blood drying on my hands. The other drops his cigarette, backing away slowly.

“No problem—take it. Take the car.”

Both men stumble back, hands raised, backing into the shadows as if they can disappear entirely.

Emilia grabs the keys off the car’s hood as I keep the gun trained on the two of them. “Good boys,” I mutter under my breath.

“Let’s go!” Emilia shouts, yanking open the passenger side door and diving in.

I slide into the driver’s seat, my hands trembling slightly now that the immediate threat has passed. The engine roars to life. Without a glance back, I slam my foot on the gas and tear down the road.

Gravel spits from the tires, and the two men disappear in the rearview mirror as the headlights carve a path through the darkness.

^^^^

The church gates loom ahead like a sanctuary glowing in the night. I slam the brakes, gravel skidding beneath the tires. The headlights cut through the fog, illuminating the stone walls and iron bars.

Before I even pull the keys from the ignition, two guards storm toward us, weapons drawn. Their faces harden when they see the car, but the moment their flashlights hit my face, their expressions shift into one of shock—and relief.

“It’s her,” one of them whispers sharply.

The other lowers his weapon and waves us forward. “Open the gates. Let her through.”

The iron gates groan open, and I drive inside, barely breathing. My fingers tighten around the wheel as the weight of everything catches up to me. The car screeches to a halt right outside the church entrance.

Brother Stefano is already there, pale as a ghost, his hands trembling as he rushes toward me. I barely manage to open the door before he pulls me into his arms.

“Child….” His voice breaks. His grip tightens around me, like he’s afraid I’ll vanish if he lets go. “You’re bleeding. What have they done?”

I pull away slightly and force a tired smile. “It’s not my blood. I’m safe—for now.”

He studies my face, as if searching for any crack in my words, but I steady my voice. “Listen to me. We don’t have time. Vittoria—”

“I know,” he cuts in gravely. “She’s gathered the Families. She’s holding an emergency council meeting at first light. She’scalling for a full dissolution of both your and Serevin’s claims. She means to take everything.”

My stomach sinks. “All of it?”

He nods. “If the council sides with her, you and Serevin will lose all holdings—yours, your father’s legacy, even the Accardi ports. They’ll reallocate it all under the Vittoria Accardi faction.”

I clench my jaw, feeling the rage simmer beneath my ribs. “Can you stall the meeting?”

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