Page 33 of Until It Ends

Rocco throws Dante into a mud puddle, and my heart sinks. This feud has escalated far beyond anything I could have imagined. I can't bear the thought of anyone else getting hurt because of me.

But the chaos isn't over yet. Another vehicle pulls up, and Polo jumps out. "Brother, stand down!"

"I'll stand down when that bastard is dead," Rocco yells back. He's driven by his rage and madness and when Polo approaches him he strikes his own father across the face until he falls backward. "Look what you've made me become, father." My eyes widen in shock, and I can't believe the level of violence unfolding before me.

Enzo, ever the peacemaker, tries to reason with his brother, but Rocco seems beyond reason. In that moment, I can't stay silent any longer. I scream out, hoping to distract them from the violence spiraling out of control. "Stop this, please!"

As Dante shot a quick glance at the shed, Rocco's eyes followed, and that was all it took. With lightning speed, Dante planted his foot in front of Rocco's path and sent him stumbling backwards. They both hit the ground with a thud, raining clumps of mud and grass, and began to writhe around in an attempt to pin each other down. Arms flailed and fists flew as they traded hits with pure rage.

Enzo sprinted toward the shed as I stumbled out of the doorway. His strong arms scooped me up, and he raced back to the car with me pressed against his chest. My gaze drifted back to Dante and Rocco as they tussled in the dirt, throwing punches in between shouted threats. The sight of their anger sliced through my heart, and I desperately wanted them to stop.

Dante's eyes burned with rage as he yanked Rocco up by the collar of his shirt. The barrel of Dante's gun pressed against Rocco's forehead, and I heard Polo and Enzo plead for their son's life in ragged breaths.

"Dante, release my son and I swear, we'll sign over anything you want," Polo pleads. "Please."

"You have nothing I want," Dante says.

My heart drops.

"Valeria—." Polo starts to say.

"is already mine," Dante finishes.

Rocco trembles, hardly daring to look at Dante, while he strains to keep his finger on the trigger. The emotions etched in Dante's face told me that he was seconds away from pulling it.

"Don't do it, Dante," I manage to say, my voice shaking. It's not worth it. I don't want anyone else to die because of this feud.

But something has happened to anger him and it's evident that Dante has made up his mind. His finger tenses, and time seems to slow down. The world holds its breath. And then, Dante shoves the barrel of the gun down Rocco's throat and pulls the trigger. Everything becomes a blur. The sound of it makes me vomit on the ground.

"An eye for an eye," Dante pronounces.

Polo rushes to his faceless son. Enzo falls to his knees in shock. Tears stream down my face.

Dante, with a mixture of rage and sorrow, runs to me. His hands tremble as he touches my face, his eyes filled with anguish. I reach for him, pulling him close, needing him to know that I'm here, that we're both here.

"Dante."

"Valeria, I love you."

I smile, and wipe away the dirt and grime from his face.

The air is thick with pain, regret, and a heavy realization of the consequences of our actions. This feud, this war, has taken too much from all of us. Lives have been lost, and there's no going back.

As the sun rises, we're left standing in the aftermath, forever changed by the choices we've made. The empires that once held power and control now lie in ruins, replaced by a landscape scarred by violence and loss.

Enzo throws the keys in my lap. They haul the dead Rocco in their car and pull off without another word.

With a sigh of relief, Dante sits on the ground right beside my legs. "My father is dead, Valeria. Rocco killed him while he was unarmed. He's really gone this time." Tears pour from his face, but he makes no sound. "I don't want to be alone."

I take his head in my embrace, tears already streaming down my face. I kiss his forehead tenderly and whisper, "You'll never be alone, Dante. I'm here for you, and our baby will always have me to love them."

He looks up at me with a spark of hope alight in his eyes. "B-baby?"

"Yes, Dante. I'm pregnant with your child."

He chokes on a sob, joy reverberating through him. He manages a broken laugh before stammering, "Of course it's my child. I...I don't know what to say."

I smile, though the tears continue to fall. "Just promise that you'll always be there for us," I plead softly.

---