The moment the call ended, Damien moved like a man possessed.
"Leo, get the cars ready. We're leaving now." His voice was razor-sharp, his movements controlled but lethal.
Bella's heart pounded. "What about Ava?"
Damien turned to her, eyes dark and unreadable. "If she's still alive, Morelli's using her as bait."
Bella's stomach twisted. "We can't just leave her—"
A sudden crack! shattered the night—glass exploding as bullets tore through the safehouse windows.
"DOWN!" Leo shouted, tackling Bella to the floor.
Gunfire erupted outside, relentless and deadly. Morelli's men weren't waiting. They had come for all of them.
Damien rolled behind a marble pillar, firing three quick shots through the broken window. A scream echoed outside.
"Fuck," Leo hissed. "They've got us surrounded."
Bella's breath came fast, panic clawing at her chest. This wasn't a fight they could win. Not here.
Damien reloaded, his expression unreadable. "We're not staying."
More bullets rained in, splintering wood and sending debris flying.
Bella flinched as a chunk of drywall crashed beside her. "How the hell do we get out?"
Leo pulled out a detonator. "The back wall. It's rigged."
Bella's eyes widened. "You rigged the safehouse?"
Damien smirked darkly. "I always have an escape plan."
He clicked the detonator.
A deafening BOOM shook the house as the back wall erupted in smoke and fire.
"Move!" Damien grabbed Bella's hand, yanking her toward the wreckage.
Coughing through the dust, Bella stumbled outside, her heart hammering. Morelli's men were already recovering, shouting orders, closing in.
A black SUV screeched to a stop in the alleyway. The doors flew open.
Ava sat inside, wide-eyed, face streaked with tears.
Bella gasped. "Ava?!"
Her sister's voice trembled. "Get in! Now!"
Damien hesitated, gun still raised. "This could be a trap."
Bella met Ava's eyes, searching. There was terror. Regret. And something else—desperation.
She made a choice.
She ran.
Damien cursed but followed, gunfire exploding behind them.
They dove into the SUV. Tires screeched as they peeled away.
Breathless, Bella turned to her sister. "How the hell did you get away?"
Ava's lips trembled. "I didn't."
Bella froze.
And then she saw it—the red light blinking under Ava's seat.
Ava's voice broke. "I'm so sorry."
Morelli had let her go.
Because he knew exactly where they were going.