RAFAEL

The amber liquid burns down my throat as I drain another glass of Macallan, the empty bottle joining its twin on the mahogany desk. The scotch has dulled my edges, but not enough to miss the sudden explosion of gunfire and screaming from downstairs. My hand freezes mid-pour, every muscle tensing. What the fuck was that?

I push myself up from the leather couch, my steps silent on the plush carpet as I move toward the door. The building trembles with another blast, and one of my foot soldiers bursts in, his face slick with sweat and his black suit jacket torn at the shoulder.

"We are under attack, Capo," he gasps, chest heaving. "Thomas' tearing through our defenses like they're nothing."

My blood runs cold despite the scotch. "How the hell did he track us here?" I walk back to my desk, pulling out all the guns and ammo I've got stashed in the drawer. If that fucker found out what really went down with Melina... Shit.

He was still pissed about James shooting him before this shit - and now finding out I supposedly went back on our agreement and took his girl, which I fucking didn't. He's gonna tear this whole fucking place apart.

"I don't know, Capo. What should I do?" The soldier's eyes dart between me and the door as I lay out an array of weapons – my chrome Desert Eagle, the compact Glock 19, and spare magazines for both. Not nearly enough firepower.

"Find Julio and tell him. He'll know what to do," I motion toward the door, already planning my route to the basement armory. The foot soldier nods and rushes out, but before he makes it three steps, a single gunshot cracks through the air. The sound freezes me in the doorframe, my alcohol-hazed mind suddenly crystal clear.

"Rafael." Thomas's voice carries down the hallway, cold as arctic ice. "Next bullet goes through your skull unless you tell me where Melina is."

I move faster than I thought possible in my current state, pressing myself against the wall beside the door. The heavy oak splinters inward with a crash of Thomas's boot.

"For the record," I say, emerging from cover with my Desert Eagle trained on him, "I never ordered that kidnapping."

Thomas is a sight – his usually immaculate black suit is spattered with blood, his dark hair wild, and his eyes burning with murderous intent. He knocks the gun aside with lightning speed, the metal singing as it skids across the floor.

"Like that fucking matters now," he snarls, pressing his own weapon to my temple. "You let them take her."

I duck just as he pulls the trigger, feeling the bullet's heat pass my scalp. Using the momentum, I drive my shoulder into his sternum, slamming him against the wood-paneled wall. My fist connects with his jaw, but he barely seems to feel it.

"It should matter," I growl, trying to smash my forehead into his face. Instead, his knuckles crack against my jaw, sending white-hot pain shooting through my skull. I stagger back, tasting copper.

"Where is she?" The rage in his voice could peel paint off the walls.

"I don't fucking know!" I charge him with matching fury. Years of hatred fuel me – even with everything going sideways, I might finally get to kill this bastard.

We grapple like wild animals, trading brutal blows in the confined space. His elbow slams into my kidney while I drive my fist into his solar plexus. Neither of us notices we've reached the stairwell until we're already falling, a tangle of limbs and hatred tumbling down the hardwood steps.

Through my spinning vision, I catch a flash of golden hair darting away from our path. Melina. But Thomas is too lost in his bloodlust to see her, even as she screams his name, her voice echoing off the mansion's high ceiling.

"Thomas!" The raw desperation in her cry could shatter glass, but still, he doesn't hear, doesn't see.

The metallic taste of blood fills my mouth as his fist connects with my jaw, the force making my head snap back. I swallow the pain, letting it fuel the rage burning in my chest.

I launch forward, our heads cracking together with a sickening thud that echoes off the concrete walls. The impact sends stars dancing across my vision, but I don't back down. We're locked in this deadly dance, trading blows in the suffocating tension of the room, neither willing to submit.

"Step away from him." The voice is soft but sharp, and I feel cold steel press against my skull. Melina's presence behind me triggers a twisted sense of amusement. Even without looking, I can sense her trembling hands hear her uneven breathing.

A bitter laugh escapes my throat. The universe has a sick sense of humor – here's my girl's sister, holding me at gunpoint. The thought of her makes my chest tighten.

I ease away from Thomas, my hands raised in surrender. He scrambles to his feet, his expensive suit disheveled and stained with blood. He quickly disarms Melina, taking the gun from her shaking hands. I watch as she releases a shuddering breath, relief washing over her delicate features. The sight of her reminds me so much of my little rebel, sending a pang of longing through my chest.

"Oh, my God! Melina, who did this to you? Are you okay?" Thomas's voice cracks with concern as he notices her bruised face in the dim lighting.

I spot an abandoned pistol a few feet away, its metal gleaming under the fluorescents. My muscles tense, ready to move.

"Thomas, the gun!" Melina's warning pierces the air as I dive for the weapon. The click of Thomas's safety being released splits the silence, followed by the hollow snap of an empty chamber. My heart pounds against my ribs – that was too fucking close.

"Fuck!" Thomas hurls the useless gun aside, his face contorted with fury.

I reach for my prize, smirking. "Nice try, Costanzo," I smirk, checking my own gun for bullets, determined not to make the same mistake. But before I can finish, a blade whizzes through the air, knocking the gun from my hand. Thomas stands defiantly, his eyes blazing with rage.

"I don't even need a gun to kill you." I snarl, lunging forward.

I charge towards him, fury propelling me forward, but a voice stops me dead in my tracks. "Don't worry, boss, I got you covered," James says, reaching behind his back. Time seems to slow down as I realize the gravity of the situation. If I want any chance at a future with Frankie, I can't let James go through with this.

I part my lips, ready to shout for James to stop, but before the words can escape, a deafening gunshot shatters the tension. James staggers, blood blossoming from a wound on his chest. Confusion and dread wash over me as a single thought races through my mind:

Who the fuck shot him?

"You fucking bitch, you shot me!" James rasps out, staring at his wound in disbelief. I whirl around to see Melina gripping the gun, her hands steady now, her face set like stone. Well, damn. I'd pegged her wrong as some meek little thing – no way a coward could pull the trigger on their ex-husband like that.

"Goodbye, Melina. I never fucking loved you." James's voice echoes off the walls, and my gut twists as I realize her shot wasn't fatal. The sound of his gun's hammer clicking back seems to slow time itself. Horror floods through me as I watch his finger squeeze the trigger.

"No!" The word tears from my throat, useless and too late. The bullet cuts through the air toward Melina, but then – movement. Everything blurs except the sight before me: Thomas lunging forward, shoving Melina aside, his body jerking as the bullet finds him instead.

"Thomas!" Melina's scream pierces the air as crimson spreads across his chest like spilled wine. The raw anguish in her voice makes even my hardened heart flinch.

I stand frozen, watching them share what could be their final moments, Thomas's whispered words to her growing weaker by the second. The ache in my chest is familiar - the same crushing pain I felt when I first saw the damage I'd done to Frankie.

Watching Thomas fight for each breath isn't the victory I'd imagined. This moment I'd craved for so long now tastes like ash in my mouth because all I can think about is how it would break Frankie. For the first time, I'm praying the bastard lives. Fuck! I didn't even realize how deeply that woman had crawled under my skin until now. I need her back. Need her like breathing. I can't fucking live without her. But first, I have to save this fucker's life, or I can kiss any chance with my little rebel goodbye.