Chapter 11

Chapter Eleven

Ellie

I had a plan. Sort of…

Or at least a semblance of one, maybe…

I’d been vigilant. I’d memorized the codes for the elevator each day until Dante had announced that it was time for the supposed peace meeting with Marco.

As they prepared to leave, I couldn’t shake the feeling that this meeting was a setup. Marco was a disgustingly manipulative human being, and I wouldn’t put it past him to kill Dante and Rafael just because it would make everything more convenient for him here in this city.

Plus, then he’d be able to get to me.

I didn’t want to lose them.

Despite everything that had happened between Dante, Rafael, and me, I found myself caring for them more than I expected. I didn’t want to, but I did, and I couldn’t explain it, not even to myself. Whatever the reason actually was, I couldn’t let them walk into what I feared was a trap.

I had to help them.

I wouldn’t be able to live with myself if I didn’t. What if they never came home? What if Marco killed them and then came here looking for me?

The more I thought about it, the more I knew I had to do something.

So I waited.

After they said their goodbyes and warned me within an inch of my life to stay put, I watched them enter the elevator, catching the day’s code over Rafael’s shoulder. Once they were gone, I made my move, using the elevator to follow them down. My heart pounded with a mix of fear and determination the whole fucking time and I hoped to God that they couldn’t hear it, especially when I made it down to the garage floor along with them.

They were so engrossed in a deep conversation as they approached the car that they didn’t hear me as I timed my steps to keep in tune with theirs. I crept along through the shadows, making sure to hide behind a car whenever the two of them happened to glance my way.

By some miracle, they never saw me.

“Do you really trust this meeting with Marco?” I heard Rafael ask, his voice laced with skepticism.

“No, but this isn’t about trusting him. It’s simply strategy,” Dante replied, his tone serious. “We need to find out what he wants all while knowing he could turn on us at any given moment.”

I used their distraction to my advantage, slipping quietly into the backseat of the SUV. The vehicle was spacious, and I quickly dove over the backseat and crawled into the trunk, concealing myself among some coats and other items before they closed the doors behind them. I managed to settle in as quietly as I could.

As the engine roared to life and we started moving, I tried to steady my breathing.

What was I doing?

This was stupid.

No. It was fucking reckless.

Right now, I should be running the other way and getting the fuck out of dodge, and the hell out of this damn city, but here I was in the back of the car going along with Dante and Rafael because I was worried about their fucking safety.

Not only was I following the two men intent on keeping me as their captive, but I was walking straight back into the arms of my abusive ex.

I was an idiot.

The last time I’d seen Marco, he’d backhanded me across the face so hard that it sent me flying to the ground.

What the fuck was wrong with me?

Maybe I should jump out now while we were still moving…

No. That was dumb too…

My heartbeat quickened and a feeling of panic threatened to overtake me. I squeezed my eyes shut, trying to calm myself down so I didn’t give myself away.

It was too late to turn back now.

The car was moving too fast, and the thought of what might happen to Dante and Rafael if Marco planned to betray them held me back. I needed to protect them, no matter what it took.

I swallowed hard.

I was beginning to care about them, and it was beginning to show. I shook my head, trying to rid myself of the thought, but it haunted me for the rest of the drive.

After what felt like an eternity, the car finally came to a stop. I waited, holding my breath, as I heard the doors open and close. Peeking through the window, I watched Dante and Rafael stride confidently toward an ominous-looking abandoned warehouse.

As soon as they disappeared inside, I made my move. I quietly slipped out of the trunk and moved around to the back of the building so they wouldn’t see me, just in case. There, I found a broken window just large enough for me to slip through. My heart pounded as I cautiously climbed through it, looking left and right for anyone guarding the place. When I saw no one around me, I dropped down to the floor in a crouch.

Staying low, I continued to move through the dimly lit warehouse, each step slow and deliberate so I could avoid any loose debris that could betray my presence by making a sound underfoot.

I needed to get up higher, see if I could get a better vantage point, so I headed up a flight of stairs several stories up to the top floor. There was a metal railing that I inched closer to. As I moved, I began to hear voices talking from down below. They grew clearer as I inched closer, staying hidden in the shadows.

I looked down and saw Dante and Rafael standing off against Marco and his men. I could hear everything they were saying now, and it made my blood boil and my stomach feel sick.

“But consider this, hand Ellie over, and you might just save yourself and your empire,” Marco demanded.

“You lay a hand on her, and it won’t just be me you’re dealing with,” Dante spat. “You’ll have a war on multiple fronts. Think carefully, Marco. Is it worth it?”

“She got to you too, didn’t she?” Marco murmured, his voice low enough that I had to strain to hear.

“That’s none of your business,” Dante growled.

“It’s okay, Dante,” Marco replied, his tone sickening me. “You can admit it. Ellie’s got a way of getting under your skin. Why do you think I want her back? She’s got a tight little cunt that’s worth sinking into, but you know that already, don’t you?”

“Keep her name out of your fucking mouth,” Dante snarled, and his fury took me strangely aback.

I watched as Dante reacted with lightning-fast reflexes, drawing his Beretta in one smooth motion.

Crouched in the shadows of the rafters, I scanned the area, my eyes adjusting to dismal light quickly and what I saw next made me freeze in place.

Fuck.

I wasn’t alone.

There was another man up here in the rafters with me, dressed in all black with a sniper rifle pointed straight down at Dante and Rafael. I swallowed hard.

I had to make my move before he made his.

Cautiously, I moved closer to where the man was perched, grateful that his focus was intently directed toward Dante, Rafael, and Marco down below. His position gave him a clear line of sight—and the assault rifle in his hands meant business.

As I crept up behind him, I spotted a handgun lying nearby, carelessly left within reach. My heart pounded as I silently picked it up. It was a SIG Sauer P226, a model I was familiar with. The weight of the gun felt reassuring in my hand, and a strange sense of empowerment washed over me.

I could tell that it was loaded.

Good.

Holding the handgun steadily, I pointed it at the sniper. My hands were steady, despite the adrenaline coursing through my veins. I knew I had only one chance to get this right. The gravity of what I was about to do weighed heavily on me, but the lives of Dante and Rafael—and potentially myself—depended on this single moment.

I took a deep breath and steadied my aim.

I had to act.

With a deep calming breath, I steeled myself and pulled the trigger.

The sound of the gunshot was deafening, reverberating throughout the warehouse like a volley of extremely violent thunder and I flinched at the sound, but only for a fraction of a second.

The bullet found its mark, hitting the sniper squarely in the back of the head. He didn’t even see it coming. There wasn’t even enough time for him to turn around and look at me.

Honestly, I preferred it that way. I didn’t want to see the look in his eyes when he died.

Instantly, the warehouse erupted into chaos. I quickly ducked back into the shadows, concealing myself among the rafters, my heart racing as shouts echoed from down below on the ground.

Without missing a beat, Dante fired his gun at Marco. The bullet struck Marco in the arm, and he staggered back, pain and surprise etched all over his face. He gritted his teeth, biting back a snarl of agony.

He deserved that.

Fuck. He deserved worse.

Rafael was right behind Dante, his own gun drawn. “Take cover!” he yelled, and both men dove behind a pile of broken machinery just as return fire erupted from Marco’s men. Bullets ricocheted off metal surfaces, sparks flying in all directions.

I peered through the gaps in the rafters, afraid to see what was happening below, but unable to look away.

I spotted Dante and Rafael hunkered down behind cover, firing back at Marco’s men. It was a tense standoff, and I found myself praying that they would both make it out of there alive.

My gaze fell on the fallen sniper and his assault rifle.

I got an idea.

I crawled forward and reached for it. Clutching it tightly, I moved closer to the edge and peered down at the battle below.

Marco’s voice boomed over the gunfire.

I watched as he barked orders, oblivious to the danger lurking above him. My fingers tightened around the rifle’s grip, the metal cool and unforgiving against my skin. It was as if the chaos below was a storm, and I was the eye of it—calm, focused, and absolutely deadly.

Marco moved into my line of sight, his figure framed perfectly in the telescopic scope. My heartbeat thundered in my ears. Time seemed to slow as I exhaled, the crosshairs steady on Marco’s chest. This was the moment of truth, the pivot on which everything would turn.

He was going to die today.

With a final breath, I squeezed the trigger.

The rifle’s recoil jolted through me as the shot rang out, piercing through the madness below. Marco’s head jerked back violently, and blood sprayed out of the back of his scalp. For a moment, he stood utterly still, completely frozen, then his eyes turned glassy, and he crumpled to the ground in a lifeless heap. The sudden silence was deafening as I stared down at his body.

I’d killed Marco.

In cold blood.

Dante and Rafael, momentarily stunned, stood there gawking at the body until they finally followed the trajectory of the shot upward. Their eyes met mine in the rafters, a mix of surprise and realization dawning across their faces as I peered down at them.

I just waved.

With Marco down, his men faltered, confusion marring their faces. Seizing the opportunity, Dante and Rafael sprang into action. They moved with lethal precision, their shots finding their marks with deadly accuracy.

From my elevated position, I provided cover and shot down several more, my newfound vantage point giving me a clear view of the remaining assailants. The rifle in my hands felt more natural now as we methodically took down Marco’s men.

We showed them no mercy.

One by one, they fell until no one was left standing except for the three of us.

I climbed down from the rafters, my heart sill beating with raging adrenaline. When I finally reached the ground floor, both Dante’s and Rafael’s faces were awash with relief at the sight of me.

“Ellie,” Rafael breathed.

Dante’s eyes met mine, his relief quickly turning to frustration. “What the hell were you thinking? You could have been killed!”

I met his gaze, unflinching. “I couldn’t just sit back and do nothing. I had to help.”

Rafael interjected, his voice laced with tension. “Help? Ellie, you put yourself right in the line of fire. We had it under control.”

“Under control? If I hadn’t come, the both of you would be dead,” I spat back, lifting my chin with defiance.

Dante ran a hand through his hair, his expression awash with exasperation. “It doesn’t justify risking your life.”

There was a pause, and a heavy silence hung between us. Rafael’s eyes searched mine, a storm of emotions playing across his face.

“You’re not just a responsibility to us, Ellie. You’re… more than that,” he finally said, his voice softer.

I could see Dante noticing the tension between Rafael and me, and a flicker of confusion crossed his features. I swallowed hard and looked away with a grimace. Rafael took a deep breath and glanced at Dante, his expression carrying a mask of guilt.

“I know, and I’m sorry,” I said, my voice barely above a whisper. “But I couldn’t stand the thought of something happening to either of you.”

“Forget it. We need to get out of here before the police show up.” Dante growled, his gaze lingering on me and Rafael for a long moment before he turned away.

Neither Rafael nor I said anything in response.

We made our way back to the car, the silence between us thick and heavy. The drive back to the penthouse was tense and not a single one of us said a word.

When we arrived back home, we quickly entered the building and stepped into the elevator. The confined space amplified the tension between the three of us, the silence almost deafening. It was only once the elevator reached the top floor and we were safely inside the suite that Dante cleared his throat.

“What’s going on between you two?” Dante asked abruptly, his voice hard and unforgiving.

Rafael shot a quick glance at me before facing Dante. “Nothing’s going on, Dante. I was just concerned about her safety, that’s all.”

“It seems like more than that. I see the way you two look at each other. Don’t play me for a fool. There’s something going on and I’ll find out what it is, one way or another,” Dante spat.

Rafael’s expression hardened. “You’re reading too much into it.”

Dante’s eyes, usually so composed, now burned with a fierce intensity as he faced off with Rafael. “She belongs with me,” he stated bluntly, his voice leaving no room for doubt.

Rafael’s face contorted with frustration, his usual calm demeanor giving way to a raw edge. “She doesn’t ‘belong’ to anyone, Dante. It’s her choice, and you damn well know it.”

The tension between them was like a frayed rope about to break at any given moment. They stood barely inches apart, the air thick with unspoken challenges and raw emotion.

They were moments away from a fight.

“Enough!” I finally exclaimed, stepping between them, feeling overwhelmed by their intensity. “I can’t believe this! We’re standing here after everything that’s happened, and you’re acting like I’m some prize to be won?”

The two of them fucking ignored me.

Fucking bastards .

“Dante, she’s not yours to claim!” Rafael spat out, his voice laced with anger and open challenge.

“And you think you have a right to her?” Dante retorted, his tone equally heated.

Their disregard finally pushed me past my breaking point.

This was ridiculous. I wasn’t going to allow them to fight over me like this. I had to stop it before this escalated to fists.

I didn’t stop and think.

I just acted.

In a bold, impulsive move, I grabbed the lapels of Dante’s jacket and pulled him down to me, pressing my lips against his with a fiery urgency. The kiss was a mix of frustration and pent-up desire, and his initial shock finally gave way to a response that matched the intensity of my own. After the briefest of seconds, Dante’s lips moved against mine with a passion that sent a surge of heat through my body. His kiss was commanding, yet there was an underlying tenderness that made my heart race.

Before Dante could fully comprehend what I was doing, I spun around to face Rafael. With a swift motion, I reached up and drew him toward me. Rafael’s response was immediate, his hands gently cradling my face as he kissed me back. His lips were softer, more exploratory, sending a different kind of warmth cascading through me.

When the kiss was over, I pulled back and looked between both men with a deadly glare all of my own.

The room fell into a shocked silence, both men completely taken aback. The anger and tension that had filled the air moments before dissolved into a confused stillness. They looked at me, their expressions a mix of surprise and something deeper, something neither of them dared to say out loud.

They weren’t going to ignore me now. I was going to make sure of it.

“Neither of you will have me if I can’t have you both,” I vowed. “If you want me, you’re going to have to share me.”