Chapter 67
The old bridge groaned beneath their feet, crumbling with every step. The worn concrete, slick with moisture, was riddled with cracks-a deathtrap waiting to collapse.
The river below was nothing more than a shallow, rocky abyss. If they fell, survival wasn't guaranteed.
Enzo's grip on Isabella's wrist was tight as they advanced, their only focus on escaping Moretti's trap. But Moretti was always one step ahead.
A slow, mocking clap echoed through the cold night air.
"You actually made it this far," Moretti's voice drawled, amusement laced in every syllable. "I have to admit, I underestimated you."
Enzo's jaw clenched as he turned to face him. Moretti stood at the far end of the bridge, his men fanned out behind him, guns trained on them.
No way out.
Moretti tilted his head, feigning thought. "But now, I think it's time we end this, don't you?"
Isabella's breath hitched. She knew that tone.
A chill ran down her spine.
Moretti wasn't just here to kill them.
He was here to make them suffer.
"You love her, don't you, Calloway?" Moretti smirked. "It's almost poetic, really. All these years of running, fighting, bleeding only to end up here."
His gun cocked.
Enzo's stance shifted, subtly pushing Isabella behind him.
Moretti's smile widened. "So, here's the game. One of you leaves this bridge alive. The other well," he glanced down at the rocky riverbed below, "not so much."
Isabella's blood ran cold.
Enzo's grip tightened around her.
"You have two choices, Calloway. You die for her." Moretti's gaze darkened. "Or she dies for you."
Enzo didn't hesitate.
"Take me."
Isabella jerked away from him. "No!"
Moretti chuckled, shaking his head. "Oh, how noble. But see, that's the problem with love." He took a slow step forward. "It makes you weak."
Then-
He grabbed Isabella by the throat.
She gasped as he yanked her toward the edge.
"No!" Enzo lunged, but Moretti was faster.
He threw her over.
A scream tore from Isabella's lips as she plummeted into the darkness.
Enzo didn't think.
He jumped.
The wind howled around him as he reached out, catching her mid-air.
His arms locked around her just as the jagged rocks below rushed toward them.
Too fast.
Too shallow.
Impact was inevitable.
Darkness.
Pain.
The weight of the world pressing down.
Enzo's body screamed in agony as he forced his eyes open. His back throbbed where he had hit the rocks, but none of that mattered.
Because Isabella was lying limp beside him.
A gash trailed down her temple, blood trickling into the dirt.
Enzo's chest seized.
No.
He reached out, fingers trembling, pressing against her pulse.
There.
Faint but steady.
Relief crashed through him, but there was no time to rest. They weren't safe.
Through the pain, he forced himself to move, lifting her into his arms.
Somehow, they had survived the fall. But Moretti wouldn't stop until they were dead.
Enzo pushed forward, stumbling into a nearby tunnel entrance. It was an old, abandoned passage beneath the city-their only chance to hide.
The darkness swallowed them whole.
Minutes passed in heavy silence, the only sound of their ragged breathing.
Then-a stir.
Isabella groaned softly, her fingers twitching.
Enzo exhaled, the tension in his chest loosening slightly.
Her eyes fluttered open, hazy and unfocused. "Where?"
"Shh," he murmured. "We're safe for now."
Her fingers curled weakly into his shirt. "You caught me."
His lips twitched into something almost like a smile. "You expected anything less?"
A shaky breath left her lips. "You should've let me fall."
Enzo stiffened. "Don't ever say that again."
She blinked up at him, exhaustion heavy in her gaze. "You'd risk everything for me."
He swallowed hard. "I already have."
A beat of silence.
Then, softly-
"If we die tonight," he murmured, "I want you to know I've always been yours."
Her breath hitched.
Their eyes met in the dim light.
She leaned in.
And just as her lips parted-
Shadows moved.
A flicker of light. The sound of footsteps.
Then-
Moretti's men found them.
The rooftop was bathed in golden light, the first hints of sunrise streaking across the horizon.
Enzo and Isabella stood side by side, backs against the edge.
Moretti stood across from them, a satisfied smirk on his lips. His men surrounded them, guns at the ready.
"Look at you two," he mused. "Fighters till the end."
Enzo's fingers tightened around his gun.
It was them against an army.
But Enzo had never cared about the odds.
He met Isabella's gaze, a silent message passing between them.
They would fight.
They would win.
The moment stretched.
Then-
Gunfire erupted.
Enzo lunged, taking down the first man with a clean shot.
Isabella dodged left, firing as she moved, her aim deadly.
Bullets whizzed past. Sparks flew as metal ricocheted against concrete.
A body dropped. Then another.
But Moretti was still standing.
And he was waiting.
His gun lifted-aimed directly at Enzo's chest.
Time slowed.
Enzo saw the flicker of triumph in Moretti's eyes. The slight curve of his lips as he prepared to pull the trigger.
No.
Not this time.
A single gunshot rang out.
Not from Moretti.
From Isabella.
The bullet struck Moretti clean in the chest.
His smirk faltered.
His body swayed.
Then-
He fell.
Over the edge.
Gone.
Enzo turned to Isabella, breathless. "You-"
She was already lowering her gun.
Relief washed over him.
It was over.
They had won.
But just as he took a step toward her-
A faint beep echoed from below.
Enzo's blood ran cold.
Moretti's final bomb.
And it was about to detonate.
The rooftop shook beneath them.
And then-
Everything exploded.