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A ball of ice formed in my gut, the fear taking over. I couldn’t lose her.
“Let her go," I growled in a low voice, leveling my gun at him and refusing to back down. I felt the heat of Daphne's gaze on me, and although I didn't turn to meet it, I could feel the appreciation in her eyes. Massimo, however, didn't seem fazed by my appearance.
"You think you can just shoot me and free her?" Massimo sneered. The air grew heavy with tension. Neither of us moved. Massimo’s eyes were trained on me as the three of us held our breath.
"Yes," I replied simply, staring him unflinchingly in the eye as I readied my gun. For a fraction of a second, I saw something flicker in his expression, a hint of fear. Then the look was gone, and he was once again the stoic figure he had been before.
"Go ahead then, pull the trigger," he taunted, breaking the silence that had descended between us. My finger tightened around the trigger, and I could feel my arm shaking with rage. In my head I was already pulling the trigger, already watching him fall to the ground as the bullet exploded from the barrel. But in reality, I kept my finger on the trigger and simply glared at him. In that moment I knew I couldn't do it. Not if it risked Daphne.
"Don't push me," I hissed. "Let her go, or I swear I'll shoot you."
The tension in the room was palpable, electric in its intensity. My stance seemed to be a reminder for everyone to remain still, and my finger kept its shaking grip on the trigger as I waited for Massimo's response. From the corner of my eye, I could see security guards on the perimeter balcony, but then both of them went down. I figured Lock, Gabe, and Saint were in position. Or maybe it was Rook and Kaya protecting their asset in Daphne.
"Dammit, Drake, focus!" Kaya's voice crackled in my earpiece, but I barely heard her. All I saw was Daphne, her usually fiery eyes filled with fear, but also a spark of defiance.
It was all the warning we had before the chaos hit. Her move was swift and unexpected, and it took us all by surprise. Massimo stumbled backward, doubled over in pain from the blow, while Daphne twisted away from him.
The chaos in the room amplified by a thousand when the first set of explosions ricocheted. But for me, everything fell away except for Daphne, and I lunged for her.
Massimo mirrored my movements, lunging for her as well.
Daphne's gaze locked on mine, her eyes wide but trusting. "Drake," she said softly, but there was a note of command in her voice. I knew that tone. She was telling me to shoot.
Without breaking our eye contact, I squeezed the trigger. The bullet found its mark, and Massimo crumpled to the floor, a dark red spot growing on his chest. A shot from the balcony followed a second later, ensuring he wouldn't be a threat to anyone anymore.
Outside in the hall, everything erupted into a crescendo of terrified screams and shouts. But in the middle of it all, I saw Daphne, her chest heaving and her eyes still on me. The smoky chaos of the room seemed to fade around her, like she was the only thing that mattered.
The rage that had driven me moments ago had been replaced by something else. Something more powerful. Something that made me want to pull her close and keep her safe from the evil of the world.
I lowered my gun and she stepped forward, her arms going around me as she hugged me tightly. I closed my eyes and held her close. “I was so bloody scared. I didn't know what I would do if I lost you. What the hell are you doing here?”
“Drake.” Her voice was muffled, and I could barely hear what she was saying. But still, I held on. The fear still gripped me tightly in my chest, roots taking hold of all the what-ifs.
"Thank you," she whispered into my ear. I didn't reply. I just stood there, feeling her warmth and the steady rhythm of her heart.
For that moment, it was enough.
It had all happened so quickly. One minute, I'd been standing there, my gun raised as Daphne faced off with Massimo. The next, Massimo was lying on the ground and everything had gone silent.
The next round of charges went off, and Rook came in from the balcony. “Time to go. Backup is on the way. We have to move.”
Holding tight onto Daphne, I let Rook lead the way into the hall as pandemonium took hold. Everywhere we turned, guests were running and screaming. Others were still huddled together, scared and confused by what had just taken place. But all I could focus on was Daphne. She didn't panic, just let Rook and I lead her to our egress route, her shoulders strong and her gaze unyielding.
Suddenly, something shifted inside me. It was an undeniable feeling that I couldn't ignore. One of admiration, awe, and love.
I stepped closer to her, and she looked up at me with her beautiful hazel eyes as if she could read my thoughts. The chaos seemed to fade away until it was only us standing there together in that moment of understanding.
My heart swelled as I realized just how courageous she was, how bravely she'd faced down danger to protect herself and others around her without even thinking twice about it.
Everything around us seemed to stand still as our fingers intertwined together naturally like we were meant to be this way forever, and I knew one thing for certain; from here on out nothing would ever be the same between us again.
She squeezed my hand tight then released me before following Kaya and Rook.
Now it was her turn to walk away from me.
45
Drake
