Some dangers come from a distance.
Snipers. Explosions. Enemies you can track, calculate, eliminate.
But the worst kind?
The ones that stand right in front of you.
Close enough to breathe the same air.
Close enough to pull the trigger.
---
Darkness swallowed the room.
Total.
Instant.
Deadly.
The click of the gun echoed louder than it should have.
Too close.
Too real.
I moved without thinking.
One hand went to Valentina, pulling her off the bed and behind me. The other reached for my weapon—
Gone.
Of course it was.
---
"Don't," a voice said calmly from the dark.
The same man.
The one who walked in like he owned the place.
"The next move decides who dies first."
I stilled.
Not because I was afraid.
Because I was calculating.
Distance.
Sound.
Position.
He was close.
Very close.
"Who are you?" I asked, my voice steady.
A soft chuckle.
"You ask too many questions."
"And you talk too much."
Another pause.
Then—
"I like you," he said. "That's rare."
"Feeling's not mutual."
"I didn't expect it to be."
---
Behind me, I felt her shift.
Awake.
Barely.
But aware.
Good.
"Dante…" her voice was faint, strained.
"I'm here," I said quietly.
"Stay down."
"Always so commanding…"
Even now—
Still her.
Still fire.
---
"Touching," the man murmured. "Very touching."
I ignored him.
Focused.
Waited.
Because men like him—
Made mistakes.
Eventually.
---
"You're wondering why I'm here," he continued.
"Not really."
"No?"
"No. I'm more interested in how this ends."
Another soft laugh.
"Bold."
"Honest."
Silence stretched.
Heavy.
Then—
A faint light flickered.
Emergency backup.
Dim.
But enough.
---
I saw him.
Standing near the door.
Gun raised.
Eyes locked on me.
Cold.
Calculated.
Not nervous.
Not rushed.
Professional.
That made him dangerous.
---
"Step away from her," he said.
"No."
His finger tightened slightly on the trigger.
"You're injured," he noted.
"Still standing."
"Not for long."
"We'll see."
---
Valentina shifted again behind me.
Stronger now.
Awake enough to understand.
"You always argue like this?" she whispered.
"Only when necessary."
"This seems… unnecessary."
"Stay down."
"I hate that phrase."
"I know."
---
The man watched the exchange carefully.
Too carefully.
"You're attached," he said.
"No."
"Lie better."
I didn't respond.
Didn't need to.
Because he wasn't wrong.
And that was the problem.
---
"What do you want?" I asked.
He tilted his head slightly.
"Information."
"From her?"
"Yes."
"Then you're wasting your time."
"Am I?"
His gaze shifted to her.
Sharp.
Focused.
"You know more than you think, Valentina."
Her body tensed behind me.
"I don't know anything you want."
"We'll see about that."
---
I stepped slightly to the side.
Blocking his line of sight completely.
"You're not touching her."
His smile faded.
"You're in my way."
"Get used to it."
Silence.
Then—
He moved.
Fast.
Gun lifting—
I moved faster.
Closing the distance before he could fire.
We collided hard, the impact knocking the weapon off target as the shot went wide.
I drove my fist into his ribs.
He countered instantly.
Trained.
Fast.
We exchanged blows in tight quarters—no room for space, no room for mistakes.
Close.
Too close.
---
"Dante—" Valentina's voice cut through the chaos.
"I've got it!"
Lie.
This guy was good.
Too good.
---
He twisted sharply, breaking my grip, then drove his elbow into my injured shoulder.
Pain exploded.
White-hot.
Blinding.
I staggered—
That was his opening.
His hand went for the gun—
---
A shot rang out.
Not his.
He froze.
Eyes widening slightly.
Then—
He dropped.
---
Silence crashed into the room.
Heavy.
Final.
---
I turned.
Valentina stood there.
Gun in hand.
Breathing uneven.
But steady enough.
"You missed," I said.
Her lips curved faintly.
"I didn't."
The man groaned on the floor.
Alive.
But not moving.
Not a threat.
For now.
---
"You shouldn't be standing," I said.
"You shouldn't be fighting."
"Fair."
A pause.
Then—
"You saved me," I added.
"Don't get used to it."
I almost smiled.
Almost.
---
Footsteps echoed outside.
Multiple.
Fast.
Too fast.
"We're not done," I said.
"No," she agreed. "We're not."
---
The door burst open.
The same man from before—the one who brought us here—stepped in, weapons raised.
His eyes flicked from the body on the floor—
To her—
To me.
Something shifted in his expression.
Surprise.
Interest.
Calculation.
---
"You're full of surprises," he said.
"She's full of trouble," I replied.
"I noticed."
---
Behind him, more men entered.
Armed.
Alert.
Watching.
Too many.
Too close.
Again.
---
"Who is he?" I asked, nodding toward the man on the floor.
The leader's gaze darkened slightly.
"That," he said quietly, "is someone who shouldn't be here."
"Not helpful."
"Not my problem."
"It is if he's targeting her."
A pause.
Then—
"Everything is targeting her," he said.
That—
Wasn't reassuring.
---
Valentina stepped closer to me.
Not behind.
Beside.
Again.
"I'm getting tired of this," she muttered.
"Join the club."
---
The man on the floor stirred.
Too soon.
Too fast.
I raised the gun instantly.
But before I could act—
He smiled.
Blood on his lips.
Eyes sharp.
Unbroken.
---
"You're already too late," he said.
My grip tightened.
"For what?"
His gaze shifted to Valentina.
Then back to me.
"For what's coming next."
---
A beat.
Then—
The entire building shook.
Violently.
An explosion echoed somewhere below.
Closer than it should have been.
---
Everyone froze.
Just for a second.
Then chaos erupted.
Shouts.
Movement.
Weapons raised.
---
I grabbed Valentina instantly.
"Stay with me."
"Always," she said.
And for the first time—
It didn't sound like defiance.
It sounded like something else.
Something deeper.
---
The lights flickered again.
Then—
Cut out completely.
---
And this time—
The darkness wasn't empty.
---
Gunshots erupted from every direction.