Danna:
The dinner had ended and the air inside felt too heavy for me to breathe, so I wandered outside in search of some quiet, crossing my arms as the night breeze brushed against my skin, my steps slow and unsure as I scanned the shadows for Dante but found no sign of him, and it was then, in the muted stillness, that I caught the faint, trembling sound of someone sniffing, the fragile noise pulling my attention toward the small park where the dim lamplight spilled over the figure of Alessia, her shoulders shaking as she sat hunched on the bench, tears streaming down her face, and something inside my chest ached painfully because no matter the tension between us I had never wanted to see her like this, never wanted to be the reason she shattered, yet her voice cracked through the silence, soft and raw, calling for someone named Adam, whispering between sobs that her heart was tearing apart, that Dante didn't want her and never had, that she had done everything and still was doomed, her words unraveling into a desperate confession that "he will kill me" before her body crumpled further beneath the weight of her grief, and I was just about to step forward, to at least offer her the comfort of a presence, when a sudden grip yanked me backward into the shadows, my breath catching as I turned to see Jake, blood trickling down from his temple, his eyes wild and urgent, and in a hoarse voice that left no room for argument he rasped, "We need to go."
He seized my hand with such force that I barely had time to gasp before we were tearing through the dark like fugitives, my breath burning in my chest as I panted out a desperate, "What happened, Jake?" but he didn't answer, only dragged me faster until we stumbled into the dim glow of the car headlights where Dante stood—his shirt torn and clinging to the blood seeping from the very spot where he had been stabbed before, the crimson glistening as it trailed down his side, his jaw tight with pain, a lifeless man sprawled at his feet, the metallic tang of blood thick in the air, and for one terrifying heartbeat our eyes met, his gaze flickering with agony yet burning with that stubborn, unyielding fire as he barked, "Jake, take mia cara away!"—words that made my chest tighten and my world tilt, and I surged forward, desperate to reach him, but Jake's grip locked around my wrist like iron, holding me back, "Let me go!" I cried, my voice breaking, "It's dangerous," he shot back, but my heart screamed louder, "He is in danger too!" and I fought against him, my stomach churning at the sight of the blood on Dante's body, the way his hand pressed to his wound, until Jake suddenly swung me up over his shoulder like I weighed nothing, my fists pounding against his back, my legs kicking as I shrieked for him to stop, but he only tightened his hold and carried me away, the chaos of shouts and the pounding of my own heart filling my ears until he shoved me into the passenger seat of a waiting car where another man—Nico, I heard his name—sat behind the wheel, and before I could scramble out Jake slammed the door shut with finality, leaning in just long enough to order, "Nico, take her somewhere safe," my protest spilling from my lips in a frantic "Jake! No!" before the engine roared to life and Nico's low voice cut through the panic, "Mrs. Moretti, please calm down," but my hands were trembling, my gaze locked on the fading image of Dante bleeding in the night.
I twisted in my seat, my fingers gripping the edges of the leather as my chest heaved, my voice cracking with panic, "What happened, and where are we going?" and Nico, calm as a shadow in the night, didn't even glance at me, his eyes locked on the road, saying simply, "Capo had a conflict with someone," but the words barely registered because my heart was hammering, my breath coming in short, frantic gasps, "You work for Dante?" I pressed, my voice trembling, and he only nodded, his hands steady on the wheel, his gaze sharp and unwavering, "Are you loyal?" I asked, and his eyebrow lifted, the tiniest flicker of challenge in his otherwise stoic expression, "I have been working for him for many years now, why wouldn't I be?" he replied, his voice calm but carrying an unshakable weight, and I couldn't hold it in any longer, the tears spilling down my cheeks as I pleaded, "Then turn back, we have to save them!" but he shook his head firmly, almost apologetically, "Can't do that until you are somewhere safe," and I couldn't understand it, my throat burning, my heart twisting, "Your boss was stabbed! He's bleeding!" and still, his calm didn't waver, "I'm aware," he said simply, his tone flat as if discussing the weather, and I blinked at him, stunned, "How can you be this calm?!" but he didn't answer, his hands steady, his eyes fixed on the dark road, until finally, the car slowed and we rolled to a stop in front of a massive, shadowed warehouse, its metal walls looming against the night sky, a chill crawling down my spine as my gaze swept the desolate surroundings, my body shivering despite the seatbelt holding me in place, and I couldn't help but whisper to myself, almost in disbelief, "Where… where even are we?"
We got out of the car, my body trembling so violently I could barely stand, my legs weak and my hands shaking, and I walked cautiously toward the warehouse, my heart pounding like a drum in my chest, and suddenly I heard Nico's groan followed by a heavy thud that made my stomach drop and fear twist in my gut, I looked around frantically and saw him sprawled on the cold ground, his body slumped and unmoving, and in front of him stood a man, tall, muscular, with a long beard pressed close to his skin, one eye swollen and packed, his presence radiating danger like a predator stalking its prey, a cold metallic rod gripped tightly in his hand, the air around him heavy with the stench of cigarettes and alcohol, making me gag and shrink back instinctively, before I could even react, two other men appeared, seizing my arms with brutal force, dragging me toward him as my lungs burned with every panicked breath, my fingers clawing at their grips, my nails scraping uselessly against their hands, my legs kicking and stumbling over the concrete floor, every step sending jolts of fear and adrenaline through my entire body, my screams muffled as one of them shoved a cloth roughly over my mouth, pressing down so hard I could barely draw in air, my vision blurred and darkening at the edges, my heart racing uncontrollably, my entire being screaming for Dante, for Jake, for anyone, while the tall man loomed closer, grabbing my chin painfully and forcing me to look at him, his one piercing eye boring into mine like fire, his growl shaking the walls around me as he demanded, "You are Danna?!" and I swallowed hard, tears streaming down my face, trembling violently as I whispered through the cloth, "I am…" and before I could even finish, he barked an order, "Take her!" and the two men dragging me tightened their hold, jerking me forward mercilessly as I struggled, kicking, screaming, crying, my vision swallowed by darkness, the world reduced to the horrifying, suffocating certainty that I was completely at their mercy, utterly alone, and trapped in the claws of something I could not fight or escape, my mind only able to think one desperate thought over and over: Dante, help me, please, Dante.