Chapter 8

When the black car's window rolled down, Sienna's whole body froze. In the gloomy streetlight, her father's features appeared as icy and cunning as ever. His eyes stared at her with an odd mixture of triumph and disdain.

"Sienna, get in the car," he commanded in a cold voice.

Enzo tightened his grip on her arm as if to warn her not to move. Marco, who was just behind them, reached for his weapon and looked from the car to Sienna.

Enzo stepped forward just enough to put himself between Sienna and her father. He spoke in a low, menacing voice. "She’s not going anywhere."

A snarl curved her father's lip. "Enzo, do you think you can keep her away from me? Compared to you, I've been playing this game a lot longer. You have no idea what you're up against.”

As Sienna looked from Enzo to her father, her heart was pounding in her ears. This was the moment that had been developing; it wasn't just another confrontation. She sensed it.

Her father went on, leaning out the window, "You've already lost. Mateo is only the beginning. More individuals enter the picture the longer she remains with you. If I give the word, half of the city's underbelly is prepared to move on you. You're not going to win.”

Enzo's voice was as cold as steel, yet his face remained unchanged. “You underestimate me, De Luca. That is your biggest mistake.”

Alessandro gave a gloomy laugh. “You are not the focus here, Enzo. It is her. I own Sienna, not you. You cannot keep her indefinitely. I'll find her no matter what.”

It was too much for Sienna to handle. The strained quiet was broken by her voice. "Stop! Father, you’ve used me as a pawn in your game!”

Her father hardened his demeanor as his eyes shifted to her. “Oh, you’re much more than a pawn, Sienna. I need leverage, and you are it. You always were.”

Sienna felt her stomach turn. “Leverage? To pay off your debts? To save your skin? I'm not a piece of furniture that can be traded!”

His gaze never left Enzo as he disregarded her fury. "Enzo, give her up, and I'll let you go. However, this is your last chance.”

Enzo did not blink. “You cannot take her. No more.”

With a harsh and teasing smirk, Sienna's father reclined back in his chair. "You'll burn with her after that."

The automobile door opened abruptly, and a number of armed guys emerged. Sienna could feel the walls closing in on them, and the alley was too small for a swift getaway.

The growing panic was broken by Enzo's voice. "Marco."

Marco pulled his revolver and fired the first shot without hesitation. Bullets flew into the alley, causing mayhem that was loud in the small area.

Enzo shielded Sienna by drawing her behind him as he returned fire, his movements precise and deliberate.

Enzo and Marco moved in faster than her father's guys did. Bullets struck the ground, the walls, and the cars, creating the sound of metal on metal. Two guys were eliminated by Enzo before they could even aim, and Marco was dispatching the other men with merciless efficiency.

With her heart pounding and adrenaline coursing through her veins, Sienna huddled behind the vehicle. She didn't dare glance up, even though she could hear the horrible thud of bodies striking the ground and the grunts of anguish. "This has to end now," was all she could think.

She heard her father's voice through the confusion, calm in spite of the turmoil all around him. "Stop hiding, Sienna. This is unavoidable. You know that.”

Her chest grew constricted as she attempted to steady her breathing.

Enzo was still engaged in combat, his whole attention on protecting her. She needed to decide.

She picked up a loose piece of metal from the floor with shaking hands—anything hefty, something she could use. She was aware that she couldn't hide indefinitely.

Her father's shined shoes clicked against the pavement as he got out of the automobile. "Come on now, Sienna, or things will get worse."

With all the bravery she possessed, Sienna rose from her hiding place. Her father turned, looking slightly shocked to see her standing there with the homemade weapon in her hand.

"Sienna," he whispered in a menacingly low voice. "Don't be stupid. Put that down.”

Sienna's hand gripped the metal bar more tightly. "I'm not afraid of you anymore."

She watched genuine wrath flash across his face for the first time as his eyes narrowed. "The game you're playing is beyond your understanding."

"I understand enough," Sienna retorted. "I know that everything you touched is damaged. You will no longer control me.”

Enzo was behind her father, revolver up and aimed straight at the back of his head. Before he could take another step in her direction, Enzo whispered in a deadly calm voice. "Don't move. I'll blow your head off if you take one more step."

Her father's body went hard as he froze. "You'd be foolish," he growled. "Enzo, this isn't how you play the game. We don't murder one another.”

With icy gaze, Enzo's finger gripped the trigger more tightly. "I don't follow the same rules as you."

Everyone was tensely waiting to see what would happen next, and there was a heavy quiet.

Then, as the last of her father's men tried to approach, Marco, without hesitation, fired and neutralised the man with a single shot.

Enzo kept his gaze fixed on Sienna's father and did not drop his gun. “This is over. And you are finished.”

Her father's eyes glowed with anger, but he knew there was nothing he could do. Slowly, the sneer left his face as he lifted his hands in surrender. His parting words were, "Sienna, you'll regret this. You think you're free now? This world will chew you up and spit you out. You’re nothing without me.”

Sienna's chest constricted, but Enzo moved forward before she could react. "You should never have leveraged her. But she is no longer alone; she has me now.”

Her father didn't fight back, but his eyes clouded. He was aware that he had lost the fight.

Marco grabbed him by the collar and pushed him into the rear of the car. "Now get out of my sight," Marco whispered.

Sienna watched her father vanish into the night as the automobile sped away. Her body trembled with the release of stress as her knees buckled and she fell against the alley wall.

In an instant, Enzo was at her side, his hand on her shoulder. With a gentler voice, he muttered, "It's over. You're safe."

Tears filled her eyes as she gazed up at him. "Is it truly over?"

Enzo softened his eyes and nodded. “Yes, it is. He will not come after you again.”.

With everything weighing heavily on her, Sienna gulped. “Thank you.”

Enzo whispered in her ear as he drew her into a tight embrace. “Sienna, there's no need for you to thank me. You don't realize how strong you are.”

Standing there in the silent wake of the mayhem, Sienna experienced a new sensation: freedom. She had overcome the terror that had controlled her for so long, not just her father.

And she gave herself permission to think that perhaps, just possibly, she might have a future free from the specters of her traumatic past for the first time in years.

As Enzo held her, the sound of police sirens echoed in the distance. They would have to leave, disappear again.