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But Gastone and I left the fighting to the others. We needed to get to Larissa first.

“Larissa?” I screamed as we made our way through the maze of crates and containers. “Are you here? Can you hear me?”

We navigated and screamed up the stairway, down the halls to the left first and then right, over and over again, trying to hear her through the gunfire.

Then I heard her. “Gio?” Her voice, filled with panic, echoed nearby. “Gio?”

My blood boiled as we raced down the hall toward the source of the sound. A Caselli guard appeared in our path, and Gastone shot him right in the head, not even giving him a moment to pull out his own weapon.

The office door splintered as we both kicked it open at the same time. Four men turned in surprise: three guards and Antonio Caselli himself. Larissa sat tied to a chair, a bruise forming on her left cheek, but her eyes blazed with fury instead of fear. When she saw me, I swear I felt her shoulders relax and saw her lips turn upward.

“Told you you’d face hell,” she sniggered, turning to Antonio.

Antonio glowered at her, before turning to us.

“Lebedev and Ajello working together,” Antonio drawled, reaching for his gun. “How touching.”

“You took my sister!” Gastone roared, lunging for him, but the guards surrounding us raised their weapons at him, forcing him to stop.

Antonio grinned. “It was your idea.”

“You bastard,” Gastone growled. “You know that’s not what I meant.”

“You’re going to pay, Antonio,” I hissed. Slowly, ever so slowly, while everyone was focused on the guns in our hands, I slid my other behind my back and pulled out the second one. Gastone caught my gaze, and that’s when I nodded.

Just as he ran and used the momentum to slide on the floor and kick out Antonio from his feet, I turned both guns on two guards and killed them at the same time. Beside me, Gastone and Antonio struggled for Antonio’s fallen gun while I shot down the third. The fourth, to my surprise, paled and ran out.

Before he could bring back-up, I turned to help Gastone. Gastone took a bullet to the shoulder but kept fighting. I couldn’t risk shooting without losing Gastone. I lunged toward them and grabbed Antonio by his hair, wrapped a hand across his face, pulling him back. I watched as Gastone slit his throat, before falling back to the ground to catch his breath.

I left him there and only had one singular intention: Larissa. I reached and kneeled in front of her, and when I saw those gorgeous aquamarine eyes, my world suddenly found its axis. “Larissa,” I whispered, clutching her cheeks for just a moment, before turning to Gastone. Despite his injury, he noticed and threw me his knife. I cut through Larissa's restraints with trembling hands.

“You came for me,” she whispered once free, grabbing my hands. The way she stared at me, as if I were the light of her existence, filled my heart with warmth.

“Always,” I replied, kissing her forehead as I helped her to her feet. Her body swayed against mine, and I pulled her close, breathing in the scent of her hair, reassuring myself that she was real and alive.

The warehouse echoed with the sounds of the fight winding down. Caspian's voice called the all-clear from below. Gastone pressed a hand to his bleeding shoulder, watching us with unreadable eyes.

“We need to get out of here,” he said finally. “Police will be coming soon.”

We made our way down to find most of the Caselli men dead or incapacitated. My brothers stood victorious but wary, eyes darting between me and Larissa, assessing the way she clung to my arm.

Outside, as we regrouped by the vehicles, the temporary alliance began to fray.

“Larissa,” said Gastone to her trembling form beside me. “Come.”

Beside him, Dom opened the door to his car.

“But—” I protested just as Larissa’s eyes blasted wide and she stepped behind me.

“This changes nothing between our families,” Gastone said coldly. “And you”—he looked directly at me—”you stay away from my sister.”

“Gastone,” beside me, Caspian stepped up. “You know my brothers won’t hurt her.”

“I don’t know shit,” Gastone snarled, taking a step toward Caspian. “They’ve known each other for three months. From what I recall, the Lebedevs change colors like seasons.”

“You know that’s not true,” Federico snarled just as Dino and Carlo flanked Gastone for back-up.

Things would get dangerous, I knew that, if I didn’t stop it now.