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My lungs burn, my legs scream, but the fear of what happens if we stop is stronger than the pain.

A bullet tears through the bark of a tree, just inches from my head. I yelp, ducking instinctively.

“Keep going!” Daniele growls, his grip tightening as he yanks me forward. “Don’t stop!”

The trees blur together, shadows twisting and morphing in the dim moonlight. The deeper we go, the more the gunfire fades.

But I know Giacomo isn’t far behind.

He won’t stop until he has me—or until we’re dead.

I steal a glance at Daniele, his jaw clenched, his body tense as he pushes forward. There’s a wild look in his eyes, a battle raging within him. He saved me, yes, but I don’t know if that means he’s fully on my side.

I have to trust him. Because right now, he’s all I have.

The terrain grows rougher, the ground uneven and riddled with roots and decaying forestry. My ankle twists, pain lancing through me, but I bite back a cry and force myself to keep going.

“Shit,” Daniele mutters, pulling me behind the thick trunk of a tree. His chest heaves, breaths fast but forced into control. “We need a plan. Now.”

“There’s no plan,” I pant, gripping the bark for support. “We keep running.”

He shakes his head, peering around the tree. “We won’t make it to the road before they catch up. There are guards littered all over this place.”

He’s right. We’re exposed out here, too easy to track. The only thing working in our favor is the darkness.

My fingers curl into fists. “Then what do we do?”

Daniele presses his lips into a thin line, then, to my horror, he starts shrugging off his jacket.

“What are you doing?” I hiss.

“Giving them a trail.”

He throws the jacket down and grabs a branch, dragging it through the dirt to erase our tracks.

“We need to split up. You head north—there’s an old hunting cabin about half a mile up. If you make it there, you’ll have a better shot at hiding. I’ll come for you.”

“No,” I whisper harshly. “I am not splitting up.”

His eyes flash in the darkness. “Maria, listen to me?—”

“No! I’m not leaving you, Daniele. We need to get out of this together.”

His expression tightens, and for a second, I think he’s going to argue. But then his gaze flickers over my shoulder, his pupils dilating.

I don’t need to ask why. The snap of a twig. The shuffle of boots on leaves. They’re coming.

Daniele grabs my face, his fingers rough but steady. “You trust me?”

I swallow. “I?—”

“Do you trust me?”

I hesitate, then nod. Something shifts in his expression, something I can’t quite place. Then he’s pushing me back, stepping into the open.

My heart stops.

“I messed up,” Daniele breathes, every word cracked and raw. “I spent so long living in the shadow of the man I thought I was supposed to be—following orders, playing his game. I never wanted to be this person. I betrayed the only man who ever gave a shit about me.” He swallows hard. “I don’t know if he’ll ever forgive me—and God knows I don’t deserve it.”