Chapter 11
The knocking turned into pounding.
Jessy backed farther into the cabin, heart racing, each thud against the door a drumbeat of dread. Rocky barked louder, snarling at the wood as if he could will the threat away. Outside, thunder cracked the sky open, lightning briefly illuminating the cabin in eerie blue flashes.
Then, silence.
Jessy's breathing was sharp and shallow. She gripped the fireplace poker tighter, knuckles white. Her eyes darted around the room—there was no back exit. No way out. The cabin was meant to be a sanctuary. Now, it felt like a trap.
"Jessy," the voice came again, colder this time. "Don't make this harder than it has to be."
Marco.
She remembered the way his eyes followed her that day at the market, the twisted smirk on his face. Dave had warned her, told her Marco was dangerous. And now he was here, pounding on her door in the middle of a storm.
Suddenly, the door rattled violently.
She screamed.
The wood cracked—once, twice—and then splintered.
Rocky lunged as the door gave way, a dark figure forcing his way inside. Jessy didn't have time to think. She swung the poker, connecting with a sickening thud. The man staggered back, cursing, as Rocky bit down on his arm with a furious growl.
But there was more than one.
A second figure rushed in through the broken door, grabbing Jessy by the arm and yanking her back. She screamed again, the poker falling from her grasp. Rocky turned, launching at the second man, but he was kicked hard and sent tumbling.
"No!" Jessy cried, struggling against the iron grip on her arm. "Let go!"
Marco stepped into view, soaked and shadowed by the storm. His eyes gleamed with triumph. "So this is what you've been hiding, Dave's little secret."
Jessy spat at him, glaring. "You'll regret this."
Marco only smiled. "You're brave. I'll give you that. But you're also stupid."
Before she could answer, a gunshot rang out.
Marco froze.
So did the man holding her.
Dave's voice rang clear through the rain. "Let her go."
He stood at the threshold, drenched and wild-eyed, a pistol steady in his hand.
The man gripping Jessy hesitated. "Boss, she—"
"I said let her go."
Jessy was released roughly, stumbling forward. She rushed to Rocky, who whimpered but slowly lifted his head. Relief poured through her. He was hurt, but alive.
Dave's eyes didn't leave Marco. "I warned you."
"You think you can scare me with that toy?" Marco sneered, stepping forward. "You've gone soft. All this talk of protecting her—what about our family? Our blood?"
"You stopped caring about family a long time ago," Dave said, his voice low and lethal.
Marco moved as if to lunge, but Dave fired. A warning shot. The bullet struck the floor inches from Marco's foot.
"Next one doesn't miss," Dave said.
Marco gritted his teeth. "This isn't over."
"No," Dave agreed. "It's just beginning."
Marco backed away, eyes blazing, and gestured for his men to follow. They retreated into the storm, disappearing into the night like ghosts.
The moment they were gone, Dave rushed to Jessy's side.
"Are you okay?" he asked, dropping the gun and kneeling beside her.
She nodded shakily. "I—I think so. Rocky needs help."
He examined the dog gently. "He's bruised, maybe a cracked rib. I'll take you both somewhere safe."
Jessy grabbed his hand. "You came back."
"I said I would."
Tears welled in her eyes. "They would've killed me."
"No," he said fiercely. "I won't let that happen."
Dave helped her to her feet and gathered a blanket to wrap around her. "We can't stay here. They know now. Marco won't stop until he gets what he wants."
Jessy looked at him. "And what does he want?"
Dave hesitated. "Power. Control. He thinks the baby gives him leverage. That you're a threat to his vision of our legacy."
She placed a hand on her belly. "But I'm not even part of this world."
"You are now," he said, eyes dark with emotion. "And that scares him."
They left the cabin behind, the wind still howling as they moved through the storm. Dave led her to a car parked a few yards away, hidden beneath a cluster of trees. He helped her inside, lifting Rocky gently into the backseat.
As they drove, Jessy stared out the window, watching the trees blur past in streaks of rain. Her hands trembled in her lap.
"Where are we going?" she asked.
"Somewhere only I know. A safe house."
She nodded, exhaustion sinking into her bones.
After nearly an hour, they reached a secluded farmhouse at the edge of a wooded hill. Dave unlocked the gate, drove through, and parked beside the house. He carried Rocky inside first, then returned for Jessy.
Inside, the air smelled faintly of cedar and dust. It was quiet, still—safe.
Dave started a fire while Jessy sat on the old couch, watching the flames rise. Rocky rested beside her, breathing slowly. The warmth seeped into her skin, calming her nerves.
Dave knelt in front of her. "I'm sorry I left. I thought I had more time."
"You didn't," she said softly.
"I know that now." He looked into her eyes. "I need to tell you everything. No more secrets."
Jessy nodded. "I'm ready."
And as the fire crackled between them, Dave began to speak—not just of the Sebastiano legacy or the dark history they carried, but of his regrets, his fears, and the weight he bore alone for too long. Jessy listened, knowing their lives had changed forever.
Whatever came next, they'd face it together.
Dave's voice was quiet, steady, but the pain behind it was unmistakable.
"My father started it all. The guns, the money, the control. I was supposed to inherit it—Marco too. But we were never the same. I wanted out. He wanted more."
Jessy leaned closer, her eyes locked on his. "Why didn't you leave sooner?"
"I tried," he admitted. "I left once. Tried to build a normal life. But Marco… he always pulled me back. Threatened the people I cared about. He's obsessed with the bloodline. He thinks our child is a threat to his claim."
Jessy swallowed. "But it's your child. Your future. How can he think that?"
"Because to him, control means everything. And anyone who doesn't follow his rules is disposable."
Jessy looked down at her hands. "So what do we do now?"
"We protect what's ours," Dave said. "I've got allies. People Marco doesn't know about. I'm going to take him down. For good."
Jessy's gaze flickered. "And what if he comes for us first?"
Dave reached for her hand, squeezing it gently. "Then we make our stand. But I promise you, Jessy—I won't let him hurt you. Or our child."
Tears welled in her eyes again, but this time, they weren't from fear. "I believe you."
Outside, the storm began to quiet. The winds died down, and the rain softened into a drizzle. In the firelight, their shadows danced along the walls, and for the first time in what felt like forever, there was peace.
But Jessy knew peace was only a breath between battles.
She leaned into Dave's chest, and as his arms wrapped around her, she whispered, "We fight together."
Dave nodded, resting his chin against her hair. "Together. Until the end."