Chapter 330: We Need To Get You To A Safe House

Dante was bleeding heavily, his legs shattered again, his entire body in shock from pain and adrenaline and the loss of Isabella.

Luca was beside him, assessing the wounds, determining what injuries were critical and what could wait.

"We need to get you to a safe house," Luca said, his voice steady despite the chaos. "Medical attention. Pain management. You need to survive this."

"Isabella," Dante said, his voice hollow. "He took Isabella."

"I know," Luca said simply. "But you’re alive. That has to mean something."

Dante looked at Luca, at the man who’d stayed loyal, who’d fought beside him, who’d extracted him when everyone else would have abandoned him.

"Why?" Dante asked. "Why do you stay? Why do you fight for me when you could have left?"

"Because loyalty means something," Luca said simply. "And you gave me a purpose. That’s worth staying for."

Dante closed his eyes and understood, finally, what he’d lost.

Not just Isabella.

Not just his empire.

But the understanding that in a world of predators and prey, he’d been prey all along.

And now, bleeding in a vehicle while escaping from a man he thought he was equal to, he finally understood the price of hunting a man like Dimitri Valentino.

***

POV: EVE

The safe house was quiet.

It was a nondescript building in an even more nondescript neighborhood, the kind of place that blended completely into the urban landscape.

Eve was sitting on the edge of a bed in one of the upstairs bedrooms, talking quietly with Mike.

Her brother had been there since she’d arrived at the safe house. He’d been the first person to see her after the extraction, the first face she’d recognized when the shock and adrenaline were starting to wear off.

"You should rest," Mike was saying, his voice carrying the protective concern of an older brother. "You’ve been through enough. Your body needs..."

"I’m fine," Eve interrupted, though her voice suggested she was anything but fine. "I just want to know what happened. I want to know that Dimitri is okay. I want to know that..."

Footsteps echoed through the hallway.

Eve’s entire body went rigid.

She turned toward the sound.

The door opened.

And Dimitri stood in the doorway.

For a moment...just a moment, Eve couldn’t move. Couldn’t breathe. Couldn’t do anything but stare at him, understanding that he was alive, that he was here.

Then everything inside her that had been holding together collapsed.

She ran.

She crossed the room in seconds and threw herself into his arms.

Dimitri caught her, pulled her close, and kissed her.

Not gently. Not carefully. But fiercely....desperately, passionately, with all the rage and fear and love that he’d been holding inside since he’d discovered she was gone.

The kiss was consuming. It was claiming. It was him pouring everything he felt into that single moment of contact.

When he finally released her mouth, Eve was gasping for breath, tears already streaming down her face.

Dimitri immediately wrapped his arms around her completely, pulling her against his chest, holding her like he would never let go.

And Eve started crying.

Not delicate tears. Not controlled emotion.

Complete, overwhelming sobs that shook her entire body.

She’d been strong during the extraction. She’d been aware and strategic while being held captive. She’d survived the rescue operation with composure and focus.

But now, in Dimitri’s arms, understanding that she was truly safe, the emotional dam broke completely.

"I’m here," Dimitri whispered into her hair, his voice rough with emotion. "I’m here, cara mia. You’re safe now. You’re safe."

"I know," Eve sobbed against his chest. "I know you’re here. I know I’m safe. But I...I was so scared. I was so..."

"I know," Dimitri said, his voice absolutely tender. "I know, piccola. But you were so brave. You were so incredibly brave."

He was holding her tighter now, his arms creating a barrier between her and the entire world, his body surrounding hers.

"I’m proud of you," Dimitri continued, whispering against her hair. "I’m so proud of you. Do you understand me? I’m proud of you."

Eve was crying harder now, the tears flowing freely, her entire body shaking as she held onto him.

"I’m sorry," she whispered. "I’m sorry that..."

"No," Dimitri said firmly. "Don’t apologize. Don’t you dare apologize. You did nothing wrong. None of this was your fault. Dante made a choice. He came for you. And I got you back. That’s all that matters."

Mike was standing silently in the corner watching them.

Eve cried against Dimitri’s chest for what felt like forever and no time at all.

His hands were stroking her back, her hair, her shoulders, gentle touches meant to ground her, to remind her that she was safe, that she was here, that the nightmare was over.

"The warehouse," Eve said finally, her voice muffled against his shirt. "What happened? Are you hurt? Did he..."

"Shh," Dimitri said gently. "Don’t worry about that right now. All you need to know is that it’s over and you’re safe. That’s all that matters."

"But you..."

"I’m fine," Dimitri said. "I’m here. I’m with you. And that’s all I care about."

Eve looked up at him, really looked at him for the first time since he’d entered the room.

His hair was slightly disheveled. His clothes were dusty from the warehouse. There was a cut on his jaw that suggested close combat.

But his eyes...his eyes were absolutely focused on her and only her.

"I love you," Eve said simply.

The words seemed to shift something in Dimitri’s expression, a softening, a recognition of the depth of what they had.

"I love you too," Dimitri said, and he kissed her forehead, her cheeks, her lips...tender kisses that were completely different from the fierce kiss of moments before. "So much. More than you can possibly understand."

Eve rested her head against his chest, listening to his heartbeat, understanding that she was truly, completely safe.

"We need to get you home," Dimitri said after a long moment. "You need rest. You need medical evaluation. You need to be somewhere that feels like home."

"Home," Eve repeated softly. "That sounds perfect."

"Nonna has been worried sick since you left," Dimitri said, his voice warming slightly. "She’s been pacing the penthouse, asking when you were coming back, making enough soup to feed an entire army. Let’s get you home to her."