Dare to Love me

By Kia Moreno

I couldn't move. I couldn't breathe; the cold night air wrapped around me like a suffocating cloak. The distant hum of the city was drowned out by the rush of blood in my ears, my heart thudding painfully in my chest. My gaze was fixed on the scene in front of me, my stomach twisting into knots, my entire world crumbling.

Gio, was on his knees in the middle of the alley. His hands were bound tightly behind his back, blood dripping from his forehead, staining the concrete below him. He looked so... broken. His usual confidence was gone, replaced by something I'd never seen in him, fear. And that fear was aimed at the man standing over him.

Hades Romano.

The name alone was enough to send chills down my spine. Hades wasn't just the king of the South Side Mafia. He was the king of everything, of the darkness that had shaped our lives. And now, it seemed he was the one who was going to take everything from me.

I could barely hold myself together as I watched him stand there, the smirk on his face as cold and calculating as ever. I wanted to scream, to run to Gio, but I couldn't. Something kept me rooted to the spot. The air felt heavy, as though the entire world was holding its breath.

"Please, Hades... don't do this," Gio's voice was barely a whisper, hoarse and broken. His eyes, bloodshot and desperate, met mine. I wanted to reach out to tell him everything would be okay, but the words died in my throat.

"You should have known better, Gio," Hades said, his voice low, almost casual. "You crossed me. And now, you're going to pay the price."

I couldn't believe it. I couldn't wrap my mind around what was happening. Gio, my brother, had always been my protector, my partner in this dangerous world we lived in. He had always been the one to keep us safe, to make sure we never fell too far. And now, he was here, pleading for his life at the feet of the very man who had caused so much destruction in our lives.

"Please, I didn't mean for this to happen," Gio begged, his voice cracking. "I thought... I thought I could fix it. I thought I could make things right."

Hades just shook his head, his lips curling into that same cold, mocking smile. "You can't fix what's already broken, Gio. You made your choice. And now, you'll face the consequences."

I felt the bile rise in my throat as I watched Gio's face twist in pain. He wasn't just pleading for his life. He was pleading for redemption, for the chance to undo the damage he had done. But there was no redemption here. Not in this world. Not with Hades.

"Don't... please," I whispered, my voice barely audible. I took a step forward, but the cold barrel of a gun pressed against my chest stopped me in my tracks. One of Hades' men was standing behind me, his hand shaking slightly, but the weapon in his grip was steady.

"Stay back," he growled, his breath hot on my neck.

I froze, the shock of the situation seizing my body. I couldn't even cry out. My brother was about to die, and I couldn't do a thing to stop it.

Hades took a slow step forward, his eyes never leaving me. The power he held in his gaze was suffocating. "You should have known better than to trust him," he said, his words dripping with disdain. "Your brother was a liability. And now, he's gone."

I couldn't take it anymore. I couldn't just stand there and watch him die. Not like this.

"No!" I screamed, my voice raw with desperation. "Please, don't,"

But it was too late. The gunshot rang out before I could finish my sentence, and the world seemed to slow down around me. The sound of the bullet tearing through the air was deafening, and I saw Gio's body jerk violently, his head snapping back as he collapsed to the ground, blood pouring from the wound. His eyes remained wide open, unseeing.

I felt my heart stop in my chest. The world spun, the ground beneath me shifting, as if I was floating above it all. The man I had loved, the man I had trusted,my brother,was gone. Just like that. Gone.

"No..." I whispered, my voice breaking as I stumbled to my knees beside him. My hands trembled as I reached for his lifeless body, but it was no use. There was nothing I could do. He was gone, and I was left here, with nothing but the cold, empty night and the ruthless man who had taken him from me.

"Gio..." I whispered again, my fingers brushing his cold skin. The warmth had already drained from him. The world felt like it was collapsing in on itself, and I was trapped in the rubble.

Hades stood over me, watching with an unreadable expression. "You're next," he said, his voice soft, almost like a warning. "I'll make sure you learn what it means to betray me, Kia. You'll see how much stronger you need to be to survive in this world."

I looked up at him, fury and grief mixing in my chest, making it hard to breathe. How dare he? How dare he take everything from me and then speak to me like this?

I pushed myself to my feet, my body shaking with rage. "You think this is over?" I hissed, my voice barely recognizable. "You think you've won? You haven't even begun to see what I'm capable of."

Hades didn't even flinch. His eyes were cold and indifferent. "You're just like your brother," he said, his voice dark. "Full of fire and defiance. But it won't save you."

The man beside me grabbed my arm, his grip tight and unyielding as he pulled me away from Gio's body. "Take her to the car," Hades ordered, his voice colder than I'd ever heard it. "We're not done with her yet."

I fought against the grip, but it was no use. The man's hold was too strong, too relentless. My feet dragged against the ground as I was shoved toward the car, the harsh click of my heels echoing in the silence.

But then, just as the door slammed shut behind me, I saw him.

A figure standing at the end of the alley, hidden in the shadows, watching me. His face was obscured, but I knew who it was.

My father.

I felt a cold shiver run through me as my heart skipped a beat. My father. What was he doing here? Why was he just standing there, watching everything unfold?

The car engine roared to life, and I was thrown back into the seat, my mind racing. My father. He had to know what was going on. He had to be involved somehow.

But as the car sped away, I couldn't shake the feeling that something was wrong. Something deeper than I could even begin to understand.

And then, in the rearview mirror, I saw Hades. Standing alone in the alley, watching the car as it drove away.

I should have been afraid.

But all I felt was the cold, unshakable resolve to make him pay.

As the car turned the corner, I glanced out the window. My heart stopped as I saw a shadow dart across the street ahead. A figure, standing just beyond the reach of the streetlights. Someone was following us.

And they weren't alone.