Chapter-16 Attack

Gianna

I think I am going to throw up.

“Fuck,” Nico hissed, and I almost cried out, jolting forward as he pressed the gas and the car wheezed forward at top speed.

But sadly, it was an empty road and the SUV didn’t waste time picking up. If there had been traffic, we might have had some cover, but the highway stretched out empty ahead of us, the darkness offering no protection.

Nico’s face was stone-hard as he jabbed at the dial pad, trying another number. The ringing droned on, unanswered. His grip on the wheel tightened, his frustration rolling off him in waves.

“Fuck!” he snarled, making me flinch.

And then, without warning—

He yanked the wheel.

The Escalade lurched violently to the right, tires screeching against the asphalt as we cut into a narrow side street. My body slammed against the door, a choked gasp ripping from my throat.

“Nico, calm down!” I shouted, my voice unsteady. Probably not the right thing to say in a situation like this. He barely spared me a glance before whipping the wheel again—this time even harder. The SUV behind us followed with a shriek of tires, closing in.

“Do you think we’re in a situation to calm down?” he snapped, his eyes burning with fury.

“What I meant was that the more you panic, the more likely you’ll lose focus,” I bit out, gripping the edge of my seat. “And we don’t want that.”

Nico’s jaw tightened, but then he exhaled through his nose, nodding slightly.

“Okay…yeah…” he said through gritted teeth and then punched a few more numbers on the dialpad, continuously pressing the gas. It felt like the speedometer might explode.

In the meantime, another shot followed and I think it hit somewhere on the back door. Caelian’s name popped up on the screen and I could see Nico’s patience wearing off as the ring kept going and going. I wouldn’t blame him.

“What?” Caelian’s panting voice came and I could actually hear something slamming…or someone and a woman moaning in the background.

“Get your weiner in your pants and follow my location,” Nico barked, beads of sweat starting to form on his forehead.

“Why? What happened and why do you sound like that?” he demanded and I think he did pull out his ‘weiner’ because the slamming stopped and the woman started complaining in italian.

“We are under attack…on our way from the dinner.” Nico made a furious turn again and this time I literally hit my head on the window.

“What?” Caelian exclaimed. “What about the guards?”

“They are left behind…their fucking tire got a fucking puncture…Caelian I don’t have time, I am not alone…Gianna is with me and…” he halted, his jaw clenching but he didn’t complete. “Get going…”

“Am on my way…but capo…be careful please,” there was deep, genuine concern in his voice.

“Yeah…” he cut the call and his brows furrowed.

Why does home feel so far away? It didn't take so much time on our way. Another fire shot and this time, the bullet hit Nico’s side of the window. But I think the windows were bulletproof because it just left a dent. But that didn’t make this any better.

“You need to switch places with me and drive,” Nico said, turning to me. “You know how to drive, right?” I blinked at him, not sure if I heard him right.

“Yeah…but…”

“Then move.”

I gaped at him, struggling to process what he was saying. “While we’re driving?!”

“There’s no stopping,” he said, his tone leaving no room for argument. “Just follow my lead.”

Before I could even think of protesting, he shoved his seat back. The next thing I knew, strong hands gripped my waist, pulling me across the center console while maneuvering the damn car. My breath hitched as I landed on his lap, my back pressing against his chest, the warmth of him burning through my clothes.

“Go,” he murmured, his breath grazing my ear. “I trust you.”

For a split second, I was too stunned to move. And then he was shifting, maneuvering himself out from underneath me. It was a messy transition, but Nico made it work. He pushed himself sideways, moving his legs just enough to slide into the passenger seat without losing control of the wheel. I barely had time to grab it before he fully let go. My hands were shaking.

“Nico—”

“Just drive.” I swallowed hard, forcing my focus back on the road. The highway stretched ahead, dark and endless, offering no cover, no way to disappear. Another shot cracked through the air. A violent thud shook the vehicle, and the car lurched beneath us.

“The tire!” I gasped, my pulse spiking.

“Keep driving,” Nico ordered, already reaching for the glove compartment.

“Nico, the—”

“The tires have run-flat covers,” he shouted. “They won’t give out yet. Just drive.”

I barely registered his words, my heart hammering so hard it drowned out everything else. My foot pressed heavier against the gas pedal and my heels weren’t helping. But the black SUV was still behind us, still keeping up. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw Nico yank open the dashboard. The cold gleam of two black handguns caught the dim light. And then, before I could even react—

SLAM.

Nico kicked the door open. Wind rushed inside, cold and sharp, stealing the breath from my lungs.

“What the hell are you doing?!” I shouted, my voice breaking.

He didn’t answer.

Didn’t even hesitate.

He was already moving, hauling himself halfway out of the moving car. Everything inside me screamed that this was insane, that it was reckless and dangerous, but this was Nico. And Nico didn’t hesitate. He acted. His body shifted with terrifying ease as he propped himself against the open door, bracing one foot against the frame, his balance unshaken by the speed of the vehicle. One hand gripped the roof for support, the other lifting the gun.

Then—

BANG. BANG. BANG.

Gunfire exploded into the night. I flinched at the sound, my breath stuttering. The SUV behind us swerved slightly, but it didn’t stop. The muzzle flashes from their windows fired back in retaliation. Another sharp impact rattled through the car.

Something slammed into us from behind—hard. The force nearly sent me forward, my hands jerking on the wheel.

“Nico!”

“Keep driving!” he shouted over the chaos. My pulse was a wild, erratic mess. My fingers were cramping from how tightly I was gripping the steering wheel.

Another jolt. Another shot.

I couldn’t look back—I couldn’t afford to—but I knew they were getting bolder, more aggressive. The SUV was trying to ram us off the road. And Nico—

Nico was still outside the car, still leaning into the night, one hand gripping the door, the other firing round after round with a terrifying precision. One of his bullets must have hit something critical, because suddenly the SUV swerved—just a little, just enough to break its momentum—before realigning itself again.

“Come on, you bastard,” Nico growled.

More shots. More screeching tires.

The entire world had narrowed down to this moment—this deafening, heart-pounding moment where life and death were decided in the span of a breath. I didn’t know how much longer I could keep this up.

And then—

A low, heavy rumble filled the night. A new sound. A different sound. I blinked, my knuckles turning white as I gripped the wheel harder. Another set of headlights appeared up ahead. My stomach twisted violently.

“Nico,” I choked out. His head snapped up. I could see them now. Two more vehicles speeding toward us from the front. They weren’t just headlights anymore. They were a warning.

We were boxed in. Trapped.

My throat tightened. “Nico—”

Nico inhaled sharply. His body tensed. For the first time since this started, a flicker of something crossed his face. Something dark. Calculated. Then, slowly, he exhaled.

“Hold on tight, Gianna.”

And then he was moving, yanking his body back into the car just as the world around us exploded into chaos. The two vehicles ahead gunned toward us, headlights glaring like predators locking onto prey. The SUV behind us didn’t slow, closing in, trying to trap us in a deadly vice. My hands were slick with sweat, slipping against the wheel. My heart slammed against my ribs, erratic and painful.

“Nico, what do we—”

BANG!

A shot ripped through the air, shattering the passenger side mirror in a violent burst of glass. I flinched, a sharp sting slicing across my cheek as a shard caught my skin. The pain was quick, burning—but I barely registered it through the rush of adrenaline. I gasped, my head snapping toward Nico. His eyes darkened when he saw the blood. His expression didn’t change, but the shift in him was immediate. It was subtle, terrifying—a quiet fury that rolled off him like a storm gaining strength.

“Drive,” he ordered, voice ice-cold. My pulse spiked at the sheer force behind the word.

I didn’t argue.

With another sharp turn, I veered toward the narrowest gap between the two approaching vehicles. My fingers trembled on the wheel, but I kept going, kept moving, even as the screech of tires filled my ears.

“Faster,” Nico gritted out.

“I’m trying—” The SUV behind us slammed into our rear bumper. The impact threw me forward, my seatbelt locking against my chest, air knocking from my lungs.

Another shove. Harder.

The road blurred as my vision swam. The wheel jerked in my grip, and for a horrifying second, I thought I might lose control completely. But then, Nico was there. His hands covered mine on the wheel, his grip firm, steady.

“I’ve got you,” he murmured, low and urgent. “Keep going.” I swallowed hard, blinking rapidly to clear my head.

Focus. Focus.

The two cars ahead were getting closer. Too close. They weren’t slowing. They were going to crash into us. Panic clawed up my throat. My mind screamed to stop, to brake, to turn—

“Don’t stop,” Nico warned, reading my thoughts.

“They’re not stopping either!” I snapped.

“Then we make them stop.” Before I could ask how, he moved.

He reached for something near the console—a button, sleek and small. His fingers pressed it, and suddenly—the SUV behind us jerked violently, its tires screeching.

A spike strip. Built into the back bumper.

The driver hadn’t seen it coming. The SUV lurched to the side, tires struggling against the sudden resistance.

“Holy shit,” I breathed, but there was no time to dwell on it because the cars ahead were still coming. A flash of movement in my periphery. Nico was already reaching for his second gun. And then, in a blur…

He fired.

One. Two. Three shots. Straight into the front tire of the car ahead. It blew out instantly. The car spun, veering sharply to the right. The second car tried to swerve, but it was too late. They collided. A violent crash of metal and glass erupted in front of us and shattered pieces exploded into the air. My heart stopped. There was no way through. I didn’t even have time to scream before Nico reached across, grabbing the wheel. We swerved.

The world tilted. Tires screeched. The SUV skidded hard, the force throwing me against the seat, pain snapping through my shoulder and then—

A sickening jolt.

The car slammed against the guardrail. The impact whiplashed me forward. The seatbelt yanked me back just as my forehead clipped the steering wheel. Pain exploded across my skull. I gasped, disoriented, head pounding. For a moment, the world blurred but then I heard it.

The heavy thud of a door slamming open.

Nico.

I forced my head up, blinking through the haze. He was already out of the car, moving like a phantom, gun raised. More gunfire erupted. A figure emerged from one of the wrecked cars, weapon drawn, ready to shoot him. I think my heart was about to explode and the pain in my head wasn’t helping.

BANG.

Nico shot first. The man crumpled. Another movement from the second car. More enemies. I tried to move, tried to do something, but my body felt sluggish, my head still spinning from the impact. Another shot rang out. But it wasn’t Nico’s.

A new sound. The screech of tires. Engines roaring. And then out of nowhere a flurry of figures stormed the scene. Dark suits. Familiar faces.

Reinforcements.

A sleek black Maserati came to a hard stop, doors flying open. In my panicked vision I saw Caelian climb out. Backed by his little army of men. The moment I saw him, the tension in my body nearly collapsed. His gun was already drawn, his face sharp with fury as he barked orders in rapid Italian. Nico barely spared him a glance before taking out another approaching enemy with a single shot. Caelian reached his side in seconds.

“Fanculo, capo!” he hissed. “You’re bleeding.” I blinked hazily, my vision still tilting—Nico was bleeding? I tried to focus, to find the injury, but my head was spinning too much.

“We’re all bleeding,” Nico muttered darkly. His eyes flicked toward me, his expression tightening.

“Get her out of here,” his voice was urgent, even panicked. Caelian’s gaze snapped to me. His lips parted, like he was about to argue but then his expression shifted. I must have looked as bad as I felt. Without another word, he moved. A strong hand gripped my arm, steady but firm.

“Gianna.” His voice was softer now, but still urgent. “Can you stand?” I tried and somehow managed, wobbling on my feet though.

“Got you,” Caelian murmured. “We’ve got you.” Somewhere in the distance, I heard more gunfire. More shouting. But the moment my body slumped against the warmth of his arms, my vision blurred again—

And the world faded to black.