My lungs seized. I dropped hard to the floor, coughing so violently it felt like my ribs would split open. The world spun—fire, shadow, choking darkness folding in on itself.
The last thing I saw before everything blurred was the ceiling igniting, flames crawling across it like something sentient.
“Avery!”
A voice tore through the smoke.
“Don, it’s not safe!” someone shouted. “The soldiers are coming—you can’t go in there!”
“Get out of my way!” Zachary roared. “She’s still inside!”
I tried to open my eyes.
Was it real? Or just my mind breaking under smoke and terror? Had he really said my name? Had he actually come for me?
“Z-Zachary…” Nina sobbed weakly. “I’m here too. Please. Save me. Save our child.”
For one treacherous heartbeat, hope flared.
Stupid. Fragile. Deadly.
I wanted to believe—just for a second—that he’d run into fire for me. That I still mattered enough to be chosen.
Then the truth crashed down hard.
He didn’t come because of me.
He came because eyes were watching. Because word would spread through the famiglia. Because the press would feast on it. Because a Don couldn’t afford to look like a coward who abandoned women to flames.
And the moment Nina called out?