Red Card to Your Heart: You Don't Deserve My Love Extra Time novel Chapter 34

The silence outside was suddenly broken by approaching footsteps. Two of Salvatore's most trusted lieutenants burst through the cabin door, their expressions grim.

Salvatore commanded an army of formidable men, but they were running out of options.

The lieutenants glanced at me with thinly veiled resentment before turning to their boss, eyes glistening with unusual emotion. "The police perimeter is impenetrable," one reported hoarsely. "We've lost most of our men. They had inside information—knew every escape route, every safe house."

As they spoke, I heard the distant but unmistakable sound of police tactical teams approaching our position.

"We'll hold them off," the second man said, his loyalty unwavering even in the face of certain defeat. "You need to go now, Don Ricci."

No. This couldn't happen. Dusk was falling, and with darkness came Salvatore's advantage. If he escaped tonight, he would disappear so completely that law enforcement would never find him again. Five years of my life—wasted.

My hand moved beneath the voluminous wedding dress, reaching for the knife strapped to my thigh—my insurance policy, my true wedding gift to Salvatore Ricci.

He had turned away to remove his jacket, intending to drape it over my shoulders to keep me warm.

I withdrew the blade and drove it deep into his abdomen with a swift, decisive thrust.

During all my years at Salvatore's side, he had carefully shielded me from the violence that defined his world. My hands had remained clean while his were stained with the blood of countless victims. Now, Salvatore Ricci would be my first kill.

He stared down at the blade protruding from his stomach, blood rapidly spreading across his white shirt. His brow furrowed not in rage but in confusion. When he looked up, an unexpected smile crossed his face.

"Why?" he asked simply.

He didn't call for help. Didn't draw his gun to end my life. He merely placed his hand gently over mine, still gripping the knife, and repeated his question through gritted teeth: "Isabella... why?"

Tears spilled down my cheeks as years of carefully contained hatred finally erupted. "Remember Daniel Reed?" I demanded.

"You killed the man I loved. You murdered him and now you dare ask me why?"

I expected to see his face contort with rage—to witness the famous Ricci temper explode at the realization of my betrayal. I wanted to see him broken by the knowledge that he had been outplayed.

Instead, he coughed blood onto his shirt and smiled at me—a genuine smile that reached his eyes.

He raised his hand to my cheek, his touch feather-light. "My own fault," he whispered. "So many women tried to get close to me, and I saw through them all. But you..." He shook his head slightly. "From the moment I saw you, I lost all reason."

"Those Interpol agents finally did something smart. Male operatives never stood a chance—I spotted every undercover agent they planted. But you, Isabella... you blindsided me completely."

His head slowly dropped to rest against my shoulder, his breathing becoming labored. "I'm cold," he murmured. "Don't push me away... please?"

"Isabella," he whispered, my real name soft on his lips. "Could you... hold me? Just once, without pretense?"

My expression hardened as I pulled the knife free, only to drive it again directly into his heart.