Quit the Mafia Crown, Took the Healer Scalpel Chapter 17

Quit the Mafia Crown, Took the Healer Scalpel Chapter 17

Late at night in Zurich, Dante sat in his apartment, the computer screen glowing.

Email sent.

The three hundred and sixty-seventh one.

Lina never replied, but he emailed daily anyway: his meals, his meetings, Zurich’s rain, the red maples. Like a

chatty old man.

His phone rang.

Liam’s voice was urgent, low. “Station surrounded. Comms down three days. Last signal in the border mountains; at least two hundred men.”

Dante stood up abruptly.

“Send me the coordinates.”

“I’m already contacting private security,” Liam said. “Matteo is mobilizing his people. We take off in three

hours.”

Dante hung up, booked a flight, packed. Moving so fast he couldn’t even see his own hands.

Three hours later, three helicopters took off from different directions, heading for the same coordinates.

In the war-torn mountains, the medical station had held out for four days.

Lina crouched in a corner, bandaging the last wounded man. Medicine and bandages were gone; she’d torn up her last clean piece of clothing.

Outside, gunfire suddenly grew dense.

Someone was shouting, but she couldn’t understand. The wounded man suddenly opened his eyes wide and pointed at the door.

Lina turned around.

The door was kicked open, and a man covered in blood rushed in.

He wore body armor, grime on his face, sweat-plastered hair. Seeing her, he froze a second, then rushed over and hugged her.

“Dante?” Lina was stunned. “How did you-”

“I told you I’d protect you.” His voice was hoarse, and he held her so tightly she could hardly breathe.

The gunfire outside grew heavier.

Liam’s voice came through the radio. “Pull out now! There are too many of them!”

Dante released her and pulled her out.

Outside the station, Matteo was holding a gun at the door. When he saw her, his eyes lit up. “Lina!”

Liam stood by the armored vehicle, waving at them. “Get in!”

Lina was pushed in; Dante jumped after her. Before the door closed, a stray bullet flew.

Dante spun around and pressed her down beneath him.

The bullet tore through his back.

Lina felt his body jerk, then warm liquid dripping onto her face.

“Dante?”

He didn’t move.

“Dante!”

She pushed him off and saw blood flooding his chest. She pressed her hands to it, but it ran through her

fingers.

“Dante! Dante, hold on!”

Her voice and hands shook. She’d treated countless wounds, but now she could do nothing.

Dante lay in her arms and raised a hand with difficulty to wipe the tears from her face.

“Lina…” His voice was faint, as if afraid to scare her. “Is paying with my life enough?”

Lina shook her head desperately. “No! Get up! Get up! I still hate you!”

Dante smiled.

Somewhere far away, fireworks were going off.

Maybe a village was celebrating something. Colorful lights burst on the horizon, illuminating his pale face.

He looked at the fireworks, his gaze drifting.

“In the next life…” he said, ” will love only you..”

Lina held him tears falling on his face

Dame Dame, don’t sleep!

He said nothing more.

in the distance, firework after firework burst open, like the grand display over New York all those years ago.

Back then, he held her and said he would love only her for the rest of his life.

She believed him then.

Later Dame broke his promise.

Now he promised again, and she didn’t want to believe him, but he’d never get to break it.