Jake hardly had a chance to regain his breath when he heard it footsteps. Slow and deliberate, the way someone savoring the last moment before death might stroll in. He turned toward the figure at the far end of the room; the flickering light made barely visible outlines out of it, but he saw it was tall, face invisible under the worn brim of a hat one didn't exactly get from the bargain bin.The air in the room shifted again, thick with danger. Jake's instincts screamed at him to run, but his feet felt frozen to the floor. There was no escape. Not this time.
The figure stepped forward, their boots echoing with each measured step. Then, a voice low, guttural cut through the silence like a knife.
"You really think you can just walk out of here after all this, kid?"
Jake's heart pounded in his chest as he sized up the newcomer.
The man's face remained hidden in the shadows, but his presence was undeniable. Every mafia member in the room lay dead or writhing in pain, yet this one stood unfazed, like it was all part of the plan."Who the hell are you?" Jake spat, trying to sound confident.
His voice was a little shakier than he'd like, but the blood and sweat on his skin made him feel alive in a way he never had before.The man smirked, stepping into the light, revealing a scarred face that seemed to show more violence than any one human ever should.
His eyes gleamed with twisted amusement. "I'm the one who's going to kill you," he said simply."Right," Jake muttered, his stomach churning. "Like I haven't heard that one before."
The man laughed darkly, the noise jarring in the stillness of the blood-soaked room. He uncoiled a knife from his belt long, serrated, shining under the low light and spun it in his hand. "I don't say much. I'm a man of action. And trust me, I'm really good at it."
Jake felt his tension snap. He was not going to take this guy lightly.
In Renzo's body, he had the strength and reflexes that he did not enjoy before, but he was still a kid. Just a kid who had found himself in the middle of a goddamn mafia bloodbath.The man lunged, fast and deadly, but Jake was quicker.
He ducked, just in time for the knife to slice through the air where his neck had been a second ago. He could feel the whoosh of the blade as it narrowly missed, sending a rush of adrenaline through his veins."Nice try," Jake sneered, feeling his heart race.
But before he could move, the man turned on his heel and came down with the knife in lethal precision. The blade sliced across Jake's shoulder, and a sickening spray of blood splattered across the floor.
Jake screamed, a sharp, raw sound that tore through the chaos. The pain was immediate and sharp, but it only made him more desperate.
He grabbed the first thing he could one of the fallen mafia members' guns and fired, the loud crack of the gunshot ringing in his ears.The man grunted, the bullet hitting him in the chest. Blood sprayed out, but he didn't fall. Instead, he just grinned wider, like it was all part of some sick game.
"You'll have to do better than that, kid."Jake's heart pounded in his chest, and he fell backward, blinded.
The gash on his shoulder was deep, but he could still move barely. His mind was racing, and the man was approaching him, his footsteps slow, taunting."This is a game?" Jake snarled, clenching his fists.
He was no fighter, but he couldn't let this guy take him down. Not now. Not after everything he had survived.The man took another step forward, raising his knife.
"This is no game, kid. This is life. And you're about to lose."Jake's pulse thundered in his ears as the figure lunged again. But this time, Jake wasn't going to wait. With all the strength he could muster, he swung the gun toward the man's face and pulled the trigger.
The bullet missed by a fraction, but the recoil from the gun was enough to make the man's aim go astray. The knife missed his throat by inches, grazing him as he dodged sideways. His back hit a pillar, and pain shot down his spine, but he gritted his teeth and pushed on.
With a surge of panic-driven strength, Jake kicked out at the man's knee, sending him crashing to the ground.
But before he could take advantage of the opportunity, the man was up again faster, angrier."You're a goddamn nuisance," the man snarled, wiping blood from his face.
His eyes were wild with rage, but there was something twisted in them, too: a sense of pleasure. He was enjoying this. He was savoring the chase.Jake's breath came in ragged gasps as he scoured the room for something anything that could help him.
His eyes settled on a steel pipe, tossed aside near the body of one of Renzo's men. Without thinking, he lunged for it, grabbing the cold metal and swinging it like a battering ram.The man barely had time to react as the pipe connected with his ribs, the sickening thud echoing through the room. He staggered back, gasping, but he didn't fall.
"You really think that's going to stop me?" the man spat, blood running from his mouth.
Jake wasn't listening anymore. He swung the pipe again, this time for the man's skull. The impact sent a sickening crack through the air, and the man collapsed, his body crumpling to the ground like a ragdoll.
But Jake wasn't finished. His body was convulsing from adrenaline, and the anger in him had just reached a boil. He reared back again and struck again and again, the blows more vicious than the last.
The man's body jerked under the onslaught, blood spraying across the floor, until at last, nothing was left but a heap of lifeless flesh and bone.Jake stepped back, panting, his hands shaking as he clutched the pipe drenched in blood. His chest heaved, the adrenaline slowly subsiding, but the weight of what he had just done hit him all at once.
"Holy shit," he whispered, his voice shaking. "I… I killed him."
The realization hung heavy in the air as he stood there, staring down at the bloody mess he had created. But there was no time to dwell on it. Not now.
Suddenly, a loud bang echoed through the mansion, followed by the sound of a door crashing open. Jake spun around, the pipe still in his hand, ready to fight again.
"Jake?" A familiar voice called out, cutting through the chaos. It was Arturo, Renzo's right-hand man. "What the hell happened in here? We've got company!"
Jake's eyes narrowed. The door at the far end of the room creaked open, and a group of armed men poured in, their weapons drawn, their faces masked with determination.
"Renzo Marino," one of them growled, stepping forward. "We have unfinished business."
His heart sunk as he realized they weren't here for the dead mafia members. They were here for him.
In no time, a shot was fired, and the bullet grazed his arm before he crashed to the floor.
The blood ran from his wound, and his vision started to blur. Jake had no other choice but to fight back. However, his chances were pretty slim.
He heard the door slam behind him and the menacing voice echo through the room, "You are not getting out of here alive, Renzo. This is the end.