Chapter 5 THE REVEAL.

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CHAPTER 5

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MAVE'S POV

After hours of her pacing, ranting, and flipping the entire living room upside down, I knew I couldn't keep lying.

Not anymore.

Especially now that Dern has been found. If they know where we are, more are coming. For her.

"Eat breakfast," I said, firm but exhausted. "Then I'll explain everything."

She glared at me, then-like a magician pulling a rabbit from a hat-she yanked out my pistol from the exact hiding spot I'd used.

Damn. Should've hidden it better.

"How long have you had this? What do you even do with this? How many more are there? Why the hell do you-how many people have you killed besides yesterday? Why wou-wou-"

"Whoa! Who knew she could ask so many damn questions in one breath," I cut in, sarcastically. She was interrogating me like I was on trial, and honestly-she wasn't far off.

"I'll tell you everything. After breakfast. Got it?"

"Got you? GET you?" she snapped, voice rising an octave.

"Please, Jedi," I said with my most dramatic puppy eyes. Normally she'd fold. Today... she didn't. Not easily.

I nudged her. Pleaded. Teased. She eventually sat down with a hiss and an eye-roll, still radiating pure fury. But at least she ate.

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"Pack your bags. We're leaving. Genoa."

She froze mid-chew and shot me a look like I'd just told her her cat died.

A second later-yep, there it was-rage.

"You've got to be kidding me!" she snapped, standing up with her fork like a weapon. "Just a few days ago, I asked to go back to Genoa-to visit my mom, remember that? You said no. You even scolded me. And now suddenly it's your grand idea?"

She stepped closer. The fork gleamed.

"No F-words in my kitchen, lil missy," I warned, backing up a step. "Just do what I say."

She rolled her eyes so hard I thought they'd get stuck. "This is about what you said earlier, isn't it? About them... finding me?" Her tone sharpened. "What the hell do they want from me, Mave?"

I didn't answer. I couldn't.

Not yet.

There's too much she doesn't know. And she shouldn't hear it from me-not all of it.

Instead, I walked to the stairs, tapping a specific tile with my foot. A loud click echoed through the hall as a secret compartment opened, revealing grenades and combat knives.

Her jaw hit the floor.

I grinned and gently closed her mouth. "You always said I was full of surprises."

Next, I flipped over her favorite living room painting. The wall clicked again-and a larger door swung open, revealing the hidden room behind it.

She stepped in, silent now. Eyes wide.

The room was stocked with weapons-knives, daggers, handguns, sniper rifles-organized with deadly precision. A wall of monitors blinked with real-time footage from every corner of the house.

"MAVERICK!!"

My ears rang from her scream.

Her fists clenched. I could practically feel the slap coming. Instead, she marched in, silent now, scanning the surveillance footage, connecting the dots.

I didn't have to say it. She knew.

I'd been watching her.

Every move.

She turned toward the gun rack. Her fingers brushed a polished dagger. She lifted it slowly.

"Whoa, whoa, easy-put that down," I said, inching forward.

Not because I was scared. Okay-maybe a little scared.

But mostly I was worried she might hurt herself. Or me.

That blade in Jedi's hands was more dangerous than any assassin on my trail.

"I don't even know what to say," she muttered. Her expression cracked. Not anger now. Just... confusion.

Hurt.

She hated being in the dark. Hated being vulnerable.

"I can explain, it's just-"

My phone rang.

I stepped away to take the call. The voice on the other end dropped a bomb into my lungs.

"They found you."

"We need to move-NOW!" I yelled.

I grabbed her arm.

She pulled back. "Wait-what's happening?! Mave! TALK TO ME!"

No time. No explanations.

She fought me, kicking and screaming.

If she didn't stop, we'd both be dead.

So I did what I had to do. I pulled the tranquilizer dart from my belt and shot it into her shoulder.

"Ou...chh... M...Mave..." she whispered, eyes glassy.

She collapsed into my arms before she could finish my name.

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There was no time to pack much.

I gathered our essentials-my weapons, our IDs, what little evidence I had left on Ndrangheta, and whatever pieces of Jedi's life I could grab.

I knew they'd try to ransack the house, steal data, burn it down if they had to.

So I beat them to it.

Francisco texted: "Here."

I carried Jedi to the backseat of the car. She was safe. Sleeping. Unaware.

I loaded the trunk. Weapons. Files. Us.

Then I lit the house.

And watched it burn.

Seven years of memories turned to smoke. This was our home. The only one we ever knew.

But now, it was a target. And home... wasn't safe anymore.

I slid into the car, clenched my jaw, and drove away without looking back.

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