The Don's Unwanted Bride

CHAPTER 27

Alyssa’s POV

I feel tensed, a kind of feeling I hadn't felt in years, not even the day I officially became a Mafia Princess. Sitting quietly in the backseat of the sleek black SUV, I glanced around nervously. Something wasn’t right.

My instincts kicked in first. I was the first to notice the car following us. It was subtle at first. Same distance, same speed. But every time Donovan switched lanes, the car did too. My eyes narrowed.

“Donovan,” I said, my voice low but firm.

“I see it,” he replied without looking back.

Before I could react further, the trailing car suddenly surged forward and rammed into our rear.

The impact jolted me forward despite the seatbelt, and Donovan cursed loudly, yanking the steering wheel.

“Sh*t!”

“Dammit!” I hissed, bracing myself against the door.

Donovan quickly regained control, speeding up. “Hang on, Princess.”

As a Mafia Princess, I knew exactly what this meant. Trouble. Not random. Not accidental. This was a targeted hit.

“Give me a weapon!” I snapped.

“No!” Donovan barked, speeding around a corner.

“I said give me one, Donovan!”

“I’ve got two men firing back already,” he shouted, ignoring me.

“I don’t care! I need a goddamn gun!”

He ignored me again. I turned to the window and tried to wind it down, ready to break it open if I had to.

“Why can’t I open the door?” I yelled, yanking at the handle.

“I locked it,” Donovan said through gritted teeth. “Hayden will kill me if anything happens to you.”

I glared at him. “I’m not some fragile doll, Donovan. I was trained for this! I can protect myself!”

“You were trained to lead, not jump into bullets,” he shot back.

Another car pulled up beside us, and I saw the barrel of a rifle pointed directly at me.

“Damn it!” I screamed, drawing my elbow back.

I fired straight through the glass with my sidearm, not even flinching as the glass shattered around me. The man outside slumped instantly, a clean shot between the eyes.

Donovan swerved hard to the right to avoid the wreckage of the other car. The force threw me sideways and the glass bit into my elbow.

“Ugh!” I groaned, clutching my arm.

Donovan’s hands tightened around the wheel. “Alyssa?! Are you hit?!”

“I’m fine,” I gasped, even though the sharp pain was making it hard to breathe.

“Don’t scare me like that, dammit!”

Before I could say anything else, there was a thunderous explosion behind us. A flash of orange lit up the rearview mirror. Two of the cars following us exploded into flames.

“What the hell—”

Panic seized my chest. “Donovan, GO!”

The heat from the blast rolled into the car like a wave.

He slammed the brakes near an alleyway and jumped out before throwing open my door.

“I’ve got you—”

Before his hands could reach me, a sharp crack split the air. A bullet hit Donovan straight in the back. His body jerked, and he collapsed forward into my arms.

“Donovan!”

Blood soaked through his suit jacket as I struggled to hold him upright.

“No, no, no—Donovan, stay with me!”

He coughed, trying to smile. “You’re... okay?”

I nodded frantically, tears streaming down my face. “Yes, I’m fine. You will be too. Just hang on!”

His eyes fluttered, and I pressed my hand hard over the wound.

“Don’t you dare die on me,” I whispered fiercely.

Behind us, gunfire continued to erupt, but I couldn’t move. I wouldn’t leave him. I wouldn’t.

“Stay with me, Donovan,” I choked out. “Please…”

His lips parted like he wanted to say something, but only blood came out.

“Help! Somebody help us!” I screamed, barely aware of the chaos behind me as Donovan slipped into unconsciousness.

I screamed.