Chapter 31: War’s Shadow (Nico Valenti POV)

I’m in the safehouse basement, the air damp and heavy, handing Luca a 9mm pistol, its grip worn but solid. My hand steadies his, guiding his aim at a makeshift target, cans stacked on a crate against the concrete wall. “Breathe out, squeeze slow,” I say, my thumb on my cross keychain in my pocket...