Total pages in book: 106
Estimated words: 108119 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 541(@200wpm)___ 432(@250wpm)___ 360(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 108119 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 541(@200wpm)___ 432(@250wpm)___ 360(@300wpm)
“IS IT ENOUGH BLOOD!” I spat.
“Don’t do this,” Alice whispered, her words were laced with pain, “Andrei, don’t, please… please!”
I squeezed my eyes shut. “Capo.” I opened them and locked eyes with Tex. “Is it enough blood?”
Tex didn’t answer right away.
Dante and Nixon pulled out their guns like they were going to shoot me in order to stop me.
“It’s going to happen anyway,” I confessed to no one in particular. “It’s been happening every birthday, I point the gun right about here.” I rubbed it against my temple and laughed bitterly. “And I pull the trigger. It never goes off, but it will now. I know it will now, because for the first time in my pathetic life, I have someone, something I want to live for. Poetic, that I would die for her instead.”
I let out a roar and pulled the trigger just as searing pain hit me in the thigh. My gun went off, I felt a sting across my right shoulder as I fell to the ground.
Suddenly Alice was by my side, our blood creating a river of sin between us.
“Andrei!” Her tears streaked down her face, landing on my chest. With a groan, I got to my feet and charged toward Chase.
“Son of a bitch.” Chase shoved me away. I was losing blood fast. “You’re welcome for not letting you kill yourself!”
“You. Can’t. Have. Her!” I charged him again, landing a few blows to his jaw before strong arms pulled me off him.
Blood poured from his nose. “I motion for Andrei to take her punishment. If he lives through the night,” He eyed Nikolai. “Without assistance from Doctor Death over there… then he can have her.”
“I second.” Dante raised his hand.
“Third.” Nixon nodded.
Slowly, the entire room agreed.
I hung my head as the room spun.
Chase looked down at the blood on the cement. “It was never about enough blood being spilled, Andrei. It’s about being willing to spill it all for someone you love. She’s willing to die for you, and you nearly died trying to save her. I think, after tonight, you’ll understand.”
“Besides…” Phoenix finally spoke up. Ah good, he was the one holding me in place. That’s why my body hurt; he didn’t have to stretch my arms behind my back so hard. “Chase really doesn’t have a leg to stand on since he’s with Luc.”
“Fuck you.” Chase shook his head.
“I call an official commission,” Tex piped up. “Andrei better live, because the Sinacores are in this now. It’s not just De Lange blood that has been spilled.”
Louis moved to my side and then he pressed his hand to my bloody shoulder. “It is said that a drop of blood from a Sinacore was enough good luck to last you a lifetime.”
I shuddered as more blood exited my body. “I’m shocked it didn’t work.”
Louis smiled. “On the contrary. You tried to shoot yourself for how many years? And the bullet never pierced skin. I would say it worked quite well.” He sighed. “We’ll talk later.”
I met Alice’s tear-filled gaze.
She took a step toward me.
Chase held her back.
Still murdering him later.
I winced. It felt like the bullet in my thigh had met bone.
“Lock him in here,” Tex barked and then glanced over at Alice. “No visitors.”
She gave him one nod and then both Nixon and Chase were taking her away from me.
It wasn’t until she was out of the room that I noticed Tex, Phoenix, Sergio, and Dante had stayed.
“Shit,” I muttered.
“You lied to the family,” Tex said plainly. “So, each of us will deal you with a death blow. It might be best to just let me go first so you pass out.”
“Where’s the fun in hitting a limp body?” Dante cracked his knuckles.
I snorted. “Been waiting to hit me where I don’t hit you back, hmm?”
“Been waiting at least a year to knock your teeth out.” Dante grinned. “Then maybe after that, we can be friends.”
“Cool, I’ll put you down for hair braiding at four,” Tex mocked.
Phoenix stepped up first. “I’m glad you did the right thing.”
“Yes, that’s exactly what I’m thinking right now as you pull out a dagger that looks like it has souls still attached to it.”
He winked and then stabbed it directly into my other thigh. “I think I hit bone.”
I wheezed out a curse. “Yup.”
Phoenix jerked it free as I tumbled to the ground just in time to look up and see Tex looming over me.
His fist connected with my jaw.
Something cracked in my mouth.
I spit out a bloody tooth and moaned.
Sergio was next.
He pulled me to my feet and then managed to dislocate my left arm as it dangled at my side.
And finally, Dante.
We had bad blood between us.
We hadn’t discussed it.
There was no need for apologies then.
No need for apologies now.
“You gonna chop of my dick?”
He grinned. “Not when you just learned how to use it, that’s not playing fair.”