Total pages in book: 80
Estimated words: 78511 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 393(@200wpm)___ 314(@250wpm)___ 262(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 78511 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 393(@200wpm)___ 314(@250wpm)___ 262(@300wpm)
On guard, I peek through the open spaces between the wagons, and seeing a flash of black, I quickly pull back and gesture for everyone to stop walking.
I turn my head to Caruso, and with barely veiled hate, I mutter, “To our left.”
He nods. “On your signal.”
I’m surprised he’s giving me the lead, but then again, it’s probably because he doesn’t want me walking behind him.
I take a deep breath and slowly inch forward. There’s no sign of the person I saw a few seconds ago, so I take the chance and dart through the opening.
“I’m going around the other side,” Alek informs me.
He takes three men, and I watch as they split off to the left while I head to the right.
At another opening between two wagons, I see a man guarding a container.
Bingo.
I show for Caruso and the other men to wait, then crouching, I slowly creep closer.
I should’ve grabbed a silencer. Shit’s going to go down fast once I pull the trigger.
When I step over the coupler between the carriages, the man’s eyes snap in my direction, and I pull the trigger. A spray of bullets hits him, and his body rattles before he drops down to the gravel.
Darting forward, I run, and launching myself into the air, I jump onto the container and assess the situation at the speed of light.
Aurora hangs from chains. Kazuo is pointing a gun at her. There are two fuckers in my way.
It’s only a split-second as I take in everything before bullets fly.
I hear men behind me, but I focus on the fuckers in front of me as I take them out.
Kazuo chuckles. “You’re a little early.”
“Sorry I ruined your party. My invitation must’ve gotten lost in the mail,” I growl.
My eyes flick between the fucker and Aurora.
Christ, they’ve tortured her.
But she’s alive.
Her lips are parted as she stares at me, her features drawn tight from pain and shock.
Caruso better not shoot me in the back.
Lowering my submachine gun, I drop it to the floor. “How do you want to do this?”
Kazuo’s eyes dart between Caruso and me. “And here I thought you’d take the opportunity to kill each other.” He shrugs. “It’s a pity my plan didn’t work. Yet.”
Suddenly Aurora kicks in Kazuo’s direction, and it draws his attention back to her. I rip the gun from where it’s tucked behind my back and take the shot.
I keep firing, riddling Kazuo with every bullet in my clip.
Quickly I drop the empty weapon, and spinning around, I pull the Heckler & Koch from the waistband of my pants and aim at Caruso.
“No!” Aurora cries. Sobs wrack through her. “Don’t shoot. Please. You might as well kill me then.”
I only realize she’s talking to her father when she says, “I love him, Father. If you kill him, you lose me.”
“Shut up!” Caruso shouts at his daughter. “The men are speaking.”
What. The. Everloving. Fuck.
“You don’t speak to my woman that way?” I snap, anger brimming in my words.
I keep the gun trained on Caruso as I edge closer to Aurora.
“Free her from the restraints,” I order the guards who are with me.
Caruso and I are stuck in a stare-off until I say, “You have two options. Either you yield to the bratva, or you die today.”
I hear a commotion outside, then I’m surprised as fuck to see Instructor Nikolai and Director Koslov as they appear in the doorway with their guns trained on Emilio Sartori.
“I’m here on behalf of my cousin,” Nikolai says. “You’re outnumbered. Let’s end this war, D’Angelo.”
I tilt my head, and shaking it, I lock eyes with Caruso. “What’s it going to be?”
Aurora drops to the floor, then I feel her grab hold of my leg. Having her cower on the ground rips through my heart, and I place my left hand against the side of her head, pressing her face to my knee.
“Aurora’s mine,” I mutter. “Think of your family, Caruso. Stubbornness and pride will tear you all apart.”
Caruso glances over his shoulder at Emilio, and they have a wordless conversation before Emilio nods.
Aurora’s father turns his attention back to me, then he shakes his head. “I call for a twenty-four-hour truce.”
“Viktor isn’t a patient man,” I say. “Make your decision now.”
Aurora leans against me as she climbs to her feet, and when she tries to move in front of me, I yank her back, growling, “Stay out of this.”
“Father,” she begs. “Please. Don’t make me watch you die.”
A tense minute follows before Caruso says, “What are the terms?”
Nikolai steps forward. “Fifteen percent of your profits, and you swear allegiance to the bratva.”
Caruso shakes his head, and angry, he spits on the floor.
My finger tightens on the trigger. “You’ll still live a life of luxury. Don’t give it all up because you’re fucking stubborn.”
When he still doesn’t give his answer, I add, “You’re up against the bratva and Italian mafia. You knew it was only a matter of time before it came to this.”