22. Chapter Twenty-One
Chapter Twenty-One
Giana
“ G iana.” Kellan’s tone was laced with worry as he followed me up the stairs. I was sure he wasn’t the only one, judging by the stampede of footsteps racing up the stairs, but I didn’t care, not when I had a plan to figure out.
Sophia was gone. Tommaso had taken her. And now it was up to me to keep her from getting killed in the crossfire.
“Where are you going, sugar?” Spade asked as I reached the top of the stairs and raced toward my room.
I honestly had no idea, but I had to do something. I had to come up with a plan. I had to save Sophia.
“Little devil,” Merrick growled, but I ignored him. I ignored all of them.
I knew they were going to talk me out of this, but I had to go alone. I had to do this on my own.
I pushed the bedroom door open and rushed to the closet, grabbing a bag from the corner.
“You’re out of your mind if you really think we’re going to let you go by yourself.” Merrick grabbed the bag and chucked it back into the closet.
“Let me?” I scoffed, attempting to storm past him, but he stood in front of the closet door, his massive body not allowing any room to get past him. “It’s my choice to make.”
“Just like the one you made six years ago?” Merrick growled, sending a wave of shock through me.
“This is different.” I crossed my arms over my chest, my glare narrowing on him as pain sliced through my chest.
“How exactly is that?” Kellan asked as he stood on Merrick’s other side. Clearly, he wasn’t going to back me up. “You gave yourself up to save us, and now you’re doing the same thing for Sophia.”
“I’m not giving myself up,” I snarled, disgust twisting my stomach. “I would never—could never—do that again. I’d sooner die than let myself go back to that life.”
“What do you think is going to happen if you go there by yourself?” Spade slid beside Kellan, cocking a knowing eyebrow.
Not him too.
“I’m going to kill him.” The words were filled with a dark promise.
“Do you really think he’s going to be by himself?” Merrick grumbled.
My lips parted, but the words died on my tongue. Had I thought about that? What would I do if I got there, and he had an army of guards ready to restrain me? Did I really think he would just let Sophia go? And what would happen to me, or my guys, if Tommaso managed to hold me there? Because I knew that, even if I managed to sneak off by myself, they would risk themselves yet again to get me back.
“No.” I sighed, scrubbing a hand over my face, only for specks of dried blood to come off on my palms.
How had tonight turned into this?
“Do you trust us?” Kellan’s voice brought my gaze back to them.
I tilted my head, the question taking me aback for a moment.
I scanned their faces. Kellan, with the beautiful artist’s soul, who could be just as brutal as he was sweet, his sable eyes boring into mine, begging me to see reason. He always gave so much of himself without asking for anything in return, and I wanted to wipe that worry away more than anything, not add to it. Merrick’s hazel eyes were hard and unyielding, my warrior ready to forge into battle with me by his side. His hard exterior was what most of the world got to see, but I was one of the few who witnessed the caring soul with the heart of gold underneath. He would follow me anywhere, had entered into this life of crime and violence for me. And Spade, his violet eyes sparkling like stars in the night sky. He had endured so much, yet he never let it consume him. He delighted in the violence the same as I did, yet knew there were lines that he wouldn’t cross.
Of course, I trusted them. But I knew what Kellan was getting at. I should trust them in this too.
“Yes.” I nodded, my shoulders slumping as some of the tension drained from my body.
I wasn’t alone anymore. It wasn’t me against Tommaso. These three men were by my side through thick and thin, and I had to put my trust in them.
“Then, let us help.” Merrick’s tone was softer than usual, not a demand, but a plea for me to let them in, just as they had been the last few weeks.
I closed my eyes and let loose a shuddering breath, shedding the last of the shackles from my time with Tommaso that had made me feel trapped and alone, that had forced me to only rely on myself.
“Okay. Let’s do this.”
The three of them moved at once, as though that had been just what they were waiting for. They surrounded me, cocooning me in their masculine scents as their arms wrapped around me.
My chest racked with a sob, tears prickling at the corners of my eyes. I let them hold me up as the stubborn strength rooting me to my spot seeped away. I could let them see past the facade, to the woman beneath who was barely holding on. “It’s all my fault.”
“It’s not,” Kellan murmured, pressing his lips to the top of my head.
“It’s Tommaso’s fault. He did this, not you or anyone else.” Merrick’s stern voice helped ease some of the guilt clawing at my chest, threatening to tear me apart.
I could play the blame game all night, run all the possibilities through my mind until I went mad, but at the end of the day, I couldn’t control anyone else’s actions. Tonight was the perfect storm of fucked-up events, but at the center of it all was Tommaso. He was the hurricane, relentlessly trying to tear our lives to shreds, and I couldn’t let him win.
“We have a plan, sugar, but we’ll need your expertise to make it work.” Spade’s soft fingers brushed over my cheek to tuck my hair behind my ear.
A plan?
A plan gave me hope, gave me direction, gave me somewhere to direct the anxious energy thrumming through my veins.
I pulled away from them, my gaze hardening to steel as I let the strength and determination they had helped me find wash over me.
“Let’s kill this asshole once and for all.”