38
“Whyaren’t they here yet?”
I glanced at my phone, expecting to see a confirmation of arrival text from one of my girls, but the silence was glaring. “Holly, did Gabi confirm with you?”
“She did, but I told them to hang back. Out of sight.”
I nodded and peered across the dark lot and into the abandoned warehouse where they were supposedly holding Gio.
“So what would stop them from picking us off from this position and taking the money?” Kai questioned, his eyes fixed on the blown-out windows and rooftop of the building.
“Took care of that. I offered them half now and the rest through a wire transfer once we have Gio. They extorted another $5 mil from me, but I’d gladly pay whatever it takes to get my brother back.”
Holly stretched out a hand and squeezed mine. “I’m so sorry. I feel like all of this is my fault. I should have done more.” Her mouth quivered with emotion, and I pulled her into a hug.
“There’s nothing more you could have done. You were outgunned and outnumbered. I’m just glad you’re safe.”
She blew out a heavy breath. “Okay, let’s do this.”
Kai took the duffel from me and hooked it on his shoulder, holding my hand as we made our way to an entrance on the side of the building, per our instructions. I jerked a glance across the parking lot one last time, hoping to catch a glimpse or signal from Gabi or one of my other girls. They were our muscle, as we weren’t allowed firearms. But I trusted Holly’s word. She was my right-hand for a reason, and if she said they were here, I knew they were doing exactly as they should—staying out of sight.
Kai didn’t release his hold on me as we moved through a dark hallway, illuminated only by flickering emergency lights. The air was damp and smelled of mold and something that had possibly been alive at one point. The thought filled me with dread, although I knew it couldn’t possibly be Gio, as it had only been a few hours since he’d been taken.
A slight sense of relief washed over me. He was alive; at least, that’s what I prayed for. I’d never forgive myself, especially after everything I said to him, the days since I’d hugged him and seen his smile. I’d been so stupid and wasted so much time letting him stew in his anger and resentment because I thought it was what was best for him. But if anyone knew how fragile life was, it should have been me. I had stared into the faces of dying men more times than anyone should in one lifetime. Maybe this was my karma.
The bill was due.
We took a stairway up to the third-floor landing and through double doors with shattered glass windows.
“Remember what I said,” Kai whispered, squeezing my hand. I said nothing because there was no point in lying. While I’d do everything possible to get Gio out, I’d never leave my husband behind. Part of me regretted not telling him that I loved him because the way my heart aches for him can only be love. I hoped I’d get another chance to make things right.
The closer we got to our destination, the more pungent the smell. It was unmistakable: blood in various stages of decomposition. It was clear this was a spot they frequented and used for ransom, torture and, subsequently, murder.
Kai pushed open the door and placed himself in front of me and between the two men on the far side of the room. They were very similar in appearance, almost as if they were related—all about the same height and build, with dark facial hair. I swept the room, and panic set in when I didn’t see my brother.
“Where is he?”
The man on the right chuckled, making me want to put holes in his face.
“Easy. Let’s see the cash first. And maybe I’ll bring that little bitch up here.”
“Maybe? Fuck that, we had a deal.”
The other man joined in on the laughter. “You got quite the mouth on you, don’t you?” he added with a leering smirk. “I’d like to teach you how—”
“Careful. You disrespect my wife, I take your tongue.”
More laughter filled the dimly lit space, echoing off the walls. “You know what, since I’m in a good mood because we’re getting paid today, I’m gonna let that slide. But one more threat out of you, and we’ll see who starts losing body parts.”
“Where is he?” I questioned again.
One man signaled to the other, ushering him forward. He stepped off the stage and beckoned Holly toward him.
“No,” I protested, gripping her arm.
“We need to make sure you’re not armed. So you either come here or strip. Your choice—or I can make it mine.”
Holly widened her eyes, pleading with me to comply. My glare shifted back to the men, and I took a deep breath and clenched my teeth as I lifted my shirt and tossed it to the floor before shedding my shoes and pants. I’d never wanted to kill anyone more. My hands buzzed for it.
Kai’s breaths were hard and fast, fists clenched at his sides. He hated that I had to strip bare in front of these sons of bitches, but I knew he’d prefer that over the groping they would have done.
“What are you waiting for, pretty boy? Take it off.”
I looked up at my husband as he slowly shed his clothing. His eyes were trained on the boldest of the two men, and he stared back with a cunning smile and a wink.
Holly lowered her head and walked forward, allowing the vile man to pat her down and whisper something into her ear. She shuddered, and her eyes found mine as his hands lingered a little too long, moving roughly over parts of her body. She closed her eyes, and I caught the tremble in her lip.
“That’s enough.” My voice was sharp, causing him to snap his head up and smirk as he forcefully shoved Holly back toward us.
The room grew quiet, making me hyperaware of a glaring detail: We were alone. I felt a hollowing in the pit of my stomach.
No one was coming.
Before I could dwell on that nightmarish reality, soft whines suddenly filled the room, and a third man stepped onto the stage, dragging my brother with him. Out of instinct, I lunged forward, but Kai caught my wrist.
“Easy, baby.”
I tried to control my breathing.
Gio was limp. He had swollen eyes and duct tape across his mouth. The bearded man slapped him twice, forcing him to come to and, again, Kai had to hold me back.
“They’re dead,” I gritted out.
“Agreed.”
Gio startled awake, thrashing his body but unable to move as he was bound at the wrists and ankles.
“Gio!”
He froze at my voice and shook his head frantically the moment he saw us. Muffled cries filled the room as he thrashed harder, attempting to reach us in vain.
“Let him go. I have your money. Please.”
But Gio wouldn’t let up. He was desperate, like he was trying to tell me something.
“What was that?” the man teased, straightening him with a harsh tug. “I can’t quite hear you.”
He ripped off the tape…
“Amalia! No! She…she did it!”
The words he shouted didn’t make sense… And then I felt it, hard steel pressed to my temple.
“Surprise, babe.” Holly chuckled and stepped back, putting enough distance between us where she felt comfortable that I wouldn’t disarm her.
I never knew what an ice bucket felt like, but I was pretty sure the chill racing through my body in painful waves was reality knocking me hard on my ass and blindsiding me in a way that I would have never seen coming.
Holly. My best friend. My sister. Had a gun pointed at my head.
“You goddamn bitch.” Kai took a step toward us, but she steadied her aim.
“If you think you can reach me before I put a bullet in that beautiful face of hers, I invite you to try.”
“I’m going to kill you,” he threatened, cracking his neck as he stared her down.
Holly scoffed. “I’m sure you are.”
“Holly…why?” My voice cracked, and I swallowed hard as feelings of nausea churned in my stomach.
“Oh, fuck. Here we go with the twenty-one questions. Why are you doing this? I thought we were sisters. Please, let us go. Blah, blah, blah.” Her tone was taunting as she paced back and forth, enjoying every second of this reveal—of her betrayal.
That was the moment that hit me hardest. It had been her this whole time—the highway, the meeting, the ambush…my wedding.
Not Rocco.
Gabi and my girls weren’t coming.
“I can see the light bulbs in your head going off like fucking Christmas lights. It’s hilarious.”
“What’s wrong with you? Why would you do this? After everything.”
“You’re so far up your ass that you can’t see anything beyond what you want to see. La reina,” she seethed, rolling her eyes. “I’ve hated you my whole fucking life. But I had to pretend because my mother shoved you down my throat. And, of course, the man I loved only had eyes for you, as that story always goes. Most importantly, in case you haven’t noticed, I’m just a damn psychopath who tortures men for a living. Did you expect any less? It’s that simple. I hate you. I have no emotions beyond that.”
“You sorry bitch. You’re too much of a pussy to confront me, so you orchestrate all of this.”
She shrugged and exaggerated a sigh. “I could have killed you so many times, but that would have been too easy, so I killed Tony instead.”
Blood rushed to my feet, and I reared back as if she’d sucker-punched me.
“No,” I whispered.
“Yes.”
Kai wrapped his arms around me, preventing me from lunging toward her. “I’m going to kill you.”
“Sure, babe. Like you killed Rocco?” She raised the gun toward Kai. “You know that saying, an eye for an eye?”
“No! Don’t you fucking do it.”
Holly’s eyes narrowed, her grin malicious as she winked. “Okay.”
The gun swung around and pressed to the side of my brother’s head, and for a split second, our eyes locked, and so many words and emotions passed between us, but it was gone in the next thunderous beat of my heart.
Pop.
Blood sprayed, and he collapsed.
There are moments in life that flash before our eyes and others that slow and play out like the reel of a movie. This was one of those moments. The movie went silent until there were just echoes. Every movement was agonizing. My voice seemed to remain locked inside my throat, the scream clawing its way out but just out of my reach.
My ears were still ringing long after the world crumbled. Gio’s lifeless eyes were fixed beyond me as he lay in a pool of his own blood. There was no bringing him back. I knew that. He was gone. Everything he was. Gone forever.
Rage.
I lifted my teary gaze toward Holly, mouth gaping open. No matter how hard I tried, I couldn’t fill my lungs with air.
“Oops,” she teased.
I made a split-second decision before Kai could stop me, and Holly could see it coming. I pushed off my feet and lunged for her, determined to tear her apart. Her eyes widened, and she popped a round toward me, and I felt the sting of a bullet somewhere on my body, but I was too fucking high on adrenaline and bloodlust to care.
A hail of gunfire and chaos filled the room, but if I was going to die tonight, I was dragging her to hell with me.
My hand was on her gun, and another bullet shot off behind me as I twisted the barrel and broke her trigger finger, and I didn’t stop until it was severed.
It was her turn to utter a soundless scream, but I’d show her no mercy. Two pistol whips to the face left her mouth bloody, fucked up, and missing teeth.
“Does it hurt?” I whispered into her ear as the hot barrel of her own gun singed the inside of her mouth. “I want you to feel the pain I’m feeling. I want you to suffer, to beg me to kill you— And I won’t, because you deserve so much more.”
Blood and saliva bubbled out of the sides of her mouth as she moaned in agony. I took a quick glance around and saw Kai crouched over one of the men, driving a blade into him repeatedly. Another lay dead on the floor, while the third grabbed the duffel bag and ran out of the room.
“I need you to wait right here for me, okay?” I said, getting to my feet and sending a round in each of her legs. “Kai, are you good?”
He nodded and started for me, but I put a hand up. “She stays alive. She’s mine.” With that, I was out of the room, catching a glimpse of that bastard as he turned the corner. I ran for the opposite hallway, knowing both paths linked up at the stairwell.
“Pretty sure that belongs to me,” I said the moment his hand was on the knob. He thought he’d be faster than me, but he was wrong, and he hit the floor with a bullet to the side of the neck and one in his leg. I crouched next to his still-twitching body and slid open the bag’s zipper, pulling out a blade and a pistol. As I stood, he made eye contact with me, hand pressed to the wound in his throat and tears slipping out of the corners of his eyes.
Pathetic.
“Let me help you die with some dignity.” By the time the second bullet hit his forehead, he was no longer moving, but I thought I’d send him off with one more for good luck.
Leaving the duffel behind, I set off back to the room to deal with Holly, but in that instant, the memories of Gio barreled into me, and my knees gave out.
“No…no…” My throat spasmed, and I couldn’t catch my breath with the vision of his death playing over and over in my thoughts. I hadn’t realized when I’d fallen to the floor until Kai’s arms surrounded me. He tugged me to his chest and let me have a moment to compose myself before he spoke.
“We can go, or we can do whatever you need. I’m here for you, and I’ve got Gio. Just say the word.”
“She killed him. He’s dead, right?” Kai closed his eyes. “Then she dies.”
“Agreed.” He glanced down at my thigh. “Baby, you’ve been hit.”
I hadn’t felt pain until then, but it was nothing compared to the loss tearing my soul apart.
“I don’t care.”
“Looks superficial.”
He helped me to my feet, and I released another long breath, suspending the pain of my brother’s death for just that moment and replacing it with hatred.
Holly was dragging herself toward a back door, but I grabbed her ankle and violently slid her back to the middle of the room. She wailed and clawed at the floor.
“Wait…Amalia, please. I’m sorry.”
Pathetic.
“You will be.”
I looked back at Kai, who had Gio’s limp body in his arms, and decided then that I wouldn’t drag this out more than it needed to be.
But she wouldn’t get off easy either.
A bottle of vodka sat at the edge of the decrepit stage. I snatched it, and by the time I reached Holly and her pathetic attempt at crawling away a second time, Kai had already reached for his lighter and tossed it to me.
Having nothing else to say to her, I poured the liquid over her body, smashed the glass against her face, and flicked the lighter. Her body went up in flames, and she screamed for me, arms stretched out as her skin melted away.
A part of me mourned for her, for the loss of the sister I thought I had. But I snuffed that emotion and walked out of that godforsaken room, Kai behind me. I couldn’t turn around. Couldn’t look at my brother lifeless in his arms because my legs would give out and I might contemplate running back into the flames for an ounce of mercy.