CHAPTER TWENTY-THREE
SIENNA
“I’ll take those coming from above,” I told Eve, turning, already lifting my gun.
“I’ve got below,” Eve whispered.
“And I’ll help out on both ends,” Yang stated, her daggers already drawn, the steel catching the dim emergency lights.
Three men came down from above, moving swiftly. They didn’t have guns drawn. Their mistake. They smiled when they saw me, us. One opened his mouth to speak. I fired. Fuck all the talking. The first shot hit the lead man in the shoulder, jerking him back, but not stopping him.
“Bitch,” he shouted.
He kept coming, jaw clenched, eyes locked on me. I fired again, aiming higher, but the second one lunged in, knocking my aim off as his arms wrapped around me. There were too many of them in this enclosed space.
I didn’t have room to maneuver the way I wanted. Behind me, I could hear Eve shooting. The sound echoed through the stairwell, making my ears ring. I dropped low, twisting out of his grip just enough to drive my elbow up into his throat.
He choked, grip loosening, but the third one was already on me, grabbing for my arm, trying to pin it. I fired point-blank. The shot tore through muscle, not enough to drop him, but enough to make him recoil.
I shoved forward, forcing space, but the first man recovered faster than I wanted, slamming into me again, his weight driving me back a step on the stairs. I couldn’t get a clean shot.
“Hold her!” one of them barked.
I snarled and drove my forehead into his face. His nose cracked. Blood hit my skin. He staggered, grip slipping, and I ripped my arm free just long enough to bring my gun up under his jaw and fire. He dropped. Finally.
The second one came at me from the side, tackling me into the railing. The metal rattled hard against my back as my gun hand got pinned between us. I twisted, trying to free it, but his weight bore down, his hand grabbing for my wrist.
“Stop fighting,” he growled.
I bit him. Hard. I had no other choice. He jerked back with a curse. I wrenched my arm free, slammed the barrel into his ribs, and pulled the trigger. The shot echoed through the stairwell, his body jerking before going slack against me.
I shoved him off. The third one didn’t hesitate this time. He came low, fast, trying to take my legs out. I jumped the step, using the height to pivot, but he caught my ankle mid-motion and yanked.
I hit the stairs hard. My head snapped back, vision blurring for a second, but I didn‘t stay down. I twisted onto my side as he climbed over me, reaching for my arms, trying to pin them. I drove my knee up into his side. Once. Twice.
He grunted but held on. He was stronger than the others, his grip tightening on me. I shoved the barrel of my gun into his arm and fired. He didn’t let go. Fuck. I fired again. This time, his grip loosened.
I shoved him off, scrambling to my feet, my chest heaving. I fired two more rounds into him. Below, the fight was louder. It sounded like more people had joined the fray. I headed down in time to see Yang slit a woman’s throat and let her body drop to the ground.
Yang was bleeding, shot in the arm. It seemed they wanted us alive but were trying to kill Yang. Yang leapt in front of Eve as one big burly guy lunged for Eve. Yang’s daggers sliced at his chest.
She was moving so fast, her knives looked like a blur. I guess if you had her skills, you could bring a knife to a gunfight. Eve fired at the guy she was fighting, her bullet striking his side. But he didn’t drop.
He slammed into her, driving her back into the wall. Her gun slipped from her grip as his hands locked onto her arms, trying to pin them.
“Stop fighting,” he barked, forcing her wrists down.
Eve laughed. My bitch really laughed in his face. She drove her knee up hard into his groin. He grunted, his grip loosening. Eve twisted, ripping one arm free and slamming her fist into his jaw.
His head snapped to the side. He tried to recover, reaching for her again. She didn’t give him the chance. She stepped in closer, grabbed the front of his shirt, and yanked him forward. Then she slammed her forehead into his face. Blood sprayed as his nose broke.
Eve didn’t stop. She shoved him back, then drove her fist into his throat. He choked, stumbling, his hands coming up too late to defend himself. She grabbed her gun off the step. Pressed it into his stomach and pulled the trigger. This time, he dropped.
Her chest rose and fell as she stepped back, her grip tight on her weapon, eyes scanning for the next threat. There was none. Her gaze met mine.
“You done?” she asked.
“I’m done,” I rasped.
Yang faced us, covered in the blood of her enemies. “Let’s head to the parking garage,” she told us. “Stay alert. The enemy already knows our escape plan. There could be more people waiting for us.”
“You’re shot,” I told her, noticing the dark stain spreading across her sleeve.
“I’m fine. Let’s go.”
Together, we rushed down the steps, heading for Parking Garage 3. When we made it there, Yang stepped out first. She looked both ways.
“The coast is clear,” she told us.
We started toward her car. But she stopped, holding her hand up for us to stop. We froze.
“That car,” she said, staring left. “It shouldn’t be here.”
It was a silver SUV. The doors opened.
“Go back inside,” Yang said, taking a fighting stance, her twin daggers raised.
I watched as Don O’Callaghan and his oldest son stepped out of the vehicle, followed by two other men. Fuck.
“Hello, Gina and Eve,” the Irish don said. “Those are your names now, right?”
Both Eve and I raised our guns, pointing them at them, but I knew we didn’t have enough bullets for this shit. We’d wasted too many in the stairwell.
“No need for guns, my beauties,” the don drawled. “I want you alive. But I don’t need her. Kill her.”
The don’s son fired. I screamed as the bullet struck Yang in the stomach. Her body fell backward, hitting the ground.
“You bastard,” Eve roared, rushing toward him, trying to fire, but all her gun did was click. She was out of bullets. The two goons rushed her, trying to take her down.
“Be careful with her,” the don drawled. “My son back home says he wants to have fun with her before we put them to work.”
So that was his plan. He wanted us to work for them, to hoe for them.
“They have enemies who’ll pay good money if I rent these two out as pets,” the don drawled, smiling.
I saw red. I raised my weapon and pointed at one of the goons attacking Eve. I fired. The bullet struck his neck. His head jerked back as Eve went toe to toe with the other guy. I tried to find a good shot, but she was in the way.
“Grab her,” the don yelled to his son.
Smiling, the bastard raced my way. I pointed my gun at him and fired. Click. Shit. I was out of bullets now, too. I rushed him, ducking when he swung. I punched his crotch, making him double over in pain.
He reached for me. I tried to stand up, but his leg swiped out, knocking me down. He lifted his foot and brought it down, trying to stomp on me. I rolled to the side, out of his way, and jumped to my feet.
He lunged again, his hands locking around my throat, shoving me back up against the wall, the empty gun falling from my hand. His grip tightened, fingers digging into my neck as I clawed at his face.
“Get them to the cars,” Don O’Callaghan yelled.
Junior kept choking me. I couldn’t breathe. My lungs burned, my hands clawing at his wrist, trying to break his hold, but he was stronger. My vision blurred at the edges. This couldn’t be the way I go. Not like this.
I had to do something. I let my body go slack and closed my eyes. Junior laughed, and his grip eased up on me. His mistake. I felt the pressure on my throat lessen. I kept my eyes closed, body limp.
They always underestimated women like me, thought we’d break easily. But I wasn’t made of glass. I was forged in fire, tempered by pain, and I’d die before I’d let these bastards take me back to Chicago to be their plaything.
“When I get you back, I’m going to have fun with you,” he drawled.
He let me go and went to pick me up. When he leaned in, I slammed my fist into his nose, then his throat, then drove my knee up hard, catching him off guard.
“Stop fighting,” he snapped, breathing heavy now as he swung at me.
I ducked and rushed him, trying to knock his big ass to the ground. I would never stop. They would have to kill me because they were not taking me alive.
“Knock her out and bring her on,” the don yelled. “You too. Get Eden in the car. Must I do it all myself?”
Good. Eve was still fighting for her life. We would not give up. We would not go back with them. A fate worse than death awaited us there. I spat out blood when his fist landed against my cheek.
Ignoring the pain, I continued to fight. I heard the sound of more cars approaching. Fuck. Please don’t be Daniel Abeli. Please.
“Grab them,” the don yelled.
Fuck. It was more of his men. I had to take Junior out fast. Tires screeched, but I couldn’t focus on that. Junior was stronger than me, bigger than me, and without my weapon, I was having a hard time getting his big ass off me.
“You’re making me work for it,” he said, pinning me to the ground. He smiled. “I’m excited about getting you…”
I didn’t let him finish his sentence. I lifted up and sank my teeth into his neck. He tried to shake me off, but I was like a pit bull. I wouldn’t let go. The sound of gunfire erupted around me.
I kept waiting to be struck. Kept waiting to hear Eve cry out. That never happened. All I heard were Junior’s cries as I bit a chunk of his throat out. He released me and rolled over, clutching his throat.
“Sienna,” A voice rasped.
I looked over and saw Yang. She was still alive, thank God!
She tossed me her dagger. I caught it, then turned and straddled Junior.
He opened his mouth to scream. I placed the blade in his open mouth and pressed down, pressing until blood poured from his mouth, coating my hand, flowing down his face and chin.
Then I pulled the knife free and sliced the bastard’s throat. I turned and looked for Eve and found her sitting next to the body of her enemy. Breathing hard, she pointed. I followed her gaze and saw Enzo and his team battling the O’Callaghans’ people.
I searched for Stefano, needing him to be okay. I found him, right next to the don’s car. The don had tried to run. But Stefano had caught him. Don O’Callaghan was looking at me, eyes wide.
Stefano was looking at me too, a look of pure rage on his face. He was already covered in blood. Man, I swear I could not keep my savage clean. Our laundry bill was going to stay high.
I swayed, feeling dizzy. But I refused to pass out. I wanted to watch my savage end the enemy who had been plaguing us for so long. Stefano placed a knife to Don O’Callaghan’s throat and began to slowly slit the man’s neck.
The don tried to get away. His screams became muffled as blood poured from his mouth. Stefano never turned away from me as he slowly sliced the man’s throat. And then he sliced again, doing it so slowly, letting him bleed out.
I smiled at my savage as the don’s body went limp in his arms. It was over. The threat had passed. Stefano let the man fall to the ground, then rushed toward me. I reached for him, wishing I could get up and run to him.
But I felt myself falling. I thought I was going to hit the ground, but Eve caught me. I stared up into my best friend’s face.
“I’ve got you, Sisi,” she told me, her mouth swollen, her eye already turning black.
“Thank you, Eden.”
I heard Stefano calling my name. His face appeared before me as a blur. There was my beast.
“I love you,” I whispered, before I passed out.
I woke up in a hospital bed. I tried to sit up, but Stefano was at my side in an instant, telling me to lie back down.
“What’s going on?” I whispered.
“You needed some blood, love. But you’re fine,” Stefano told me.
“And Eve?” I asked.
“She’s fine too. She’s in the room next to us. Don Enzo is with her.”
“What about Yang and Terzo. Oh, and Rome?” I asked.
“They are all fine and all here at our hospital. We didn’t lose anyone.”
“Thank God,” I whispered. “What about you, Beast? How are you? Are you hurt? You should see the doctor, too.”
“I’m fine, love. I’m just glad I was able to get there in time to take out Don O’Callaghan.
Enzo killed Daniel Abeli. He’d arrived as backup for the don.
Terzo and Rome went on a killing spree inside Tower D.
We’ll have to do a lot of cleaning up. And audit the businesses whose managers tried to kill you for the bounty.
But none of that is important right now.
I need you to rest. Because…” He went silent.
“Because what?” I asked.
He turned and grabbed a sheet of paper from the couch. He was smiling as he handed it to me.
“Here are your lab results. Sorry. But I wanted to know how low your blood count was when they said you needed blood. They printed me the results and said they would inform you when you awakened.”
I accepted the paper. “Informed me of what?” I asked as I scanned over the paper.
Oh, yeah. My Hemoglobin and hematocrit had been low. But that was the only problem. Wait. HCG? That looked high. That meant…. My gaze moved to Stefano, who had a huge grin on his face.
“Are we about to be parents?” I whispered.
“Yes, Beauty. We are,” he told me.
“Stefano,” I whispered. “I’m about to be a mom.” Happy tears spilled down my cheek.
He sat on my bed and gripped my hand. “You’re about to be a mom, love.” He leaned in and hugged me tenderly. “Thank you, Sienna. For being my family. For creating a family with me. I promise to cherish you and our child forever,” he told me as I cried against his chest, happy tears.
I was about to be a mom. I had my beast. I had my bestie. And now, I was going to have a baby. I, Sienna Keys, didn’t know such a blessing could be granted to one person. But I was thankful for it. And I would never, ever, take this blessing lightly.
“I love you, Stefano,” I whispered.
“I love you, beauty and my baby,” he whispered, holding me close.
The battle was over. Now, it was time for love to reign supreme.