Chapter 67
Chapter Sixty-Seven
Killian
There’s a first time for everything, and today, it’s getting my ass kicked. I put up a fight, but when I have two large men holding me in place while another three throw punches and kicks like I’m a weight-training bag, it’s not that easy.
“Enough,” Alessio commands for the third time.
The men let me go, and this time I fall to my knees. My hands are cuffed behind my back, and my ankles are bound together.
“Finally, he bows,” Alessio says, looking down at me.
When I look up, I put on a big smile. “Too scared to get your hands dirty? Or are you scared to just pull the trigger, little boy?”
He kicks my head, sending me down to the ground. “Why were you following, Lily?”
I spit blood out of my mouth. “Well, you should know, once an Andretti sister digs her claws into a man, it’s hard to get out of their grip.
” I chuckle. “Oh, wait, you wouldn’t know anything about being a man.
” I get back up onto my knees, sitting back on my feet as I try to untie the rope around my ankles without Alessio or his men noticing.
“You’re a sicko, aren’t you? You became obsessed with Lily.”
“Less talking.” I continue to provoke him. “More shooting.”
“Shut the fuck up!” he spits out. He holds out his hand. “Gun.”
His right-hand man, Tito, steps forward and hands him a Sig Sauer P365.
My fingers work as quickly as possible, and I get the knot out just as the gun is placed into Alessio’s hand.
I wait for him to point it at me, and when he does, I make my move.
Quickly and simultaneously, I balance on my hands so my feet land in front of my bound wrists and stand up as I grab the gun, point it up, spin Alessio around, and now have the gun in my possession and pointing at Alessio’s temple.
The sound of guns being drawn around us sends adrenaline through my veins. Alessio holds out his arm, telling them not to shoot. No one puts their gun down, but no one fires either.
“You think you’re slick,” Alessio says. “I’ll give you that. But I have the girl and this city. You can’t change that.”
“Are you forgetting I have a gun in my hand?” I shoot back.
“Less talking, more shooting,” he mocks, throwing my own words in my face.
I can see where I need to exit. It is simple enough—hold the gun to Alessio’s head and keep him in front of me as a shield till I’m out of danger. But I don’t have a chance to move when Cameron comes busting through the door.
“Alessio!!” he shouts and then stops at the scene before him.
His expression is solid, but I can see a hint of relief that I’m still alive. Still, he draws his gun at me. “Let him go, Killian.”
“You know I won’t do that,” I reply.
“Listen. She’s gone. They took her again.” Cameron’s voice is steady, but I know he isn’t lying.
“How?” I question. There’s no way Nico would have done that again and gone off plan.
“A nurse snuck her out of the hospital in an ambulance.” Cameron drops his gun and looks to Alessio to command the rest of the men to do the same.
“We finish this first,” Alessio commands.
I toss the gun aside and turn Alessio around to punch him in the face. “You piece of shit. She’s gone again, and your fucking ego wants to get rid of me first!?” I continue to punch him despite men trying to pull me off him. “If they took her again, she’s gone for good. She’ll never be found.”
It took about five men to pry me off him. Cameron jumps in to help Alessio to his feet.
“You’re a fucking pussy!” I shout.
“Fuck you!” Alessio shouts back, lunging for me, but Cameron and Tito try to hold him back. “Get off me, let me at him!”
We are like lions, trying to attack each other, and men getting in between us to stop it.
“You’re just pissed I fucked her,” I spit out.
“You enjoy sloppy seconds?” Alessio hisses back.
“I just know she was screaming out my name for you to be this jealous!”
“The only thing she was screaming out was for the hell you put her through!”
The men around us are growing tired, as Alessio and I only seem to get more energized to jump down one another’s throats.
A gunshot pierces through the air.
“What the fuck is going on here!?” Darius walks in. “Let them go! If they want to kill each other, let them. I need to go find my wife’s sister before I’m the one who gets buried.”
The men disperse, letting Alessio and me grabb each other. But all this is doing is wasting time. Lily needs to be saved—if there’s a chance of that at all.
I let go of Alessio and surrender. “If you want to kill me, then do it after. Find Lily first.”
Alessio is so angry that his breathing is erratic. “Why do you care about her so much?”
“Because I have no pulse without her. And I’d rather give up mine knowing she’s safe.”
There’s a look of defeat in his eyes. He knows. Lily doesn’t love him, and as long as I’m alive, there is no one else she wants to be with. Alessio just needs to let go of his ego. I can see the bags under his eyes, not sleeping, likely from Lily keeping him up with her nightmares.
“Fine.” He gives in. “Keep him locked up until this is over.”
“Killian can be useful,” Cameron says. “He got her from Nico Vidalia before.”
“Not a chance in hell! You don’t think he will two-time us again?” Alessio sneers.
“We need to be smart about this, Alessio!” Cameron tries to convince him.
“He’s scared I’ll be her hero again,” I speak up, pointing to Alessio. “And you know she will never forgive you if I die.” I shrug. “So it’s a lose-lose for you, Alessio, unless you’re ready to put your pride aside.”
“Fuck you!” Alessio barks at me.
“You’re going to have a lot of heat on you if you do kill me.
If you think the Russians are a handful, just wait till you meet the rest of the Boswells.
Word gets back that my blood is on your hands, they will wipe out every person serving under you.
They will leave you last, and by the time they are done, no one will be able to identify you. ”
Darius whispers something into Alessio’s ear. Likely that I’m not bluffing. There’s a storm raging in his eyes. Tito, Darius, and Cameron all huddle around Alessio. It’s brief, and when they disperse, their attention is back on me.
“I can’t trust you,” Alessio says.
I use this opportunity to make my proposal. “I’m your best shot at survival.”
“Doubtful.”
“Well, let me enlighten you. I made a deal with Vidalia. He starts a killing spree of your men and pins it on the Russians. I told him to spark the war between you and them.”
Alessio spits at me. “You fucking piece of shit!”
“That’s the difference between you and me, Alessio.
I was set to take over this city from you and the Russians.
Everything was set in place and going exactly how I needed to.
Turns out Vidalia and the Russians have been working together from the start.
So, if I didn’t get to Vidalia first, he would get to me too, and we would all be six feet under.
” I look at Darius and Cameron and shrug before turning back to Alessio.
“Let me help get Lily back to you, Alessio. Then, I’m gone for good. ”
“Or I can keep you alive, locked up somewhere only I know. And I don’t care if your brothers tear me limb from limb. I’ll never tell them where you are,” he spits back.
“You can. But I am worth giving up your empire for?”
This only enrages him, but he takes a deep breath. “You get me back Lily and this city. Do that and go, far away. Out of Providence, out of Rhode Island, out of the country.”
Spitting into my hand, I then hold it out. “Deal.”