Chapter 32
Chapter thirty-two
Mauro
The beast within me takes over as fury ruthlessly routes through my veins. I narrow my sights on Kazimir, my legs striding with power across the open field.
Out of the corner of my eye, I spot a guard raising his gun, but before he has a chance to press down on the trigger, I raise mine and shoot, not needing to watch to know the bullet hit him in the head.
Another guard charges forward with his weapon drawn, but Alex beats me to it, hitting him directly between the eyes. His body slumps to the ground, his gun still clutched in his fingers.
Emil jumps out from the side of the SUV, but I shoot, causing him to cower behind the vehicle.
“Mauro,” Alina sobs.
My eyes lock on hers, and I see the fear coating her face as a fierce shiver rocks through her entire body.
Kazimir turns and, upon seeing me, grins. He holds out a hand, indicating for the guards to lower their weapons.
“If it isn’t the big bad Mauro Alarie come to save his bride.
” He slowly claps his hands, taking a step in my direction.
Blood dribbles down his wrist, droplets splattering on the cement ground.
The crazy motherfucker is acting like a bullet didn’t just pierce the center of his palm.
“I’m curious, though. What’s your plan? Because it seems to me, you’re outnumbered. ”
As if to prove a point, Alex sends a bullet directly into the neck of the guard closest to Kazimir. He drops to the ground as he chokes on his own blood, gasping for air.
“Ah, so I see you’re not alone.” Kazimir appears impressed.
“And I take it from the shot that would be your brother Alex hiding in those woods.” Keeping an eye on me, he reaches for the knife on Alina’s lap and pats her cheek, spreading blood over her flawless skin.
“The grown-ups need to play now.” He grips the knife with force, running his thumb over the sharp edge.
Fortunately for him, it looks like Alex hit his nondominant hand.
“What do you say, Mauro? How about a little hand-to-hand combat?” He tucks the knife in his back pocket and raises both palms as if to show he means it.
“No tricks. You win, you get to take her. But if I win, I do.” His malicious grin widens, and I see the terror in Alina’s eyes grow heavy.
“Oh, and one other thing, we fight to the death.”
To the death.
I stare at him, wishing I could shoot him right in his beating cold heart.
But he’s right, Alex and I are outnumbered, and if I shoot him, it most likely means leaving Alina in the hands of monsters.
“What the fuck are you doing?” Emil asks, hesitantly stepping closer and not seeming too pleased at this notion.
“Something that should have been done a long time ago,” Kazimir responds, his eyes focused on me.
“You’re fucking crazy! You know that, right?” Emil shakes his head and turns toward the plane. Probably getting his big brother to put an end to this nonsense.
I keep my gun tightly in my clutch, weighing the odds against me. Rubbing my hand across my jaw, I discreetly eye his physique. He appears more built in his arms, probably spending too much time in the gym, forgetting about his legs, which I could use to my advantage.
But then I look at Alina.
I can’t play with her life in my hands.
Even if the odds of me beating this motherfucker are high.
Just as I’m about to shake my head, he tilts his chin in the direction of one of his guards, who steps toward the parked SUV and drags out Gregory.
The poor man is unconscious, taped around his mouth, hands, and ankles.
This man was loyal to my family for over half his life, and the sight of him like this leaves my trigger finger itching to pull back.
“Dad,” Alina cries out, panicking as she watches her father being dropped to the ground. Her eyes dart to Kazimir. “Please don’t hurt him. He doesn’t have any part in this. He doesn’t understand what’s going on!”
Kazimir stares down at her. “How na?ve are you?”
She swallows hard, her brows cinching together.
“Your father is the reason we haven’t been able to get our hands on the land.
It’s been under his authority this whole time until he could finally hand it over to you, per our dear whore of a mother’s request in her will.
” His brow arches. “Who the fuck do you think had been keeping us from taking it over?”
Alina’s lips part as she looks over at Gregory, processing this information. “But he couldn’t…”
“Oh, believe me, he did. He’s been a thorn in our sides for years, but that ends now.” Kazimir’s cruel gaze drifts to me. “Fight me, or they both die.” He slips his hand in his back pocket and retrieves his knife, hurling it to the side.
The wrath inside me explodes like a fire being unleashed upon kindling.
I don’t have a choice in this.
Dropping my gun to the floor, I remove my jacket and take the other gun out of my holster, tossing that as well.
I roll up my sleeves, stretching my neck out as I do.
“This is going to be so much fun.” Kazimir whips his shirt off and dances on the soles of his feet, jumping from side to side. He positions his arms before him, squaring off.
Alina’s eyes widen as she bites down on her bottom lip, tears streaming down her cheeks. But I quickly transition my attention to Kazimir. If I don’t focus, I won’t win.
He shuffles forward, keeping his balance as I do the same. Never once taking my eyes off him. He takes a swing, but I’m faster and move out of the way, missing the hit. I need to make him tired. To be so exhausted that he loses his stance or becomes too slow to miss my fist.
He takes another swing, and I step out of the way, watching as he stumbles forward, which merely pisses him off.
“I know what you’re doing,” he sneers. “And it won’t work. I took two hits before I got here, so I’m ready to do this all night long.”
Well, that unfortunately changes things.
He laughs manically, briefly turning his head to the side, and I take my shot, hitting him squarely in the jaw.
He shakes off the pain, adjusting his jaw back and forth. Blood coats his lip as he spits at the floor.
“There he is,” he says with amusement, right before charging me.
He punches a jab at my stomach, but I block him with my left arm and swing with my right, getting him in the ribs.
He stumbles back for only a moment before rushing me, his hands reaching out for my neck.
They grip me for only a second before I use both of my elbows to jab down on his hold and then slam my head against his, knocking him off his game.
He growls in frustration, his chest panting heavily. “You’re not walking out of here alive!” He focuses on Alina and then on me with an unhinged look in his eyes. “Better say your goodbyes now.”
I slide my hand into my pocket and pull out my brass knuckles just as he lunges for me. Taking a step to the side, I grip his arm and push it inward as I step around and pull it back, shoving him to the floor with all my might, my body falling with his.
Straddling him, I go to town, my knuckles cracking from the impact as I let out my wrath onto his face. I grip the sides of his head and slam him against the hard floor.
Suddenly, the sound of blades whirring and strong gusts of wind assault us. I glance to my left and see a helicopter lowering with assault rifles sticking out on the side.
I think this is it for us until I identify the damn familiar faces inside: Vin, Leo, Caine, and Romeo.
And they don’t hold back as they make it rain bullets.
Guard after guard drops to the ground, lifeless.
“Shoot them!” Kazimir furiously roars beneath me.
Once the helicopter has almost touched down, Vin and Leo jump out, guns drawn, with guards by their sides.
“You messed with the wrong family, motherfuckers!” Vin roars.
Kazimir uses this opportunity to shove me off and slip away, bolting for Alina.
I scramble to my feet, slipping in blood, and lunge up. He retrieves his knife and stares down at her with a manic eye as he raises his arm high in the air, his fingers wrapped tightly around the handle.
A second before he lowers his wrist, I step between them, shoving Alina’s chair to the side and hearing her crash to the floor.
As the sound of a gunshot echoes in my skull, a scorching pain pierces my side, a white light blinding my vision.
But it’s not the bullet that got me.
My eyes trail over Kazimir, then to Vin, who stands several yards away with his gun raised, his fearful gaze fixed on the scene before him.
Slowly, I look down and see the blade handle, still held by Kazimir, protruding from my body.
Kazimir’s smile falls as blood gushes from his chest, where a fresh bullet wound resides. He drops to his knees before me and pulls the knife out of my flesh right before collapsing to the ground, clutching it to his chest.
My body grows numb. All strength dissipating as I sway, falling to my knees, my massive figure becoming one with the cold, hard ground.
“No!” Alina’s terrified scream is the last thing I hear as darkness consumes me.