Chapter 32
GEORGIE
Nash and I walked to the urn of flowers beside the pool. I looked at the water. The beautiful flower arrangements were floating serenely on the surface.
The beauty masked the rot of this place.
Nash checked his phone and leaned closer. “Landon and Cole followed Alden. He’s gone out alone for a cigarette.”
I licked my lips. I knew that Alden wouldn’t be returning to the party. This unsettled me, but I wasn’t sorry. I remembered Viv, I remember the other women.
Nash cupped my cheek. His callused fingers whispered over my skin.
“Okay?”
I nodded. Once again, he was taking care of me.
I loved him touching me. I loved him being by my side.
My insides trembled.
I loved him.
I realized that I’d always loved him. First, as a young handsome boy who’d been my brother’s best friend, and now as a tough, hard, dangerous man.
I’d fought not to fall, but I’d been defenseless against him.
God. He lowered his head, his mouth brushing mine. I pushed into the kiss, opening my lips to his.
Then I realized at the same time, he was reaching into the flowers. Quickly, he pulled the guns out. They both had silencers attached. I slid one under my fur coat, then into the sparkly crossbody bag I wore.
His disappeared under his jacket. I looked up at him.
Then I caught a glimpse of a familiar man over his shoulder.
“Bruno,” I hissed.
Calmly, Nash curled his arm around me and turned us. While it looked like he was just studying the party, I knew he was taking in Bruno.
Snyder’s right-hand man was with a woman in a red dress. She had a mass of black curls that fell down the middle of her back and was tottering on four-inch heels. He was holding her close, gesturing around, like he was giving her a tour.
The couple disappeared into the house.
Rage welled. I remembered the emotionless way he’d beaten me. I remembered the things he’d done to my sister.
He loved his role as Snyder’s enforcer. He enjoyed beating up competitors, abusing women, killing rivals.
“Come on.” Nash took my hand and we headed through the crowd. We sidestepped to avoid a drunken trio pouring champagne. The golden liquid overflowed their glasses, spilling onto the ground.
Inside the house was warmer and quieter. I took a few calming breaths. I couldn’t see Bruno and the woman anywhere. Nash and I walked through the living area. They couldn’t have gone far.
Then I spotted movement. The couple appeared from a hallway, Bruno waving at some art on the wall.
Nash grabbed me and pulled me in for a kiss. He ran his hands down my body, and getting into the moment, I slid my hands in his hair. I giggled for effect.
Out of the corner of my eye, I noted that Bruno barely gave us more than a passing glance.
“Let me show you upstairs, beautiful.” He pressed a beefy hand to the woman’s lower back and led her up the curving staircase.
“They’re gone,” I whispered against Nash’s mouth.
He nipped my lips. “We need to separate him from her, then take him down.”
I felt electric. My hands flexed. This was happening.
We walked quietly up the stairs. At the top was a long, wide hallway with a plush carpet. It was empty.
Where did they go? Then I heard a muffled noise from a nearby room. It was followed by a woman’s sharp cry.
Oh, God. She sounded like she was in distress.
Nash and I burst forward. I tested the handle and found the door locked. Behind it, I heard the woman cry out again.
“No! Stop. Let me go.”
Nash lifted his boot and kicked the door in.
Bruno had the struggling woman pinned to the bed. She was on her belly, her dress rucked up around her waist, and he had a knee pressed to her back. He was working to unfasten his belt. One strap of the woman’s dress was torn, her breast hanging out. She had a slap mark on her cheek.
“Help me!” she cried, tears pouring down her face.
Bruno scowled at us. “Get out.”
I reached into my bag and pulled out the gun. I aimed directly at his chest. “Let her go.”
Bruno hesitated.
I met his gaze. “Do it.”
Whatever he saw convinced him. He took his knee off the woman.
She scrambled up, covering her bare breast. She staggered off the bed with a sob, then almost tripped as she ran out the door.
Nash closed it behind her, although the lock was broken from his kick.
“Who the fuck are you?” Bruno turned to face us, his gaze on Nash.
“It’s not me you need to worry about,” Nash drawled.
Bruno’s brow creased, then his gaze flicked back to me.
“You won’t hurt any more women,” I said. “You won’t rape them, you won’t beat them, and you won’t kill them.”
His eyes widened a little. “Viv’s sister?” He laughed. “Man, you don’t give up and you don’t learn. I see you brought backup this time. Won’t be enough.”
“I’m enough,” I said.
Without any warning, he lunged at me.
Nash intercepted him. With one punch to the face, followed by a chop to the throat, Bruno dropped to the floor with a pained sound.
He clutched his neck, wincing. “Fucking asshole.” He swiped at the blood on his face.
“Not so easy when you aren’t attacking someone half your size,” Nash growled.
I held the gun aimed on Bruno. It felt heavy in my hand, especially with the silencer attached. He’d been about to rape that woman. He had zero remorse. He didn’t care.
“Viv was an addict and a whore,” Bruno said. “Just like the rest of them. She might have whined and cried, but she loved cock. She loved me choking her while I fucked her.” His smile turned ugly. “Maybe I’ll take your guy down, then make him watch while I fuck you the same way—”
I pulled the trigger.
The muffled shot was still loud. It hit him in the neck and blood spurted.
With a sharp cry, he clamped a hand over it.
“You don’t get to hurt anyone anymore. This ends now. You end here.”
Bruno slumped, choking on blood.
The next bullet I put between his eyes.
He fell to the carpet.
I’d done it.
I’d killed him.
“That’s for Viv,” I whispered. “And for me.”
A warm hand curled around my shoulder. “You did well, sweetheart.”
I pushed back into Nash’s strength. I was shaking a little, but with him beside me, I felt safe.
He squeezed again, then stepped forward. He crouched and wrapped Bruno in the rug on the floor. Then I watched as he dragged Bruno’s body to the walk-in closet and shoved him inside.
Nash pulled out his phone and texted. “I’ll have Theo scrub the internal cameras. They’ll be no images of us in the house.”
I swallowed. Part of this was over. I couldn’t believe it.
Bruno had haunted my nightmares. I’d relived every second of both his beatings.
He was gone, but we still had Snyder to deal with.
“What about the bullets?” I asked.
“They’re untraceable. The gun has no serial number, no history.” He touched my cheek. “One down.”
“One to go.”
A beeping came from the closet and Nash frowned. He opened the door, crouched, and quickly rummaged in Bruno’s pockets. He pulled out a cellphone.
I saw a flashing red message on the screen.
Security alert.
Nash scanned it and cursed.
“What is it?” I asked.
His face was grim. “Bruno got a warning off to Snyder. He knows we’re coming.”