Connor
Pocketing the will, I dart in the direction Nino dragged Cat, but Belinski cuts me off and pops me in the face with one of his kettlebell fists.
My nose sprays blood.
The bastard. That was my only facial feature to escape all the damage from earlier.
I dodge his next blow by rushing him.
He punches the air behind my head.
Surprise, sucker.
On my way to a crouch, I jab two fingers into the notch at the base of his neck between his collarbones. If I could reach in there and yank out his trachea, I would, but I’ll settle for temporarily disarming him.
He coughs, bending over and gasping for air.
I use the opportunity to knee him in the nose—fair is fair—on the way down.
His blood sprays my joggers and shirt as the massive brute covers his face with his hands.
Out of the corner of my eye, I spy Finn’s army of Kings converging on the rabid Russian and know they’ll handle him.
Ascending the stairs leading to the altar in one big leap, I circle around multiple clusters of Riccis fighting Riccis, past the pulpit, and out the side door into a hallway.
Nino has Cat in a chokehold at the base of a flight of stairs.
She’s kicking and screaming, struggling with everything she’s got. “Nino, it’s over! It’s not too late to do the right thing!”
“Fuck you and your righteous bullshit!”
I can see a gun tucked into Cat’s waistband.
Nino has one too.
Which begs the question, why is Cat still alive?
Perhaps Nino needs her as leverage if he’s going to get out of the city.
He’s in for a rude awakening. Nino Ricci isn’t escaping, nor will he survive for long once I get my hands on him.
Fury overwhelms me. “She’s not righteous, you son of a bitch. She’s just right! There’s a big difference.”
Nino whirls, aiming his gun at my face.
As Cat bucks like crazy, I zigzag down the hallway, becoming a difficult target for Nino.
A bullet shatters the recessed lighting as I leap over Cat and plow into her brother.
He releases his chokehold to block my attack.
When we hit the stairs, his gun goes flying, clattering across the floor.
I land partly on Cat and shift my legs so she can crawl out from under me.
Finding the necessary leverage, I pin Nino with my leg and punch him. After spending half the afternoon chained to a rafter, I’m raring to go.
I could kill him with my bare hands. Maybe I will.
Cat grabs my right arm from behind, hooking it in both of hers.
I spin. “Get out of here!”
“Please don’t kill him, Connor!” She’s choking on her words.
Even now, even after all he’s done, a tiny part of her believes in her soulless brother.
I hate seeing her grieve his worthless ass.
Unfortunately, Nino only needed this one moment of distraction to shove me off and scramble up the stairs like a lizard scales a wall. On his hands and knees, he rushes into the bell tower.
Unless he’s Spider-Man or has a helicopter in his pocket, he’s not going anywhere.
I gather Cat into my arms, squeezing her against my chest. “Fuck, Cat. I was so scared I lost you.”
She clings to me, tiny puncture points of pain radiating into my body from every place her arms put pressure. I breathe through the agony so I can kiss her.
She gasps against my mouth before returning the kiss with heat.
I rear back, laughing. “I love you so much.”
She cups my cheek.. “Me too.”
That’s still not an “I love you,” but we’ll deal with her fear of the “L” word after we deal with her brother.
Cat bites her lip. “You were right about Nino. About everything, Connor.”
I tuck a strand of flyaway hair behind her ear. “Don’t beat yourself up. Nino’s behavior is unnatural, and you were too close to the situation to see it.”
I kiss her with even more force this time, my tongue intertwining with hers. She tastes amazing. I suck air through my nose to bask in her scent. I could do this forever.
She retreats, noticing my beat-up face for the first time. A smear of blood now stains her own nose, and I use my thumb to swipe it off.
She sighs. “I have to handle Nino my way, okay? I can’t step into the spotlight…if you don’t move aside so I can take center stage.”
“You’re right.” I peer into her thoughtful eyes. “But you just took hold of your family, which has grown substantially in the last few hours. They are yours now, as am I. They love you, as do I. And we can’t lose you. You’re too important.”
As soon as my words sink in, her eyes brim with tears.
When she blinks, they spill down her cheeks. “I feel like killing my brother would dishonor my father. That can’t be how I take control.”
“We’re saying the same thing, Cat. Let me do this for you.”
She bows her head, and her arms fall by her sides. This isn’t a win-lose situation. There are no winners here. But that’s not on her. That’s a choice Nino made when he decided to slit his own father’s throat.
Whirling, I sprint up the stairs to the bell tower.
Nino’s down one gun, though it doesn’t mean he doesn’t have another. I’m sure he’s got a knife strapped somewhere as well.
Thanks to the abduction, I’m down one gun too. I normally pack two guns and a knife. At least Brody brought me one of his 9 mils and an ankle blade. I have both out as I reach the last step and proceed into the belfry.
Nino’s head peeks out from behind the bell. The family crest hovers near his right ear. What a joke.
Tattoos are supposed to symbolize your truth, you pathetic bastard.
“It’s over, man.” I know if he had a gun, bullets would be leaving his barrel.
I could’ve just shot him dead, right in the family crest, but I like a fair fight. My ego might be pussy-whipped, but it’s still all alpha.
Rooted in place, he creates an easy target.
“Nino! I can see you, you idiot. Come out and be a man for once in your life.”
“Fuck you, Mick.” Nino appears from behind the bell, wielding a knife.
I pocket my gun and switch my blade to my dominant hand. “Despite you being rotten to the core, Cat still doesn’t want to see you die.”
“Which is why this family should be mine. She’s weak!” He’s sweating everywhere, losing his mind. I’m watching a man come undone by his own selfish actions. I can practically see his tats wilt on his thick skin, heavy from all his evil, insidious emotions.
“No, it takes a true leader to show compassion. She got that ability from your father, may he rest in peace…no thanks to you.”
Nino’s eyes bulge out at the mention of his deceased dad. “You don’t know shit about it.” His out-of-control rage causes him to lose his balance. Pressing a hand to the stone wall, he straightens to his full height in a display of faux courage.
“My father’s not all that different from you, now that I think about it. And I still don’t want to kill him. Because I’m not psychotic.”
Nino wipes a swath of beaded sweat from across his hairline, and that’s when I spot the big shiny rock. He’s wearing the damn diamond like a badge of honor. A trophy for killing his father.
His eyes simmer with judgment. “You think you’re better than me because you’re fucking my sister?”
I’m not exactly sure what he means by that, but I just threw up in my mouth a little. “I think I’m better than you for a number of reasons, but we don’t have time for Christmas lists, laundry lists, or bucket lists.” As I respond, I take three calculated strides in his direction.
He crouches like a tiger ready to pounce.
“Drop the knife.” I spin my blade in my hand, shifting it from forward to ice-pick grip.
I’ve got five inches on this guy in height, so I don’t need the extra distance the forward grip offers. I need a swift power hit, and reversing my grip on the knife is ideal for a grapple to the death. One overhand stab to his juggler, heart, lung, or femoral artery, and it’s bye-bye Nino.
“You know, you’re never going to be a leader. You’re a loser.” Nino stumbles toward me. “You don’t even have a home. The West Coast doesn’t want you. The East Coast doesn’t want you—”
“Big words for a man who just blew up his perfect life.” I smile, because why not.
“You think living in my father’s shadow has been easy?”
“I know exactly what it’s like.” I growl as I match his death stare. “And I reiterate, I’m still not going to kill the man who gave me life. I don’t have to agree with him. Hell, I don’t even have to like him. But real leaders don’t steal the helm from capable men by force.”
“The fuck do you know about it?” Nino adjusts his weapon in his sweating palm, slicking the hilt with his stink.
I continue inching forward. “Your problem is you didn’t know your place.”
He cocks his head wordlessly, as if out of retorts. Finally.
“Know thyself, dickhead.” I shift my feet, retaining my guard and preparing for his attack. “Had you just followed one simple rule, nobody would be in this situation. Now, I’m asking you one last time to put the knife down.”
I don’t actually want him to put the knife down. Ending him would be my pleasure.
But thanks to Cat, I finally know myself.
I know my place. It’s beside her.
And I won’t do anything to jeopardize that.
So I’ll only kill him when he comes for me first.
“You know you’re just going to be a pawn in her game.” He spits the statement at me.
I laugh. Like that’s a problem? “As long as I’m on the board, I’ll be just fine.”
As if my response disgusts him, Nino shakes his head and huffs. I imagine the worm finds the idea of playing second position to a woman inconceivable.
When he swaps the knife to his less dominant hand, I recognize the significance.
Swinging his free arm behind his back, he pulls out a second gun.
“Connor!” Cat screams from the top of the staircase.
With a glance at her, Nino aims for Cat instead, giving me one extra second to react.
Exactly what I need.
I pounce, plunging my knife into his jugular.
We go down as I twist the blade inside his throat, blood splattering all over us both.
The gun discharges three times, bullets ricochetting off the bell before I manage to disarm him.
Nino Ricci is dead.