Chapter 35
Olympus Falls
Gabriel’s gaze moves down my body, dragging his eyes with a vicious darkness. He takes another step towards me, and I move back. Fireworks continue to burst, keeping the crowd’s attention.
“Enjoy my gift?” He asks.
Snippets of the past ram into me. Pieces I’ve blocked out, forgotten on purpose, come rushing back as Leo’s older brother prowls towards me.
“Not original.”
“What is now these days?” He says, stepping to the side to block my view of the party. I keep my hands to the side, not daring to grab my knife yet. Wait, Autumn, wait.
“What do you want?”
“Now who’s unoriginal, Sarah?”
“Don’t say that name.”
“Oh, but your handler had so much to say about you…Sarah.” He chuckles low. “He fucking hated you. But you lasted longer than him. He caved within a few hours. A pity he was your handler. Disgraceful, begging coward.”
My chest hurts, heart pounding.
“You last longer than Steve, too? He was always a greedy, cocksucking twit. How long did my brother work on him before he squealed?”
I flick my gaze to the stairwell, which feel too far to make before he caught me.
“I’m getting what I want, girl,” he warns, and the smile disappears. “I’m getting everything back what my brother and you took from me. Because it wasn’t just him screwing me over, huh? Even now…Mrs. Luciano.”
My mouth remains shut even as I want to scream. Yell. Anything, but my gut tells me to stay silent. Don’t give him anything. Wait.
“My brother is going to pay,” he continues, beginning to slide his hand into his suit jacket.
Movement occurs behind him, and I do everything to keep my facial expression the same.
“He will beg me like a beat dog to its owner before I’m done with him.
The Marchetti and Luciano fortunes will be mine. ”
“Never,” I rasp.
“Says his Achilles’ heel.” My breath shudders, trembling moving up my arms. I allow myself to show fear, looking horrified at him. “Tell me, Sarah…how long will Leo last before I break him?”
He pulls out a knife and there’s a blast from the fireworks above.
Cheers follow as the sky lights up. Suddenly, Garett rushes up behind Gabriel to grapple him.
They come barreling towards me in a wrestling match as I stumble to the side.
I barely make it out of their way before Gabriel flips him over.
A scream is caught in my throat when Gabriel jams the knife into Garett’s neck, blood pouring out.
There’s gurgling as he rips it across his throat brutally.
I run into the crowd as another firework blasts, but it shakes the building.
The shouts of excitement change to terror as another blast booms. Columns start to fall, and I realize it’s not fireworks, but explosives in the villa.
Sparkling fireworks still shine over the terrace, while gunshots fill the air next.
I crouch as a blast rocks the terrace, causing another column to crash to the marble floor.
People scream and run as the party is turned into a war zone.
There’s a grunt behind me, and I glance back to see Igor fight Gabriel next.
The knife is knocked out of his hands, but Gabriel’s too quick. I stare in horror, frozen as Gabriel gets a hold of his head and there’s a scream. He then twists his neck, giving a deafening snap as Igor slumps to the ground. Gabriel stands over his body with a menacing expression.
People shove past, running for the stairs. Michael is suddenly beside me, and shoots towards Gabriel, who ducks behind the mob of terrified guests. Michael grabs my arm, shoving me.
“Run!”
“Michael—”
“Go! Now!”
I scramble as Michael goes after Gabriel.
People scream, trying to escape the bloodbath.
I work my way through the stream of people, aiming for the other stairs as the building shakes from an explosion.
Stones fall as I make it closer, but then see two men dressed in all black standing far too still as they search the crowd that shoves for escape.
One sees me, points and starts in my direction.
Spinning around, I race back, but a hand grabs my arm.
I scream, dragged back towards another hall away from the chaos.
More hands grab me, yanking at me as someone rips at my hair.
I scream again, but it’s useless against the cacophony of terror.
I rip my arm down, breaking from one of them and jab an elbow down.
And then again into a groin. The first guy bows over as I use the disruption to punch the other guy in the nose.
He stumbles, stunned mostly as I break free completely.
I run, coming around a corner and fear shakes me as I see it’s a dead end.
I turn, grabbing the knife hidden under my corset as they come around the corner. Both snarl at me, one of them pulling out a gun. The other snaps his hand out, tugging the firearm down.
“He wants her alive.”
“Can be without working legs.”
“I ain’t fucking losing money cause you’re pissed your balls were busted,” the first one growls, then looks at me. “Come on now.”
“Fuck off!” I spit, flipping the blade in my hand as I get ready to defend myself.
The other chuckles. “Oh, look, someone’s had lessons, eh?”
Another blast shakes the building, shots ricocheting.
One man lunges forward, and I swipe at him nicking his arm.
He yelps but is quick to snap back and knocks the knife from my hand.
I kick below his knee but I’m knocked off balance and tumble.
My body lands hard against the ground, knocking the wind out of me.
My eyes widen as the mercenary might let his buddy shoot me now from the way he glares at me.
I scramble back on all four limbs, my corset digging into my hip as they come for me.
“No!” I scream with all my might, panic driving me as I search for anything to help.
Suddenly, a shot rings out, closer than any of the others have been.
The one pointing a gun at me seconds ago, abruptly slumps to the ground with a gasping sound.
His weapon clatters to the floor. The other turns, reaching for his weapon and dodges the next bullet fired.
He doesn’t get far before his head snaps back, falling to the ground dead.
Breathing hard, I stare up at Leo who snarls with violent rage. He shoots the other in the head.
My voice is caught in my throat as he comes to help me. My legs shake as I start to stand, but then see more men coming around the corner. One of them brandishing a knife.
“Leo—!” I shriek as he spins to face them.
I stumble back in sheer horror, bumping into a wall as my body stiffens.
Time slows as I watch Leo fight. He’s swift even as his gun is knocked from his hands, quickly going into hand-to-hand combat, punching and snapping one’s neck with a frightening crack.
He’s vicious, pulling out his other gun and shoots him in the chest twice.
Two more come around the corner, and he shoots one in the torso, making him drop to his knees.
The last one, dodges Leo, trying to knock the gun from his hand again.
Abruptly, Leo lets go of it, stunning the other as he crouches, grabs the knife from the dead man, and jams it into his knee.
The man howls, stumbling as Leo then thrusts it into his jugular.
My stomach clenches. I finally shut my eyes, trying to ignore the sounds. But I can’t escape them as I listen to Leo kill the men who’d come after us. Too quickly, the noise mutes.
The fireworks have stopped. Screams are distant, likely anyone who could escape from the terrace is below. Clinks of brass hit the floor. And then heavy steps come toward me, and a hand touches my shoulder.
I jolt back, snapping my eyes open. Leo.
“You’re safe,” he says in a rough voice. “I’m here. You’re safe.”
His hand is placed against my cheek. I nod, trying to remember how to breathe as I notice the blood upon his hands. Freckles of crimson on his face.
Holy fuck. Leo just took out six men by himself.
Leo steps away quickly, dips down towards the men he killed, grabbing the knife and another gun. He turns holding his hand out to me. I take it as he leads me around the corner towards the stairs I’d been aiming for.
“No,” I abruptly say, stopping him. “They were waiting for me there. The other stairs.”
He takes my direction, and I follow him back through the main terrace where bodies and crumbled stone lay everywhere. Bodyguards and guests lay dead. There’s more shrieks and the building trembles as another explosive goes off.
Did Gabriel bring a fucking militia? And how did he hire them?
We quickly get to the other stairwell, and I almost trip over my own feet when I see Igor’s body.
Everything hurts as I remember his scream and the snap of his neck.
I then see a man slumped against a wall with his throat slit.
Another with his head twisted wrong. And then one of the women who’d sneered at me, gaping towards the sky with blood all over her chest.
Panic starts to take over as I realize I don’t see Michael anywhere. I stumble right before we get to the stairs, tugging on Leo. “Wait, Michael…he—”
“He’s dead, Autumn. They all are.”
I freeze, staring at him in horror. So badly I want to fall to my knees, scream and cry. Michael’s final shout to me, shoving me away as he went after Gabriel, who had just killed our other bodyguards. My heart pounds in my ears.
“Autumn. Look at me.”
“He killed them,” I gasp, gripping my hair.
“Dear Watson, look at me.”
Leo clutches my face, making me look at him. He holds his eyes with mine, speaking steadily, “Listen to my voice. We have to leave. Focus on getting out of here. Do you understand?”
I whimper as the darkness tries to close in. Blood. Crack of bone. Igor’s screams. Gabriel licking his hand.
“My dear wife, focus on me.”
Get out.
“You know how to help us get out.”
Get out.
“Focus on me.” Escape. Run. Focus. “My dear Watson.”