Page 81 of Killer Love

“Spare him and I will give you anything you want.”

He yanks me up and spins me around to make me face him. “I can take whatever I want from you.”

I force my eyes to soften for him. “I will love you,” I say. “I will give you everything of me and we’ll never see him again. Please, spare him.”

“Sofia…”

I ignore Luka’s protest and Gio smirks.

“Promise?” he asks.

I kiss him. My gut clenches, but this is the only card I have to play. Gio wants me, he’s been obsessed ever since we were children. I have to believe he wants me even more than vengeance. I can withstand Gio a little longer if it means my baby is safe. If it means Luka is still breathing.

“Yes, sir,” I whisper.

Gio takes a step back and loosens his grip on me. He glances down at Luka as he zips up, taking the moment to gloat at him.

Luka looks away from him, his gray eyes locking onto mine instead. I take a deep breath, filling my lungs to the top before purposefully blowing it out through my lips. I inhale another one and hold it, waiting for Luka to do the same.

Finally, he inhales a shaking breath. We exhale together.

Just like that.

That’s how we stay alive.

Gio steps over to him and waves his hand, signaling the assassins to lower their guns from Luka’s head. “You know, Lutrova, you were wrong.”

“About what?”

Gio throws his good leg upward and kicks Luka in the stomach. Luka doubles forward onto the floor, falling onto his hands and more tears shake loose from my eyes.

“I am going to shoot somebody,” Gio says, flicking the hammer back on his gun.

He pulls the trigger and I scream.

Lucian cries out from the highchair and he keeps crying as Luka collapses to the floor, blood pooling out of the new wound in his upper calf.

Gio slams his foot down, pressing hard and putting all his weight onto Luka’s bleeding leg. “See?” he growls. “I told you.”

Luka grits his teeth, holding back his screams of pain as Gio digs into him a little harder.

Finally, Gio pushes off and he extends his hand toward me. “Shall we?”

“Sofia…” Luka whispers from the floor.

I take one final look at him.

My Luka. My light.

He told me that he wouldn’t stop fighting for me until his last breath, but I won’t let that happen today. I will endure. We found each other once before.

We’ll find each other again.

I take Gio’s hand and he pulls me through the kitchen. The men in black follow us through the house. My son’s cries fade away behind me, but I know that they won’t last forever. Soon, his father will hold him. He’ll stop screaming. Luka will make him laugh again. Maybe not today, but someday.

We march through the woods together, Gio constantly hobbling on his wounded leg. Eventually, we reach a clearing where a small cargo plane sits at the edge of the field.

The sixth assassin stands nearby in his mask, waiting for the rest of them to return. He pulls the door down as we arrive. Another quick wave to the windows signals the pilot and the engine purrs with life.

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