Page 30 of Fractured Devotion

“What the fuck?” Harlan growled. “I don’t like my girls fucked up on drugs. If I wanted that, I would have taken one of the strung-out whores you have for sale.”

“No worries… it will wear off. Though she might want more since it’s been in her veins for a few days.”

I blinked rapidly at Harlen, my body once again betraying me as it became Jello. He barely caught me before I dropped to my knees.

“Jesus Christ. I should demand a portion of my money back for this, you sick fuck.”

He pulled me against his body and held on as he navigated us away from Lipovsky. We’d barely made it outside when it happened. The cool metal pressed against my head as Harlan was knocked to his knees.

“Did you think you’d fool us, Mr. Drago?”

I tried to move my body to shield Harlen, but the drugs had done just as Lipovsky promised. I was useless at stopping what was coming.

“I don’t know what you’re talking about—you’re going to regret this, Mr. Lipovsky. I just spent three million dollars, and this is how you treat me?”

He spat on the ground beside me. “Do not play me for a fool. I’ve known who you were since the moment you stepped inside tonight. Your daughter Kate is beautiful. She’s brought me immense amounts of pleasure… and tonight, I imagine she’ll bring me a nice fee.” Harlan stiffened but didn’t speak. “I see I’ve struck a nerve.”

Andrei kicked at my pliant frame—I curled in on myself, avoiding the brunt of his boot. But instead of causing me pain, it gave me something else. Strapped to his leg was his blade. Using all the strength I had, I pushed myself forward and grabbed the metal from its sheath. Despite the drugs running rampant through my body, I willed myself to act.

seventeen

ALEX

I stepped around the edge of the metal building in time to hear Lipovsky speak. “Did you think you’d fool us, Mr. Drago?” He and Andrei stood behind the man, who I assumed was Harlan Drago.

Harlan’s voice held firm as he responded. “I don’t know what you’re talking about—you’re going to regret this, Mr. Lipovsky. I just spent three million dollars, and this is how you treat me?”

I eased out further, careful not to reveal my presence.

“Do not play me for a fool. I’ve known who you were since the moment you stepped inside tonight. Your daughter Kate is beautiful. She’s brought me immense amounts of pleasure… and tonight, I imagine she’ll bring me a nice fee.” His reaction told me that Lipovsky was correct. “I see I’ve struck a nerve.”

As I started forward to enter the fray, Sofia and Miguel stepped into view. Lipovsky turned, aiming his gun in her direction. “Sofia Bianchi. Daughter of Filippo Bianchi, head of the Rome Mafia? You stupid little girl… and you,” he pointed his gun at Miguel. “Miguel Angel, head of the Sureños. Though I’ll admit, I don’t know why you’re here.”

Miguel glanced quickly at Sofia, but not before Aleski caught the movement. “Ah, I see. You’re here for her. Shame… you’d been wise to stay out of this.” He turned toward Harlen. “Now, you… while your performance in the room had me second-guessing myself, I knew you were not who you say you are. Though I wonder… did her mouth feel good wrapped around your cock?”

I sucked in a breath at his words, the sound giving my position away.

“You might as well come out. I know you’re there… watching.”

Sliding out from my hiding spot, I held my hands up and stepped into the light.

Nine months of pent-up rage exploded from me as everything descended into utter chaos. Harlen was roughly shoved to the ground, the impact sending a shock through the mayhem. Carmela’s body shifted with a sudden urgency, and I watched, heart hammering, as she grabbed Andrei’s leg—the same leg from which he had just delivered a brutal blow to her gut. In a desperate, fluid motion, she pulled a knife from a sheath hidden in his pants. Her movements were frantic as she clutched the cold metal in her hand, yet like her brother, the knife seemed to become an extension of her own will, a part of her.

Carmela twisted her body with a feral grace and sliced through the flesh of Andrei’s thigh. He howled in pain, a primal sound that cut through the noise of the fray. As he spun away from her, his face contorted in agony. In a swift motion borne of survival, he drew his gun from his side, readying it with a grimace as he backed away, his eyes locked on Carmela with a mix of shock and fury.

“You know, Aleski…” Pushing to her feet, Carmela stumbled toward Andrei, her eyes never leaving his. “You really are a dumb fuck to assume a woman like me wouldn’t be willing to die to end your miserable life.”

He laughed, making me tense with unease. “A mistake? You’re the only one fucking up.”

“Carmela,” I whispered. “What are you doing?”

Before Andrei had the chance to fire his weapon, Carmela’s hand was at his throat. Her stance was shifting, leveraging her position against him. Instinct suggested he would retaliate, yet to my shock, he succumbed, his knees buckling beneath her force, and dropped to his knees in front of her. My eyes widened in disbelief as she drew a long blade from their close proximity. The metal, sleek and menacing, caught the light, an ominous shine of silver stained with crimson as she pushed him back and moved to stand over him.

Carmela’s voice, laden with contempt, cut through the commotion, demanding the attention of everyone in the room.

“Did you know,” she spoke, her tone chillingly clear, “that every single moment you touched me, I was imagining your death? My plans were for a slow, torturous end to your miserable existence, but now I see you’re not worth the exertion.” Her words hung heavy in the air, a declaration of defiance and power reclaimed.

“How?” He reached out to grab her, but the blood pooling beneath him stole the battle from him as he crumpled in a heap onto the floor.

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