Page 85 of Crimson Fate

“You heartless bastard,” I seethe, my words barely audible over the pounding in my ears.

Gia stands and turns, walking toward the kitchen area.

“Where the hell do you think you’re going?” Anthony’s voice cuts through the tension like a serrated blade.

Gia’s posture is rigid with resolve. “I’m not gonna sit here and watch Nico bleed out,” she snaps back, fires in her eyes. “I’m getting a towel to stop the bleeding. And if you have a problem with that, go ahead—shoot me too.”

Her challenge hangs heavy in the air, but Anthony turns away, dismissive, refocusing his attention on us, continuing to lay out his vile intentions. His arrogance blinds him as Gia slips around the counter into the kitchen area, out of his view.

I can barely breathe, every cell in my body screaming for action, for vengeance. But it’s Gia who re-emerges, gun in hand, stealing the breath from the room. “This ends now, Daddy.”

Anthony whirls around, his eyes widening at the sight of the gun leveled on him. “Drop your weapon,” Gia commands, her voice surprisingly steady.

“Where the hell did you get that gun?” he demands, incredulity lacing his tone.

“You raised me to never go anywhere unprepared.” She looks at her purse on the countertop, her arm unwavering.

The room is a powder keg, everyone frozen in place, each heartbeat thunderous in the confines of the boat.

Unfazed by the mayhem or the gun aimed at him, Anthony finds a new target for his weapon—me.

I see my cousin stand from the corner of my eye. “Marco, don’t!” I shout.

Marco’s eyes meet mine briefly—a silent apology or a final farewell, I can’t tell.

Anthony’s gun swings toward Marco, and for a split second, time stretches and contorts. Then, amid the crescendo of panic, a shot shatters the standoff. The deafening sound reverberates off the walls, and someone screams—a high-pitched, raw sound that could belong to any of us caught in this maelstrom of fear and fury.

The room falls into a stunned silence, every pair of eyes searching for the source of the shot, for the person it found a home in. My eyes are locked on Marco, who stands frozen, his chest heaving. Anthony’s arm remains extended, but there’s a flicker of uncertainty in his otherwise impassive expression.

Nobody moves. Nobody breathes. We’re all suspended in the aftermath of the gunshot, the echo hanging in the air like a specter.

Chapter Thirty-Two

We all watch, breathless, as Anthony hits the ground, his gun skidding across the wooden planks of the boat’s floor. Marco snatches it up before I can fully process what’s happened.

My gaze flicks between him and Gia, who’s frozen like she’s been turned to stone.

Marco whips his head around to look at me, the determination etched on his face. “How’s Nico?” Marco asks.

Observing Nico struggling to maintain consciousness, I shake my head. “He’s not doing great.”

“We need to get him to the hospital,” Marco declares.

“My dad—is he...?” Gia’s voice trembles as she tries to ask the question despite the fact she is terrified of what the answer might be.

Marco doesn’t wait for her to finish. He kneels next to Anthony’s body and checks for a pulse. “He’s alive,” he states.

She blinks rapidly as if waking from a nightmare, her chest rising and falling with shallow breaths. “I shot him. I shot my dad.” Her voice is flat, and it’s clear she’s in shock.

“Listen to me,” Marco says as he stands and moves directly toward Gia’s path. He takes the gun out of her hand and tosses it next to me before gripping her shoulders and forcing her to look into his eyes. “I think it missed his heart, okay? He’s not conscious, but I think your dad will be fine. Nico, on the other hand, isn’t. We have to get him to a hospital right now.” It’s as if he is willing her to focus on what’s important right now.

I don’t know if Marco is lying to Gia about Anthony, and I don’t care. I only care about getting Eva out of here before Anthony’s men return.

It takes only seconds, but those seconds stretch out, filled with the weight of decisions made and consequences yet to come.

“Okay.” She finally nods, her voice gaining strength. “My car... it’s in the parking lot, just outside.”

“Perfect.” Marco and I exchange a glance.

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