Page 82 of Crimson Fate

“Come on, get up,” the stranger says to us.

“Easy,” Marco says.

“Hands where I can see ’em. That’s it, come on, walk toward the boat,” one man instructs, and all three of us do as we are told.

The dock stretches out before us, the glow of the floodlights casting an eerie glow on the water. My mind races with thoughts of escape, of finding a way to turn this situation in our favor. But with their guns pressed against us, there’s little room for error.

As we move down the dock toward the boat, I spot Anthony at the same moment he spies us. “Are you fucking kidding me?” he bellows, following it up with a sinister laugh.

“Excuse me, sir, we found these three sneaking around over there by the water’s edge, and they were all pretty well-armed,” the unfamiliar man explains.

“I bet they were,” Anthony remarks smugly.

My jaw clenches as I meet Anthony’s gaze, the hatred between us simmering beneath the surface. “You’re making a big mistake, Anthony,” I growl, my voice dripping with disdain.

Anthony takes a slow step forward, leveling his cold, dead eyes on me. “Oh, am I?” He sneers. “Because from where I’m standing, it looks like you’re the one who fucked up.”

He is right. I’m not sure how we will get out of this and still save Eva, but somehow, I will. I have to.

“What do you want us to do with them?” Matthew asks.

“You don’t have to listen to them, Matthew,” Marco says. “You know we are going to figure a way out of this, and when we do, anyone who helped Anthony is as good as dead.”

The unfamiliar man strikes Marco with his gun, reminding him that he told him to shut up once already.

“This really does change everything,” Anthony boasts.

“What do you mean?” the man who hit Marco asks.

“It means that instead of running, it looks like it’s my turn to wear the crown,” Anthony announces.

“I’m going to love killing you,” I warn, my eyes fixed on Anthony.

Anthony’s tone is dark and ominous, his gaze never wavering from my face. “You’ve always been a bit delusional. When your dad died, you actually thought you had what it took to run this family. I can see why he doubted you.”

I spit out a bitter laugh, my eyes glinting with fury. “At least I wasn’t so afraid of losing my power that I had to betray my own family. You’re nothing but a fucking coward, and you’re the one who’s delusional if you think any of the other capos will ever bend a knee to you.”

Anthony snorts. “Oh, please. You’re not even close to understanding the extent of what I’m capable of. You should focus on your own survival, Vincent, and worry a little less about telling me about my future.”

I sneer at him, but words aren’t what I need now. I need an opportunity.

Chapter Thirty-One

The deck groans under my feet, the salty air clinging to my lungs as Anthony’s men herd us onto the boat like cattle bound for slaughter. Nico’s jaw is clenched beside me, and Marco’s eyes dart around, hunting for an unseen escape or advantage in this watery cage we find ourselves stepping onto.

“Keep it together,” I murmur to them, hoping my voice doesn’t betray the icy dread coiling in my gut. “We’ve gotta get Eva.”

“Vincent.” I turn to see Gia emerging from behind her father. “You promised you wouldn’t come here.”

Anthony chuckles, shaking his head. “I should have known you couldn’t resist telling him where we were.”

I swallow hard. “Gia, you have to understand I didn’t have a choice. I couldn’t take the chance that Eva would get hurt because of her association with me.”

“I warned you. I said that if you came here, I couldn’t protect her,” Gia says as she steps closer, and I can see the hurt etched on her face. “Whatever happens to her, that’s on you now.”

“Maybe next time you’ll listen to your dad,” Anthony taunts Gia before turning to the men on the docks.

Gia mutters something I can’t make out under her breath in the direction of her father.

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