Page 124 of A Taste Of Darkness

“No.”

“Well, James, that’s not very nice, is it? You refuse to tell me your name and then I can’t even give you one. What else am I supposed to call you?”

“Just shut the fuck up, bitch.” He didn’t have an Italian accent, which only fortified my suspicions—these guys were a last-minute addition to the team. “Your little chitchat isn’t going to get you anywhere…”

He kept on blabbing all about how I’d never get out of here alive. However, while he was too distracted telling me how worthless I was and how I was just a woman and couldn’t do shit, neither of them noticed that I was slowly cutting the rope around my wrists with the knife I had shoved up my sleeve earlier.

Suddenly, I was very appreciative of the presentation about safety Milo gave me a couple of weeks ago.

It took a while to cut the rope, mainly because I wasn’t able to hold the knife properly, but I got there in the end.

The rope fell from my wrists, and suddenly, all four men looked down to see what that noise was, subconsciously lowering their guns as well.

That was the only moment I had to strike.

I gripped the handle of the knife, swinging my arm around and slashing two of the men’s throats. Splatters of blood squirted out of their bodies, hitting my face. Even though I was about to throw up, I had no time to be disgusted.

I stabbed the knife into the third guy’s chest, losing my grip on the handle as he sank to his knees.

James was the last one standing, and I was no longer armed while he held his gun right between my eyebrows.

“Just pull the trigger, James,” I said, smiling at him. “Do it. What are you waiting for? Isn’t that your order? To kill me.”

He swallowed so loud, I could hear it.

“Or is your order to keep me alive at all costs?” I covered his hands with my own, steadying his grip on the gun as the barrel pressed into my skin. “Because Adriana wants to kill me. She wants the joy of it, right? You’re not allowed to do it. And what if you do?” I took a step forward, pushing him back. “What if you killed me? Who’s the person you’re protecting?”

There was always someone, wasn’t there?

“Who’s more important than your own life?” I pushed further. He probably didn’t even notice that I was leading him toward a wall.

“My…”

“Tell me, James,” I said. “I’m not the bad guy here.”

“My son,” he admitted just as his back hit the wall. “He’ll be an orphan without me.” He removed his hand from the gun, taking a deep breath as he stood there, now defenseless and unarmed.

I lowered the gun, not bothering to redirect it at him even though it was what Milo had taught me to do. I wasn’t supposed to feel remorseful, wasn’t supposed to empathize with someone ready to murder me if he’d been given the command.

Always choose your own life, Milo said.

I was choosing my own, but I also couldn’t be the reason a child was put into an orphanage. I couldn’t be the reason his only parent had been brutally taken away from him.

“You need to leave,” I said, glancing at the door. “Adriana won’t be alive tomorrow, and nothing’s going to happen to you or your son if you decide to leave now.”

He nodded, taking a deep breath before he opened the door and ran away.

I honestly didn’t think it’d work.

Now that I was alone, I immediately rushed over to my sister, checking her for injuries while saying her name over and over as if that was going to wake her up. I didn’t want to shake her or make any sudden moves as I feared it might kill her. Who knew what these people did to her? I wouldn’t want to risk anything.

I knew it wasn’t going to take long anymore until Kai and Milo arrived, and then the medical professionals would take care of her.

Still, tears were streaming down my face as I sat down on the floor, holding my sister’s hand, praying Milo would bust through the door any second.

If we stayed in Italy, Flora would’ve been fine right now. She’d probably be at home, sleeping ever so peacefully.

There were no windows in the room, no medical equipment, nothing. Flora didn’t have a phone on her, so I couldn’t call Kai, Milo, or anyone.

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