Page 84 of Mafia Don's Secret Baby

“You’re outnumbered, boy.”

“Am I?”

Vlad stiffened and glanced over my shoulder. It was the opportunity I needed. I sprung forward and knocked his gun to the side. It went off and missed me narrowly. The ringing in my ears felt familiar as I kicked his gun away, but Vlad was quick. He grabbed my wounded forearm. Stars shot through my vision, and my other hand’s grip loosened as he slammed a fist down on my gun.

I released it with a shout in pain.

Motion captured my attention, and I found the door slamming closed. I caught the briefest glimpse of Lilianna on the other side and bared my teeth.

I needed to get inside. That was my first priority, but I had to take care of Vlad first.

“They used to insist on hand-to-hand combat to determine a Don,” Vlad said, stepping to the side and watching every motion I made. “It guaranteed a strong leader.”

“Then people like you came along and started shooting their competition in the back.”

My demeanor had gone cold. Everything inside of me had gone cold. All I cared about was reaching Lilianna, and if it meant killing Vlad on the spot, I’d do it. I’d fantasized about torturing him and giving him what he deserved, but there wasn’t a single thing that meant more than Lilianna. No vengeance or justice meant more.

Nothing.

I didn’t give him the chance to plan his attack. I reached for the two longer blades at my vest and gripped them tightly. The wound in my forearm ached, and it made it difficult to maintain my grip, but I didn’t allow it to stop me from slashing at Vlad.

For an older man, he moved as if he had spent his entire life training. He ducked beneath one blow and sidestepped the other, grabbing his knife. I didn’t allow him to use it as I kicked out a foot and thrust my blade over his wrist. He shouted in pain at the same time as gunfire exploded outside the building.

There wasn’t meant to be gunfire here.

I waited for Marcus or Anthony to provide an update, but nobody said anything through the earpiece.

I moved forward again, lifting the knife and plunging it toward his heart, but he moved, grabbing my wrist and twisting in a way that had my body turning, arm behind my back. I felt another blade cut through the air by my ear, and I slammed my head back. Whatever weapon he’d had fell away as I turned and pushed his body into the wall behind him with all the force I could manage.

The drywall cracked beneath his weight.

The gunfire around us intensified. At least five different gunmen were firing, and nobody was reporting through my earpiece.

I slid my blade to Vlad’s throat. I hesitated only for a moment, coming to terms with the loss of the revenge I’d yearned for. But I didn’t have time. I didn’t know where the gunfire outside was coming from, and Lilianna was alone with Aelita.

I had to end this.

“Burn in hell motherfucker,” I spit, pleased as he flinched away from my saliva.

I pressed the knife deep into his throat and slid it across. I watched as his mouth fell open, trying and failing to take another breath.

His body crashed to the floor, still thrashing and gurgling as I turned to the door where Aelita had taken Lilianna.

I wouldn’t lose another person I cared for. Not today.

Chapter Twenty-Nine

Lilianna Genovese

When Aelita tugged my chair back into the room, the legs lifted far enough from the ground that I could slip the rope away from the chair. The restraints remained on my ankles, but they didn’t bind me down, and they’d been too ignorant to bind the sets of ropes together.

I kept my legs in the same position to hide my partial freedom as she slammed the chair down on the ground.

The wrist restraints were loose, but not loose enough. I felt the rawness of my skin as I pulled again, crinkling my nose as pain seared my skin. I pressed my thumb down and slid the rope across the back of my hand before pausing.

I could free myself.

It would be uncomfortable, but I could do it as soon as the time was right.

---