Page 39 of The Sicilian Brotherhood I

He lunged forward and I sprinted away, knocking picture frames on the wall and throwing them into his way as I ran for the back door.

“DAHLIA!” Skye screamed, “DAHLIA!”

I couldn’t tell if she was scared that I wouldn’t make it, or if she only feared what would happen to her if I did make it. I ran through Dahlia’s kitchen and grabbed onto the handle of the back door to find it locked. Iago had me cornered in the kitchen with only one exit. I stopped at the back door, breathing with the fervor of an injured animal.

Adrenaline gushed through my veins as my mind raced through every possible option that I had. I lunged for one of Dahlia’s kitchen knives, pulling the long silver blade out with a sharp sound and brandishing it out in front of me.

Foolish, I know. Iago didn’t resort to hand to hand combat to finish his dirty work.

I heard Skye pleading in the hallway.

“Please! Please don’t do it! Iago, you don’t have to do it!”

There was no pleading with a man like Iago. When he set on a mission, especially for one of his brothers, he finished it.

Iago stood in the doorway, staring at me with an intense smile on his face, clearing enjoying the chase. A pounding on the door from the outside indicated we had more company. I was cornered, my heart racing and I had no way out.

For the first time, I considered that I would actually have to fight to the death. That’s what this had come to.

I heard a voice on the other side of the door, piercing through the loud heaving of my breath.

“Dahlia? Open this door.”

Giacomo. I never thought I’d be happy to hear that man’s voice. I couldn’t open the door, of course. I let out a shriek as Iago lunged at me. I didn’t hear Giacomo again until of course, the front door swung open a few moments later. How did he find me here?

I ran again, dodging Iago around the kitchen counter still brandishing my knife. I had to only hold him off a few more moments. I was more than capable of doing that.

“GET OUT! GET OUT OF HERE!” I heard Skye shrieking.

He was inside. Good. I ignored my racing heart and the terror that had seized my chest. I had no choice but to fight. I grabbed a plate off Skye’s counter and threw it at Iago. He dodged it and the plate shattered on the ground.

Giac’s boot crunched the plate as he rounded the corner. He pulled out his gun and fired a bullet. I screamed, but this time, he hadn’t aimed to kill. Iago cried out as the bullet pierced his shoulder, going through it and taking a bit of his flesh with him.

My stomach turned again.

Giac had no need for his gun once he’d maimed Iago. He replaced it in his holster and rushed the man, using his fists to finish taking him down. Iago grunted as Giac landed a fierce right hook in his stomach. Giacomo swept Iago’s legs from beneath him and hit him until he lay limp on the ground, unconscious.

I was still shaking, still gripping Skye’s knife tightly. Giacomo could either kill him or he wouldn’t.

Giac stood, his fists covered with blood.

“He’s out,” he said.

Given the commotion quieted, Skye entered the kitchen, her eyes wide and frightened.

“You…” Giacomo growled, “Don’t go anywhere.”

I could sense Skye wanted to run but I gave her a look that pleaded with her not to.

Giac washed his fists in the sink, blood running from them as he coolly examined himself for injuries.

“Giac…”

“I told you not to leave,” he growled.

“I’m sorry.”

“You’re lucky,” he muttered.

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