Page 62 of Vicious Rule

Smart ass.

They take off in the opposite direction while I make my way down the hallway where Nico lies dead. I hear gunshots and screams, and for a moment, I listen to make sure they aren’t Rules getting hurt. I may not be able to stand my brother and father on most days, but I’m not interested in seeing them killed, for fuck’s sake.

The next door I come to is locked, a clear sign I want to know what’s going on in that room, so I shoot the door and kick it open once the lock is blown away. Inside, a single person sits in the dark, but the light of the window shines just enough to show me it’s a man.

But is it the one I’m looking for?

“Which asshole are you?” I ask as I flick on the light.

He lunges at me screaming, “The one who’s going to fucking kill you!”

Startled by his insane style of attack, I don’t shoot immediately. I see he has a knife in his hand, and all that goes through my mind is that saying brought a knife to a gunfight. Just before he reaches me, I get my wits about me again and take a single shot aimed at the center of his forehead. The bullet blows out the back of this motherfucker’s brains, and he drops like a stone in front of me.

I look down to see it’s not the Olivetti I wanted. This one, likely the old man or the uncle I’ve heard about, lies there with his brain matter splattered behind him all over the floor and the sofa where he was sitting.

Stupid fuck.

Irritated I still haven’t found Angelo, I reach down to take the knife out of his hand and kick the bastard in front of me before turning around to go find the one Olivetti I want. With each step, I assume I’ll run into more guards I’ll have to kill, but the place is eerily silent. Not the way I’d run my business, but this is why they’ll be dead tonight and the Rules will control this whole fucking country before long.

More shots ring out on the other side of the house and then I hear a woman’s scream that makes me freeze in my tracks. I’d know that voice anywhere.

Sasha.

Angelo can wait, so I run to the back of the house to find my father standing over Andre lying dead on the floor and Gideon holding a sobbing Sasha in his arms. Ignoring how much I hate seeing that, I open my arms and she runs to me.

“I knew you’d come for me, Alex. I knew it,” she says in my ear.

The feel of her body pressed against mine thrills me like nothing has ever before. Holding her to me, I ask, “Are you okay? Did that fucker do anything to you?”

She shakes her head and leans back to smile at me. “No, I’m fine. I just want to go home.”

As much as I don’t want to say the words that come next, I don’t have a choice. She needs to be safe at the villa, and I have work left to do here.

“Go with my father and brother. I’ll be back soon.”

She clings to my shirt as tears fill her eyes. “Just come back with us, Alex. You can get your revenge another night.”

“No. This ends tonight. Go with them. You’ll be safe at home.”

Sasha fights me for a few moments more before I gently push her toward my father. “Take her and go!”

“No. I’m staying here with you. Gideon can take Sasha back to the villa.”

There’s no time to argue, so I nod and kiss Sasha. “Go with him. I promise I’ll be back soon.”

“Don’t go getting yourself killed. I’ll never forgive you, Alex Rule,” she says sweetly through her tears.

I look over her head at my brother and say, “Keep her safe. You know what will happen if you don’t.”

She looks back at me as I give her to him and he mumbles, “Always the threats. Christ, Alex. I knew her before you did, okay?”

As hard as it is to ignore his little jab, I don’t respond. Sasha looks back at me one last time before they leave. When I turn to face my father, I have to ask why he wanted to stay.

“You should have gone with them. What’s with hanging out here with me? Mom’s back at the villa.”

He nods and gives me the typical Dad look. “True, but one of my sons needs me. Now let’s get these fucks so I can go enjoy some of that risotto you mentioned before. Who are we looking for now?”

“The old man and Angelo. I got the uncle already.”

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