Page 35 of Savage Mafia King

"Let her go."

James barks out a laugh of amusement. "You really think it's that easy?" he shoots back, shoving the gun harder into my side. I cry out in pain, and he tightens his grip on my throat, squeezing his fingers into my neck.

"I'll take you out just like I took out your fucking goons," Marcus growls, anger flashing in his eyes.

"You think I give a damn about them?" James replies. "They're nothing to me. Nothing. I don't get attached. Not like you, Marcus."

Terror pulses through my body. I can't read Marcus's face. His expression seems distant, dark, like he's somewhere else entirely.

"You really think you can trust this bitch over your own family?" James begins to choke the air from my throat. "Come on, man. Look at how easy it was for her to fuck me over. She'll do the same to you, given the chance. She'll hurt you. She'll ruin you. And for what? So you can get some mediocre pussy?"

"Don't talk about her like that."

Marcus's voice is ice-cold now, so cold it sends a shiver down my spine. I claw at James's hand around my neck, but it's set tight. I can see dark shadows starting to swim in the corners of my vision now, what little strength left in me beginning to fade. I want to fight, I want to battle him, I want to tear him off of me, but he's too strong. The only person I can rely on is standing right there in front of me, and I have no idea if he's really going to have my back. Not when it comes down to it. We're talking family here, we're talking blood. Is he strong enough to go against that? Is what we have strong enough?

And then, through the haze, I see him. I'm not just looking at him, but I really see him. His sharp gaze catches mine, the intensity of it stilling everything for a moment. The world falls away, except for the way he's looking at me right now. And the look in his eyes, I know just what he's thinking, just what he's asking for.

He's asking me to fight.

I hear the gun cock, and James rams it into my side again. I drag in a shaky breath.

"Make your choice, Marcus," he growls.

Marcus gives me a slight nod. I draw my foot up and drive it down hard into James's knee. He lets out a yell, drawing away from me instinctively—giving Marcus just enough time to level the gun and take the shot.

"Isabella, move!" he screams at me. I lunge out of the way, covering my head with my hands, and I make it to the corner of the room just as the gunshot rings out and fills the air around us.

I hear it hit James with a sickening thud, driving itself into his guts. I can see the spray of arterial blood out of the corner of my eye, the noise of the gunshot ringing in my ears. Outside, the flock of birds from before has taken off again, shooting off into the graying sky above us.

James slides to his knees, a bubbling emerging from between his wordless lips, and then smashes onto the floor.

Dead.

I clasp my hands over my mouth, and Marcus rushes to me in the split second before I topple to the floor.

"Hey, hey, I've got you," he assures me, and he pulls me against him tight.

I bury my face in his shoulder. I can smell blood on him, that heavy, metallic scent, but as long as it's not his, I don't care. I wrap my arms around him and cling on to him for dear life, just breathing him in, just reminding myself he's alive. That we're both alive.

"I need to make sure the rest of the building is clear," he murmurs to me as he pulls back. "And then, we're getting out of here. Okay?"

"O-okay," I stutter back. I reach out for him as he heads for the door, almost wanting to ask him to stay, but I know he needs to do this. Just because I'm scarred and shaken and still hardly able to catch a breath, it doesn't mean that he has to risk our safety. He's right to clear this place, make sure there are no more of James's men lurking around, waiting to pounce on us.

And as I finally gather enough strength to look over at the man on the floor, it hits me—it really hits me.

This is over. James is dead. Whatever the Castellanos have been plotting against both of our families, it's taken a serious hit.

And that leaves room for me to finally consider how I feel about Marcus.

About the man who just risked it all to save my life.

Chapter Nineteen—Marcus

I lead her up to my penthouse in silence. I know she's having a hard time thinking straight, and it's not like I can blame her, with everything that has happened.

We left James and his lackeys at the apartment block where he asked to meet us. I should have known he was going to bring back up, though they clearly weren't equipped to handle me. I've never killed like that before, not without a second thought, but when she was in danger, I didn't even have to think twice.

I wanted them gone. So I made it happen.

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