Page 83 of Christmas Vows with the Devil

I’m alone and confused. I know I saw him slip in here.

Suddenly, my hands land on cold metal rungs.Of course, hidden roof access.

I climb like my life depends on it, and I guess it does. The trapdoor cover at the top is off but I stay down, peering over the edge. Generators, solar panels, and a small hut block my view of the helipad. I spring out of the opening and slip into the shadowed safety of a wall.

Suddenly, two of my father’s men round the corner, rifles in hand. Without missing a beat, I lift my weapon, squeezing the trigger twice. They fall before they even know what hit them. No time for hesitation, no room for doubt. Not tonight.

“Goddammit. Fucking useless kids.”

My father’s voice booms out from around the corner. He’s here. And his protection is gone. Behind me, a few of Russo’s men filter out of the trap door, falling in line behind me.

“This is between him and me,” I tell them, my voice cold as ice. “Watch my back.”

The men nod, their expressions unreadable. We creep toward the helipad and there, in the center, stands my father. His gun is aimed at me, cocked and ready to go. A small, satisfied smile plays on his lips.

“The gun is insurance,” he says, nodding at the weapon clutched in his hands. “I’m hoping you’re here to make the right decision.”

He’s outnumbered and he knows it. There’s no helicopter, no crew backing him up. He’s done but he’s still hanging on to the sick hope that I’ll choose him. I spit at him, raising my own weapon.

He chuckles, shaking his head. “Still so soft. I raised you to be strong, to be ruthless. And yet, here you are, throwing away everything I taught you for some bitch and her kid.”

My body thrums with rage. “You didn’t raise me to be strong. You raised me to be a monster, like you.”

The sneer on his face deepens. “A monster is what this world needs, Dante. Look around you. The strong survive, the weak are crushed. I was preparing you, building you into a force to be reckoned with.”

I take a step forward, keeping my gaze locked on his. “I’m not you and I never will be.”

“That’s where you’re wrong. You’re exactly like me. Every time you pull that trigger, every time you take a life, you’re following in my footsteps.”

“Maybe I’ll never escape what you’ve done to me. But I’ll make damn sure my sonnever knows what it’s like to be raised by a monster.”

His face contorts with anger. I see his finger twitch, the hope draining from his eyes.

“This is for Matteo,” I say, my voice low and steady. “And for every single person you’ve hurt.”

A flicker of surprise crosses his face, a flash of something almost human. But it’s gone in an instant.

“Go on, then,” he sneers, still sure he can control me in some way. He still thinks he owns me. “Do it.”

I pull the trigger.

The sound echoes through the night, final and absolute.

Chapter Thirty-Three

Gia

I hear the final gunshot ring out as we climb into a waiting SUV, Matteo clinging to my hand. He’s silent, understanding the gravity of the situation. I just want to hold him and cover his little face with kisses, but first, we need to get to a safe place.

We decided early on that Dante’s penthouse would likely be targeted. We bypass the building and head to Russo’s safehouse instead. I stroke Matteo’s hair as he stares out the window, his grimy face streaked with tears. Two of Russo’s men sit with us, grim-faced and silent, holding their weapons at the ready.

I never wanted Matteo to know this life. I tried my hardest to keep him away from this world. Then with one stupid decision, I delivered him right into the center of it all. I hold back my own tears, trying to stay strong for him now.

The city speeds past us, shrouded in the inky blackness of night. My heart drums oddly in my chest, panic about Dante’s safety threatening to send it into overdrive. Again, I pull my phone out of my pocket and check for updates.Nothing.

I stare helplessly out the window along with Matteo, having nothing else to do. Finally, we pull up to a grand home in some out-of-the-way suburb. High-security metal gates open with a creak, ushering us into relative safety.

My mom and aunts rush out to greet us, fawning over Matteo, and covering him in kisses.He looks out of it, my poor boy.

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