Page 118 of Sin & Sapphire

“You’re fucking gorgeous, you know that?” His gentle kiss to my knuckles melted the horrified block of ice in my chest. “A perfect toy, letting her owners play with her whenever they want.”

He meant to be kind, but all I heard was that I was a toy, that despite my hours of work that evening, visiting the widows of men we’d lost when that asshole blew up my family compound, the only thing they cared about was how good a fucktoy I was.

I yanked my hand away from his, the shakes from the aftershocks of my climax turning into trembling from hurt and rage. “Right. A toy. Just a toy. Lest I forget.” The whiskey burned my throat as I threw the dregs of my glass down my throat.

I’d made a very public declaration of alliance when I’d kissed Angelo here, in the middle of Costa territory, in my first public appearance since my father was murdered. And I continued to ask nothing in return, as stupid of a slut as they accused me of being,

When I pulled away from Angelo, he had the gall to look hurt before he wrapped an arm around my waist and hauled me right back against him. “Too late for second thoughts, angel.”

Valentin snatched my hand back in his. “You were brilliant today, Ana. Thanks to you, we have a shot at claiming Gio’s empire.”

“So you can expand your construction business and protection rackets to Yorkfield?” I sneered. “I don’t give a fuck about holding onto Gio’s empire. We’re going to make sure the families of everyone killed in that blast are taken care of, that they know the remaining Costas give a fuck, and then?—”

I didn’t have any idea what would come next. How long would keeping me as their toy entertain these powerful men? And now that I’d given in, ended the thrill of the chase, would the end come that much faster?

The panic thrumming through my veins must have been visible on my face because Valentin squeezed my fingers. “Where’s your head at, princess?”

Before I could answer, the door slammed open and bodies in black technical gear and balaclavas poured into the rundown bar, filling it with violent energy.

Angelo shifted, blocking my view of them and blocking their view of me. I reached up under his suit jacket and pulled out the gun he kept tucked into the back of his pants, then slid to the side so I could see, keeping my other hand hidden behind him.

“Good girl,” Valentin murmured, letting go of my hand. “When shots start firing, run through the kitchen and out through the back. We’ll cover your exit, then meet you back at our apartment. Don’t let anyone in but us, not our men, and not your father’s.

“Can I get you boys something to drink?” Paulo drawled from behind the bar, where he continued to polish glasses, as if the half a dozen soldiers weren’t bristling with weapons and menace.

“We’re here for one thing,” one of the men answered in a thick Russian accent. “If Ana Costa comes with us, no one will get hurt.”

“Who the fuck are you?” Paulo asked.

“Boris Tchérnov sent us,” the man growled, “so she can fulfill her end of the deal her father made.”

He found me. I contained my panic, promising myself I could lose my shit when I was safe. My eyes flicked to the expensive tennis bracelet on my wrist, the designer dress I wore, down to my red bottomed heels. I could run. Again. Now.

Paulo laughed, the cheeky fucker, and jerked his chin toward our table. “Don’t think she gives a fuck about her father’s deal.”

The man visibly bristled, then turned his attention to me. “These men don’t need to die today. Come with me.”

“The fuck she will,” Angelo snarled, and the bar exploded, guns cocking and pointing at one another. “I’ll let every man in this bar die a bloody, painful death before I hand Ana over to a Tchérnov.”

Paulo shot first, knocking the leader’s weapon out of his hand. He’d reached under the bar and grabbed his gun so fast nobody saw him.

Bullets flew. Angelo stood up.

“Ana, now!” Valentin snapped.

Holding the gun in one hand, I peeked out from behind Angelo, then ducked and wove behind tables as I ran for the kitchen door as fast as my heels permitted. The sound of gunshots followed me, but nobody wanted to see me hurt.

I crashed through the swinging doors, then ducked behind the wall to kick off my shoes.

Fuck.

Fuck!

“Miss Costa!” A fierce whisper from behind a counter brought my thoughts back to the immediate problem—my safety. “You gotta get out of here!”

I hesitated, part of me screaming at leaving Angelo and Valentin behind, at leaving my people in the middle of a firefight.

“Now, before they come looking for you,” the voice pled, urgently. A young man wearing a white coat and black clogs gestured to me. I’d figure out what his name was later. Right now, we had to go. Together, we ran toward the back.

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