Page 113 of Ruthless Guardian

Fury rushes my veins as I hear the man’s disgusting words; he wants to fuckmyIsabella. My feet are moving before I can stop them. I dart around the corner and train the barrel of my gun already equipped with the silencer at the second guard’s head. I squeeze the trigger, and the guy crumbles to the floorbefore I lunge at the one who made the repulsive comment about Isa.

I need to feel the crunch of his bones against my fist, and the spurt of his blood on my knuckles before I kill him. I haul my arm back and let it loose. The crack of his nose sends a wave of satisfaction to the dark monster lurking beneath the surface. I hit him again and again, his head bouncing on the concrete.

“That’s myragazza,” I hiss. “You will never defile her with your dirty hands.”

He opens his mouth to speak, but I shove the barrel of my gun inside, cutting him off. I pull the trigger without a second thought, then leap up to my feet as deep crimson splashes my shoes. Wiping the blood off my hands on the guard’s black shirt, I search his pockets for the key to the cellar. Finding the key ring, I slip it into my pocket before sliding the pack off my shoulder to search for the lighter fluid. Dousing the two bodies in the pungent liquid, I light the match and race for the basement door.

The moment the thick metal slams behind me, I hear the rush of footfalls outside.Merda. An old chair is propped up against the wall, so I grab it and wedge it by the door. Hopefully, it’ll buy me a few more seconds. Killing those two men was not part of the plan, but I simply couldn’t control myself after what thatstronzosaid about my Isabella. And this is why I’m spiraling because without that control I’m nothing but chaos incarnate.

Get your shit together, Raffaele.

Forcing in ragged breaths as I traverse the dark hallway, I attempt to still my racing heart to listen for approaching guards. OncePapà’s security team finds those bodies, they’ll come straight for Isabella. I lengthen my stride, eating up the distance between us in seconds. It’s as if an invisible tether is leading me straight toward her. She’s close, I can feel it.

The double doors of the wine cellar appear at the end of the corridor, and I slow, grisly memories of the past assaulting my subconscious.

“No, Papà, no, please, ti prego.” I’m on my knees in that damned wine cellar, begging.

He sneers down at me, nothing but pure malice in his dark glare. “It’s too late,figlio mio, her fate is sealed along with yours, traditore pezzo di merda.”

I blink quickly to chase away the terrible images that come next. I’ll die first before allowing that to ever happen to Isabella. I pause by the door, straining to make out a sound. Muffled voices seep through the cracks. Tiptoeing the final few steps, I press my ear to the old timber.

Two voices, one that has my heart thundering like mad.

Clutching my gun, I whip the door open and level the barrel at my brother.

“Raf!” Isabella cries, and all the air squeezes from my lungs at the sight of her. Alive. Her expression falters as she takes me in, excitement morphing into something darker. For a second, I forgot I must look like total shit with all the bloodied bruises.

It takes every ounce of restraint to remain still when all I want to do is run to her, pull her into my arms and never let go. Instead, I focus on my asshole brother and point the gun at his head.

“Relax, Raffa,” Giuseppe murmurs.

“Relax?” I bark, swinging my gun around like apazzo. “You fucking kidnapped her, youpezzo di merda!”

He holds his hands up and takes a step back, only inching closer to Isabella.

“Get the fuck away from her,” I growl. I don’t dare look down at the floor, at the spot where Laura bled out as I held her in my arms.

“Okay, okay.” He backs off, creeping farther into the bowels of the cellar. “I had nothing to do with this, Raffa. You have to believe me.”

“I don’t have to believemerda. Now, don’t move or I’ll blow your fucking head off.” I reach for Isa, but something unreadable flashes across her face, and she doesn’t move. “Come here.” The hard line of my jaw softens as I regard her. “Please.”

“I—I just have to ask you something first.”

“Isa, we don’t really have a lot of time here.”

“I know that.” Still, she doesn’t move, only crosses her arms over her chest. Her typical move when she’s being stubborn.

“Okay, ask…”

“Did you know that your father orchestrated the attack at The Velvet Vault?” Her lower lip trembles, and a sliver of my heart just about snaps right off. “Did you know your father arranged to have you take Frankie’s place? Were you in on it the whole time?”

A stab of pain lances through my chest, worse than any bullet wound. “No, absolutely not.Dio, Isa, how can you even think that?”

“Your father said?—”

“My father is a fucking liar. He only said that so you’ll doubt me. Which clearly worked.”Cazzo, how could she have such little faith in me?

We remain there silent, locked in a battle of wills for much too long.

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