Page 122 of Bloodlust

"It is." I close my eyes, breathing in his scent, my lungs filling with longing. "It's too late."

"Do you trust her, Camilla?" Hayden asks. "Really trust her?" He shakes his head. "If she misses the trigger even by a centimeter then the vest won't work. It'll stop the bullet but that's it. No blood."

"She said she can do it," I state. "I have to trust her, Hayden. Just like you're trusting your tech team with this vest, I'm trusting my team with my life."

"It's going to hurt, Cami," he says. "If she hits the blood trigger, you'll feel the explosion. In addition to the impact of the bullet..." He winces. "It's going to hurt, baby."

"I can handle it," I say, letting out a long breath. "It'll only hurt for a minute. Zoey said that Petrotoxin works fast. I shouldn't feel a thing."

His jaw clenches. "I don't like the idea of you taking a modified neurotoxin that hasn't been properly tested, Camilla." He runs a hand through his disheveled hair. "It's dangerous."

"It's necessary. I need to appear dead."

"I'm glad you're alive, kid," Dad says. "But next time when you want to throw a tantrum, perhaps try something a little less dramatic." He nods at The Council. "Let's go before she pulls another little magic trick."

"You're leaving?" I ask, giving him a smile. "You can't leave."

"Watch me," he grunts, grabbing my mother's hand as he marches away.

"Have fun in jail, Daddy," I call out after him as The Council begins to rise from their seats. "I'll write to you!"

My father comes to an abrupt halt after walking a few yards. He turns on his heel, fist clenched as he stares at me with loathing and beautiful disappointment.

He saw them.

"What did you do?" he spits, body vibrating as the rest of The Council tenses, finally noticing the onslaught of FBI agents hiding in the distance. "What did you do?"

"Remember, Daddy? Remember what you told me?"

"We will kill every one of them, bambina," my father says, consoling me. "We will rise up and become the most powerful family. A family that no one would think of fucking with ever again." He looks at me, dead in the eyes, and says, "One day, Camilla, this will all be yours. And you alone will make El Castro suffer for taking the life of dear Daniel." He holds my hand and gives it a squeeze. "You are a Bianco, and you will get your revenge."

"I'm getting my revenge." I smile as a gust of wind flows through my white chiffon dress, and I can finally breathe. "Time to surrender, Daddy." I tilt my head. "You're surrounded."

"Surrounded?"

"Surrounded."

"You fucking bitch!" my father screams, pulling a gun from his holster.Fuck!"You set me up!" He storms toward me, his arm shaking as he vibrates. "You fucking set me up? You fucking rat!"

I had a plan.

All the pieces fell exactly where they were supposed to fall.

Except one.

"Mils!" Leo yells, lunging toward me as flocks of birds spread their wings and fly off the trees, a horrifying melody of chirps and gunshots echoing in the sky. I scream as Leo falls backward into my arms, Zoella running to my side as dozens of FBI agents rush toward us. "Mils..."

"Leo," I cry out, holding his head as I sink down on my knees, my heart racing.No. No. No. No. No."What did you do? What did you do!"

"Oh my God," Zoey cries, fingers trembling as she hovers her hand over the gunshot wound right over his heart. "Oh my God, Leo..." She looks around, desperately screaming, "Help! Someone help him!"

"Camilla!" I hear Hayden's voice in the midst of all the chaos. "Camilla!"

"Help!" Zoey cries, looking up at Hayden as he sinks down on one knee. "Do something!"

"It's okay, Zoe," Leo coughs, blood dripping out the side of his mouth. "It's okay..."

"Haydendosomething," I beg, stroking Leo's cheek as tears roll down my face. "He wasn't supposed to shoot, I didn't think he would try and?—"

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