Page 157 of Knights Game

“It’s been a pleasure doing business with you, we’ll get whatever your parents left you, then I’ll kill my nephew, your grandfather and Katy, then we’ll move forward like we always do. It’s time to clear up the mess—again.”

He pulls the trigger and I’m falling.

Fire erupts through my stomach as the bullet tears through me, ripping through muscle, cartilage and hopefully not arteries.

The downside of having medical experience, you know just how fucked you might be when something happens. I crash to the floor, still strapped to the chair, the impact sending bolts of fire through my abdomen.

The pain is excruciating, and I’ve experienced pain before. What are the chances of having two catastrophic stomach wounds in your life and walking away from both.

Yeah, the odds are slim, and you don’t need to have medical experience to know that. The door to the dirty room I’m inopens, and I blink back tears, focusing on my breathing, but my vision blurs and I swear I’m seeing things.

The person walks towards me and crouches down, he gently cups my face, his expression full of remorse.

“Does he know?” I wheeze and he shakes his head. “You’re a piece of shit.” My voice is hoarse and broken

He leans forward, his mouth by my ear. “Did you give it to them? Did you tell them where it was?”

“Fuck off.”

“It’s important Layla.”

“So is friendship, honour and loyalty. Something I thought you had but turns out you're just another piece of shit in his life.”

“Leave her.” John says from behind him.

Roman stands and looks down at me, then to John. “This wasn’t part of the deal.”

55

Luca

I liked this penthouse.The view, the space, the memories. I never came here until her. It was a wasted piece of real estate. But now its part of us, of our journey together.

It’s all gone now.

I stand off to the side in the shadows, cigarette between my lips, as I breathe in the smoke whilst I watch my world burn.

Alarms wail, sirens race towards the block of luxury apartments, the memories of the Glenfell tower block fire that ripped through a building and killed many, all too ripe in Londoners’ minds. So, when a tower burns there’s no hesitation.

People are evacuated, emergency services mobilised.

Organised chaos ensues.

Although the fire system is a lot more modern, the gas explosion is enough to ensure that my apartment will be completely burnt to ashes by the time they get here.

A blast rocks the night, glass erupts from the top of the building, raining down on those below.

I feel bad about it.

But it’s a necessary evil, and there are always casualties in war. The innocent always suffer at the hands of those in power. And tonight is no different.

My phone is off, the last message having been sent to Snow to put my plan in motion. The plan that none of my family knew about but had been burning its way through my being like wildfire, since she begged me with those fucking blue eyes to walk away. I didn’t think I’d be needing to use the pictures so quickly. I thought it would be in the worst-case scenario.

I can see my family arrive, one by one, in black tactical gear, each with bags and standing out like a sore thumb. They all look up at the flames, confusion masking each of their faces, as they all search the people around them, looking for me.

This was the only way.

I step back deeper into the shadows.

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