Page 100 of Declan

“He’s the least of your problems now, Silvana. Keep going,” I say, stepping slightly to block her view of him.

“Alek also wanted proof of my father’s loyalty. So he asked for…” Her voice cracks.

“He asked Giovanni to kill Elva,” I finish, my fists clench so tight my knuckles turn white.

She nods, sorrow etched across her face. “We gave you time to grieve. Since only my father was involved, there were no looseends for you to find.” Her eyes drop again. “Alek gave the order for the deal to move forward. Me and Bruna were brought in to handle things.”

“Which was?” I grab her chin, forcing her to face me.

“Make you fall for one of us, by being everything you wanted and needed. We’d gather information—shipments, locations, and especially where the other Consortium members would be, so Alek could take them out one by one.” She takes a deep breath.

I let go of her chin and turned to Giovanni.

“But, Declan,” she starts, “the idea was never to put Viviana in danger. Bruna and I didn’t know. The only time we saw Alek, we could tell he liked her. I never thought…” She trails off.

I believe her. But still, fuck.

“What time is it?” Giovanni asks Kian, and I raise an eyebrow as my brother answers him.

“He has her now. You’ll never find her.”

Now I’m the one laughing. I stalk toward Giovanni as his eyes widen, staring up at me. I tower over him.

“That is the plan, Giovanni.” I pull my phone from my pocket, showing him a map with a red dot moving across it. “Guess who the red dot is.” I relish the panic spreading across his face. He thought he’d negotiate his life for Viviana’s location, but I’ve already beaten him to it.

“You see,” I begin, my voice calm and mocking, “when you called for dinner and conveniently left Viviana out of the invite, I knew Alek was planning to attack the estate. Our men are ordered to fight back only enough to make it believable.”

I clean my gun on his shirt, my voice growing colder. Once he took her, the GPS was activated. Connor is already on his way. So, Giovanni… I don’t need you for anything.”

“No! Wait, Declan!!!” He screams, frantic.

I don’t hesitate. I pull the trigger. The bullet hits him in the knee. He screams, falling to the side. Another shot rings out from Kian’s gun, striking him in the other shoulder. His screams are pure joy.

“This is for Elva and Viviana, you fucking bastard,” I mutter before pulling the trigger again, sending a bullet through his forehead. His lifeless body crumples to the floor with a heavy thud.

Another thud follows. I glance over to see Silvana passed out on the floor. A smirk tugs at my lips. I look at the guard.

“You could’ve caught her,” I say, frowning slightly.

“My reflexes are off,” he chuckles, winking at me.

I smirk. This guy deserves a promotion.

“Take her to the estate. Viviana will decide what to do with her.” Without a word, the guard picks her up and leaves the room.

I scan the room, my gaze landing on a vanity. I pick up two photos—one of Viviana as a child and the other of her mother. My hand tightens around the frames as I turn to my men.

“Burn this fucking place to the ground,” I order.

Stalking out of the house, Kian falls into step beside me.

“Now we get my firecracker back,” I growl, my voice dropping low, “and kill that motherfucker.”

Chapter 31

Viviana

My breath scratches in my throat. I stay still, fighting the panic clawing at me. Everything is dark except for the small flickers of light through the cracks, like fireflies. The rumble of the car speeding down the road vibrates beneath me. I clutch my necklace tightly, taking shallow, controlled breaths. You’re safe. You’ve got this. The words circle in my mind like a mantra.

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