Page 190 of Sinful Pleasure

I almost laughed.

Maddox couldn’t be crazy enough to kill Theo Stone in a mansion full of guards who would tear him apart the second they heard a gunshot.

I shook my head, rejecting his command. I had the upper hand this time.

But just when that victorious grin spread across my face, it vanished just like the warmth of his body.

Everything happened so fast.My feet hit the floor the moment Maddox pulled out his gun. He moved toward the door, opening it, and before Theo Stone could utter a word, Maddox pulled the trigger, the bullet hitting him square in the head.

There was no gunshot, not a single sound—only the thud of Theo’s lifeless body crashing to the ground, sending a chill through me.

He had a fucking silencer on.

Blood. So much blood.

And just like that, as I stared into Theo Stone’s wide, lifeless eyes, everything went black.

CHAPTER55

MADDOX

“Maddox, stop this now.”

Angelo’s voice cut through the silence, filling the room with an urgency I hadn’t expected. His eyes locked on me, more insistent and demanding than usual. He almost got through to me—almost.

“Are you trying to kill us all?”

“Watch your fucking tone, brother,” I reminded him, taking a much- needed sip of scotch, letting the burn of the liquor settle in my throat. “You’re trespassing on my territory, trying to give me orders.”

“You’re starting a war.”

“The war started a long time ago.” I interrupted, irritated.

He had some nerve, showing up here and bossing me around.

I saw him clench his jaw, his hands balling into fists. I tracked his movements with my eyes, smirking.My big brother wanted to hit me. It was written all over his face, but he knew damn well he couldn’t do that. That is why he stood there in silence, burning holes into me with his eyes.

“Release her,” he tried again, his voice even more forceful, and that shit was starting to piss me off. “It doesn’t have to end with blood.”

I’ve always admired Angelo.

He had always been the more reasonable one of us—the softer one. The King who thinks first of a way to handle thingsrationally before resorting to the ugly side.

And me? I usually go straight to violence. He’s naive enough to think that reason can lead to success in our world. It doesn’t.

Violence and fear—that’s what earns respect.

But my stupid brother hasn’t figured that out yet. He’ll have to learn the hard way.

“Leave my property, Angelo,” I muttered, turning my back on him. This conversation was pointless anyway. “This has nothing to do with you.”

“You’re keeping my fucking fiancée against her will in your fucking house!” he yelled from behind me, his voice deeper, stronger—drawing my attention. “This has everything to do with me.”

“Ex-fiancée,” I corrected quickly, my voice sharper than necessary. He’s one step away from meeting my darker side.

“I can fix all of this,” he tried to convince me, but I laughed, shaking my head. Stupid idiot.

“I can save our family and stop this war. The only thing I need from you is to let Allyn go, and I’ll set up a meeting with her father. Now that Theo Stone is out of the picture, Mikael is likely to give me her hand in marriage. They’re vulnerable now.”

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