Page 140 of Brutal Legacy

Toni swallowed hard.

“Mrs. Santori,” she murmured.

She looked wretched at that moment, and in an instant, I forgave her. I understood her.

“It’s okay. I’ll be fine. Elio’s on his way,” I told her quietly.

“I’m sorry.”

I just shrugged. “You did what you had to, to save the person you love. I get that. But Toni…”

She gazed back at me.

“You’d better disappear before Elio gets me out of this. You better be far, far away,” I warned her. If there was anything that I’d learned about the man Elio had become, it was that he wouldn’t take the betrayal of one of his inner circle lightly.

Then Ravelli men were pushing Toni out of the room.

Sergio watched me with reptilian-like eyes.

“So, this is the woman who caused the downfall of Elio Santori. I have to say, he has taste… you are lovely.”

I stiffened and raised my chin. He circled me, appraising me like I was a pound of meat at the butcher’s.

“And you’re pathetic,” I couldn’t stop myself from saying.

Sergio stopped and raised his eyebrows at me. “Excuse me?”

“I said it’s pathetic how all your men in LA, countless faceless losers, couldn’t bring down Elio. It’s funny that you think you can win over him here and now.”

Sergio glared at me. “Yes, well, that’s why you’re here. Besides, I didn’t have help then.” He jerked his head toward Massimo.

“This all started because your whore of a father wouldn’t keep his mouth shut when he was arrested. After years of bending over and taking whatever the capo wanted to shove his way, he decided to grow a spine… but only to save himself. You know,” he reached out and grabbed my chin, “when I heard Elio had decided to marry you instead of cutting off body parts and sending them to your father, I was surprised, but meeting you… it makes sense. He owes me, you know… he left me to rot in prison and took the easy way out like a little bitch,” he spat. “He owes me. In return, I’ll take you… his lovely wife.”

He leaned in, his fetid breath touching my skin. His lips landed on mine, and I bit down as hard as I could. Blood filled my mouth. I savaged his lip, and he punched me as hard as he could on the side of the head.

I fell to the floor and stayed down. Massimo pushed between us and pinned Sergio to a chair.

“This wasn’t in our deal, Sergio. I’m not here to watch you slobber over an unwilling woman.”

“No, you’re not. You’re here to kill Santori. What I do with this bitch to send a message to her father is none of your business,” Sergio spit, holding his lip. He glared at me. “You’re going to pay for that. I think I’ll take a finger first… or maybe, a fucking ear.”

Fear flickered through me, and my lungs felt tight. A panic attack, after just throwing up and being sedated twice, wasn’t going to be great. I didn’t really know how I was going to manage it.

But I didn’t have to worry about it, it turned out.

At that very second, the lights shut off, and the entire house plunged into darkness.

Massimo chuckled. “Mrs. Santori, your husband is here for you.”

40

ELIO

“Okay, it’s a go,” Giada said in my ear.

I was waiting at the back wall of the property for her to remotely cut the power. All the streetlights on the block went dark.

“Very precise work,” I muttered as I climbed the wall and dropped down the other side.

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