Page 74 of Inferno

Or notice the gates were left wide open.

Pushing myself up to stand, I hold onto the tree and wait for the dizziness to pass in a few seconds.

As my vision returns, I gasp when the sound of heavy clapping appears behind me.

Fuck.

I Squeeze the gun tighter in my hand.

Maybe I get to kill two birds with one stone.

Spinning to face him, I aim at my husband, that disgusting smirk on his lips as he continues to clap.

“Quite the performance there, Princess.”

His eyes darken as he stops, holding up his arms in surrender.

But that smirk remains.

“You think you have the power out here?” He tilts his head.

“Maybe I do. I’m the one with a gun aimed at your chest.” I shrug, not breaking eye contact.

He takes a step forward and I release a bullet that scrapes his jeans.

“Don’t come any closer or I will kill you, Vlad,” I shout.

“Silly girl. There’s nowhere for you to run. We have you cornered now. So power is back to me. You kill me, I’ll have my brother rip that disgusting baby out of your stomach, and have you watch as he ends its life before it even begins. Then he will let you bleed out over the floor like a fucking pig.”

“You think I can’t take on your men?” I spit.

“Not in your condition, no. Shouldn’t have been such a whore, cheating on your husband and getting yourself knocked up.” The hatred in his tone has my heart racing.

He fucking knows. Of course he does.

I wonder if he knows who?

He chuckles.

“When I find out who he is, don’t worry, I’ll skin him alive, and then you can make a mannequin for your kid of their father.”

I feel sick.

Shaking my head, my finger twitches on the trigger.

“You shoot me, you’ll be the worst mother in history. Kill me, you kill your baby.”

“What’s the alternative? You kill me anyway? I think I’d prefer to just take you down to hell with me.”

He swipes his thumb across his lip.

“Because you’re so useful to my organization, I’ll offer you a deal. Or, well, your child, a deal. It’s not their fault they have the unfortunate luck of you being their mother.”

Resting my hand on my bump, I lift my chin. His words won’t break me.

“You come back to the house, you have your kid, and they will be overseen by Drago and remain safe. You, however, will not only be my prisoner, but also my assassin. For fucking ever. You step one foot out of line, a bullet from that gun goes between your kids eyes.”

I suck in a breath hearing the crunch of leaves behind me.

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