Page 120 of Goldflame

My rage flares, and I step out from behind a column, leaving myself wide open as I aim. I fire and then duck back to cover. The shot echoes in the confined space, and Lorenzo crumples, crimson blooming across his expensive shirt.

Aurelia screams, a sound that tears through the air and splits something inside me. Not remorse—I’m beyond that now. Something else. Something I don’t have time to examine.

“No!” She lunges toward Lorenzo’s body, but I catch her arm, spinning her back to face me.

“Where is he?” I repeat, tightening my grip.

She fights like she always has—all fire and desperation, nails raking across my face, feet kicking at myshins. Her elbow connects with my ribs, but pain is an old friend. I barely feel it through the adrenaline.

“You don’t understand,” she gasps between blows. “It wasn’t what you think. Adrian and I weren’t?—”

“Weren’t what? Weren’t laughing at how pathetic I am? Weren’t planning this all along?” I push her against the wall, pinning her wrists above her head. “You told me you loved me. You fuckingtoldme. Was that part of the plan too?”

She opens her mouth to vomit more lies to manipulate me but I’m done listening to her forever. I grab her index finger and snap it before she can speak.

She screams as the delicate bone breaks, but I only laugh at her pain. Then I twist my fist in her hair and draw her even closer to whisper in her ear. “You’re going topayfor destroying my life and my family. Soon, you’ll wish you died alongside your mother.”

She’s sobbing and barely putting up a fight now, so it’s easy to lead her down the hallway, my men surrounding us as human shields. We burst through the front doors, and I come face to face with what I’ve been seeking.

Adrian.

He’s standing on the stone driveway, gun raised. My men are obeying my orders, surrounding him but keeping their distance to let me handle things.

When Adrian sees that I have Aurelia, he lowers his weapon.

I laugh because I see everything so clearly now. I see what my father saw—love is a weakness. It’s okay to want things, to crave power and women, but themoment you give your heart to either, you’re a dead man. While I don’t like that he abused my mother, I understand that he was only avoiding any real feelings for her.

Love is a death sentence.

Adrian is proof. Here’s my brother, blinded by love, and willing to sacrifice himself for it. Yet, he could easily kill me by shooting through Aurelia.

Love is stopping him from making the wiser choice. He’s going to regret not gunning me down now when he has the chance.

“Julian,” he says. His voice is calm and he has the balls to sound like he’s speaking down to me—big brother trying to talk little brother off a cliff.

It’s funny, since I’m the one in power now. Not him.

“Adrian,” I respond, pulling out my knife and holding it against Aurelia’s throat.

She whimpers and Adrian goes completely still. He sets his gun down and holds up his hands in surrender. “Just let her go.”

I laugh again. He’s really not that smart, is he?

Guess I’ll need to show him how serious this situation is.

Digging my knife blade into Aurelia’s skin, I pull it across, cutting her throat. It’s not a fatal cut—I didn’t sever anything—but maybe Adrian doesn’t know that.

He takes a step forward and I shake my head. I motion to my men and they all point their guns at my dear brother, daring him to move another inch.

Blood cascades down Aurelia’s chest as she clutches her throat.

I bring the blade to my lips and lick her essence offthe edge. Then I grin. “Want her, brother? You know where to find me.”

I tip my chin and two men grab Aurelia, carrying her away ahead of me as we leave Adrian alone in a sea of carnage that once was Lorenzo’s estate. His eyes are ice as they follow me into the darkness.

CHAPTER FORTY

AURELIA

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