Page 104 of Sworn to Revenge
My brothers look confused, but Luca’s gaze shifts to Alin’s mouth, his expression twisting in fear. “What’s happening?” he asks, panic tightening his voice.
“When the dragon’s near, her mark glows brighter,” I explain. “I’ll fill you in later—let’s get downstairs,” I urge, gesturing for them to follow me down to the entrance of Luca’s apartment.
“Where is she?” Luca asks impatiently as we wait for over ten minutes at the apartment entrance, holding the door open. We all look like a mess ever since I carried Alin’s body into his place.
“She’s here; I’m sure of it. Let’s stay together. She’ll know to come here,” I say, trying to hold myself together and reminding myself to trust Bay. She had something she wanted to try, and at this point, it’s the only option. The two women Luca loved most in this dark, bloody life were taken from him—by the same force. And the last one… is on me.
Luca’s phone rings, making all of us jump, and he immediately answers, tension etched on his face. We watch him with held breath, all too tightly wound to think straight.
“What? The roof? What are you talking about?” His voice is tense, and from the look on his face, this isn’t good news.
“What now?” I mouth the words silently.
He ends the call quickly, checks his gun at his back, then heads out into the corridor.
“What’s going on?” Mariano asks as we all follow Luca, Cora included.
“Stay back.” Mariano’s voice is firm as he glances at her, sensing the urgency in Luca’s face.
“No way, and don’t even think about stopping me. I’m not in the mood,” she fires back venomously, and honestly, no one’s about to argue with her.
“Someone’s on the roof. Mateo went up when the alarm went off, but he couldn’t see anyone. Looks like someone got into the building. Stay alert!” Luca informs us, tapping on the marble wall to open the hidden door to the stairwell.
Mariano loads his gun, following Luca up the stairs to the rooftop, and my mind races. Bay has to be close. “It might be Bay,” I toss out. But why from the rooftop, unless…
“You don’t think she actually flew that dragon here over all of Manhattan, right?” I mutter, swallowing hard as tomorrow’s news headlines flash through my mind. They all turn to look at me.
“Shit. But if she did, where’d she disappear to?” Mariano asks, his eyes wide. A huge dragon landing on our family’s building would grab way too much attention. Bay, what the hell are you doing?
“It might not be her. Don’t let your guard down,” Luca says, keeping his pace as we reach the final step, just outside the rooftop door. He presses his finger to the scanner, and it clicks open.
“I don’t see anyone,” Cora says, jumping forward to peek out, like Bay is some kind of messiah here to save us.
“Cora,” Mariano hisses. “Until we’re sure it’s her, stay between me and Pedro. Got that?” She nods.
“I’ll stick with Pedro. Bay’ll come to him first—like a magnet,” she teases, clutching my arm. Mariano sighs, moving cautiously with Luca, while I let out a chuckle.
“I’m sure it’s Bay. No way it’s a coincidence that Alin’s mark glows, and then this. I just don’t get where she went.” I walk forward, not bothering to stay quiet, while Cora stifles a laugh.
“Mateo, where are you?” Luca says into his phone, as Mariano covers him instinctively. They move like a single force.
“The alarm went off in the basement too. Someone’s in the building!” Luca barks to us, putting on his earphones and instructing Mateo to keep him updated.
“I don’t want to doubt your hunches, but you might want to be ready to fire your electric thingy. Something feels off.” Cora clings to my back, looking nervous.
Before I can even process what’s happening, at least ten men, masked and dressed in black, rappel onto the rooftop, sliding down a line like they’re some kind of stunt team.
“Luca, duck!” I shout, sending a quick electric pulse right into the forehead of a guy coming at Luca with a knife. My pulse slows as the man hits the ground, and now Luca’s standing back-to-back with Mariano.
“What the fucking hell?” A voice, scratchy and unmistakable, breaks through the noise. The man removes his mask, stepping into the light near an antenna.
“Dad?” They lower their weapons in unison, stunned. Cora lets out a heavy sigh.
“What are you doing, Dad?” Luca demands, challenging him, but before any of us can respond, the roar I was waiting for rattles the entire rooftop.
“That’s Bay and Myko,” I say to calm Cora, who looks pale now. Where are they? I can’t see a thing. I look everywhere.
“What the hell is going on?” My father repeats, now muttering in Italian, like he’s forgotten any other language.
