Page 49 of Blood and Penance
“I’m going to kill you, Lio,” I say through my laughter. “I’m going to make sure you suffer.”
He narrows his eyes at me then he pulls a knife from an ankle sheath. I know I should be scared, but I’m not. This man has taken so much from me. I refuse to cower to him.
He leans in for a kiss, but I turn away. “I love you, Phoenix.” His breath brushes against my ear and nausea churns my stomach. “But if I can’t have you. No one will, especially your priest.”
Then unimaginable searing hot pain lashes through my stomach then radiates outward. My mouth drops open, but the pain has stolen my voice. Through the blurry vision from my tears and pain I watch as Lio disappears from my line of sight out a side door.
“Phoenix!”
When I hear Gianni scream my name, the amount of relief that moves through me is indescribable. Even though he sounds far away, I know he's coming for me. He'll always come for me.
“Phoenix!” he screams again.
This time he sounds closer.
“Gianni,” I say, the words catching in my throat. “Help, me.”
My head is throbbing, and pain is radiating throughout my entire body. Blood is not only coating the inside of my thighs from his assault but the front of my body. I’ve never been in so much pain.
Footsteps thunder outside the door of the building where Lio has me. The door flies open and once I see Gianni, my head drops.
“Fuck, Phoenix.” When he reaches me, he tears off his shirt and presses it against the wound in my stomach causing me to scream. “I’m sorry, baby. But I’ve got to stop the bleeding. Get her down Lorenzo!” he frantically shouts.
A few moments later my legs and ankles are free, then my naked, bloody body is gathered into Gianni’s arms. “Find him,” Gianni says, as we move outside the building. “And keep him alive.”
I bury my head into Gianni’s chest, every step he takes excruciating pain floods my system.
“Will do,” Lorenzo says. “I’ll call Vincenzo. She’ll need immediate care. She’s lost a lot of blood.”
“Do it. Tell him we’re on the way.”
“Gianni?” I call his name despite the amount of pain it causes me to form the words.
“Don’t talk sweetheart. Save your strength.”
“I want…to…kill him.”
“You know I can never say no to you.”
With everything Lio D’Amico has done to me, I want to be the one who ends his life. But not after making him pay. He deserves everything that’s coming to him. This time I’ll make sure he’s dead, and he’ll die knowing I’m the one who sent him straight to hell.
Chapter Twenty-Nine
Gianni
As soon as the doctor said Phoenix’s surgery had been a success even though the stab wound nicked her pancreas and she had some eternal damage, I thanked God for saving her. Even though my relationship with Him is rocky at the moment, I prayed every day she’d pull through without any complications. While it was touch and go for a minute, He answered my prayers despite all I’ve done.
With the help of Vincenzo, the Camorra boss, Lorenzo found Lio after a week of him running. Vincenzo has allowed us to stash him in one of the De Maio’s warehouses until he’s dealt with. He’s being kept alive just for her. Of course, the Puglisi’s will owe Vincenzo another favor to be cashed in at his request. The price of working with the De Maio’s is high, but it’s worth it. Aslong as I don’t fight Lorenzo to become Don, he’ll do whatever he needs to do in order to keep Phoenix and Giancarlo safe. He has nothing to worry about because I’ve told him many times being Don isn’t what I want.
Of course, Lio didn’t go down without a fight and Lorenzo lost a lot of men. Although I’m grateful for their sacrifice it didn’t have to be like this. Lio could have just let Phoenix go. But he’s the type a man whose ego and pride will be his downfall. She tried to kill him. She escaped him. He can’t let that go unpunished and that will be the reason he’ll die.
Lorenzo believes I’m crazy for keeping Lio alive for her to deal with, but I’ve never been able to deny her of anything. And she deserves her retribution for what he’s done to her. While I’d love to be the one to take revenge for all he’s done, she wants to do this herself.
God’s word is, “an eye for an eye.” And today she’ll end his life so she can have some peace, and we can move forward. Together.
The amount of rage I have festering inside me because she had been raped and almost killed can’t be described. I had to be restrained by several of Lorenzo’s men preventing me from going to the warehouse to end him after Phoenix confirmed everything with the doctor.
Now as that rage continues to roar inside my veins, I remind myself that Lio is Phoenix’s kill. I have no doubt she’s going to gothrough with it. However, if she can’t, I will. Today is Lio’s last day on this earth.
