Page 101 of Twisted Trust
“Stay down,” Levi hisses in my ear, then he slowly straightens up and positions himself between Antony and me. “Antony.”
“I was tempted to wait until you and the bitch said your vows. Thought there’d be something poetic in killing you after you finally made a commitment to someone, but I just couldn’t wait any longer.” Levi lifts his handgun to his head and lightly taps it against his temple. “Knowing you, you’d have some form somewhere that would sign the entire family over to that fucking brat, and I know those elites would drink it up. The child heir needing protection would be like an injection of determination into every general that’s sat back all these years.”
As he mentions Scott, I finally stop cowering and glance past Levi but the spot where Scott was standing a few hours ago is empty. He’s nowhere to be seen. My racing heart beats faster and faster as I scan between the seats for where he could be cowering, but I can’t see him anywhere. Multiple men have followed Antony into the room and they stick to the outskirts, all wielding assault rifles. Those from above seem to have vacated their posts, so the danger from above has ceased.
Then I look at Antony.
Seeing him like this, in a dark suit with a red shirt and the XXX pin attached to the lapel of his jacket, is surreal. I’m used to the quiet, comfy neighbor, a friend I trusted my son with. And this entire time he was just keeping an eye on me so he could maintain an insurance policy over Levi.
“Cameron.”
Antony finally stops walking and scoffs. “Maeve. Don’t bullshit me. You know the truth now. I know you do.”
Levi’s hand seeks out my own and he grips tightly. “Don’t speak to her.”
“Why not?” Antony scoffs. “Out of the two of us, which one of us has spent the most time with her? Dried her tears? Helped her raise her kid? Paid her rent? Cooked her dinner?” He brandishes his gun up high. “Me. That’s who.”
“But you weren’t my friend,” I snap, unable to stop myself. “You’re just a liar. Nothing about you is real!”
Antony’s face twists and he pouts, then he laughs. “You know, you’re right about that. I could lie and say some days were real but if I’m honest, it was getting boring in the end. I wasn’t ready to give things up yet until Levi waltzed into town.” Antony laughs. “I actually wanted you to find solace in my arms after my guy mugged you. What are the chances you ran into him?” He points at Levi, who grits his teeth so hard there’s an audible crack.
“That was you?” Levi growls.
“Of course it fucking was. My guy had to race across town because she decided to take her brat to get food. She should have been mugged closer to home so I could find her, but I guessfatehad other plans. Like it always does when a Gallo is involved.”
That mugging all those weeks ago was orchestrated by Antony? My gut writhes and twists as all my nerves collide with my fear. I force myself to swallow repeatedly to fight the urge to throw up.
“Is that why you called me?” I ask, my voice trembling.
“Obviously.” Antony snorts. “And every day since has been a fucking battle. And then the two of you getting married?” He points between us with his gun as he walks forward. “Well, that just fucked up everything up. They say when hunting a Gallo, it’s only a matter of time before the noose is around your neck, and let me tell you, I felt it. Because you couldn’t roll over and accept defeat like a good dog, could you, Levi?”
“All of this, all of these games just for a seat at the top of the table, and for what? You really think any family or general with their head screwed on will follow you after this?” Levi spits out his words, subtly angling his body with each step Antony takes.
“They will,” Antony replies. “My men will be the only witnesses because you, in your wisdom, gathered every Gallounder one roof. Even distant cousins are here. I couldn’t have done it better even if I tried.”
“You think it’s going to be that easy?” Levi barely gets the words out before Antony lashes out like the crack of a whip and punches Levi so hard that he falls back hard onto the floor. As he does so, he pushes me away a few feet and I stumble, trying not to get tangled in my dress.
“Of course it will be that easy!” Antony yells. “Because I win, Levi. You see this?” He points to his men who have fully filled the perimeter of the room. “You see this?” He waves his gun. “I win! There’s no coming back for a cockroach like you, Levi. Not this time. So I’m going to kill you and then everyone in this room, and then I’m finally going to taste the bitch that’s caused so much trouble and then?—”
Antony eats his words as Levi surges up and punches Antony right underneath his chin. Antony’s head snaps back alarmingly hard, then Levi charges into him and they collapse back into the first aisle of seats. Marcella, fighting tears behind a tissue while cowering into an injured guard, screams in alarm.
Levi and Antony lock into a deadly brawl with each fighting for their lives. Antony fights with a speed and finesse I’d never imagined from everything I know about him—all those lies, really. Levi fights harder. His punches are more solid, his steps are faster, and once he gets Antony down, he doesn’t get back up.
Tearing my gaze away, I scan the scattered seats and the altar for Scott but there’s no sign of him. How could he have vanished so quickly? What if something’s happened? My baby boy lost in this hotel because he got scared?
It’s not until my third sweep of the church that I realize Chip isn’t anywhere to be seen either. Hope ignites in my heart. Did he take Scott and run? I pray that’s what happened.
“Fuck you!” Levi snarls. “I’m going to kill you!”
Desperately looking for a weapon, every move I make causes the nearest guard to twitch his rifle, but that doesn’t stop me from moving closer and closer to the chairs. If I can get a leg off one of the broken chairs or something, then I can try to help Levi. Just as I get close enough, Levi gains the upper hand in the brawl and he isn’t letting up.
“Get this—ahh! Get this fucker off me!” Antony chokes out around a mouthful of blood.
Using his cry as a distraction, I surge forward and both my hands close around a splintered chunk of wood. As I lift it, someone’s hand closes around my wrist and I glance up to lock eyes with Donald, the driver. Relief surges through me and when he tries to take the wood from me, I let him.
He’s stronger than me and if either of us has a better chance at helping Levi, it’s Donald.
But he doesn’t turn and get involved in the fight like I hope. Instead, he raises his hand and before I can work out what he’s doing, he backhands me across the mouth and sends me stumbling backward with a cry. My pain alerts Levi and as I hit the floor, I see him looking over his shoulder at me with his eyes wide.
