Page 63 of Chaos & Carnage

Frowning, I question, “What do you mean?”

“Her persona as the Reaper uses sex and seduction to lure men in and get them to lower their guard, allowing her to slip under their defenses until she can land the killing blow.”

Dante’s low hiss is molten fury. “You’re saying she’s fucking my dad so she can kill him?”

“Eww, gross. No, I’m saying she could be making your dadthinkshe’s going to fuck him.”

“But she’ll kill him instead,” I finish.

“Exactly.”

“That would be a huge risk,” Dante growls, still sounding riled up over the thought of his dad and Red fucking. Can’t say I blame him. No guy wants to dip his dick in the same hole as his father. Just gross. “For all she knows, he could kill her on the spot, and that’s assuming he hasn’t ordered his guards to shoot her on sight.”

My stomach churns precariously, and I instantly push those thoughts away. My Red is alive. She’s a fighter. The toughest person I know. There’s no way she’d go down without taking half the damn building with her.

“So, what’s our plan?” Oliver questions as we cross the bridge into Antonelli territory. A minute later, I’m turning onto the street where Bella Antonella is located.

“Kill every Antonelli scum who gets in our way. Kill Giovanni if Red hasn’t already done it. Get Red the fuck out of there,” I state, throwing the car into park and shoving open the door. I’m fucking done talking. Done planning. Now is the time for action. Now is the time for bloodshed. Now is the time for some fucking violence.

Both guns are out of their holsters, safety off, and aimed at the two guards standing outside the casino before I’m even halfway across the road.

Bang. Bang.

Fuck subtlety. Fuck being stealthy. My girl is somewhere in this building, and no one and nothing is going to stop me from getting to her.

The two security men drop to the ground, and I step over them, pushing open the casino door. At the same moment, the fire alarm goes off. Pretty sure I didn’t trigger anything, but whatever. The chaos covers the sound of the bullets I put into the men stationed inside the front door, and no one seems to notice the bodies as they push and shove their way toward the exits.

My tall height makes it easy to see over the head of the crowd, but it’s slow going pushing my way through the throng moving in the opposite direction. My head swivels from left to right, searching for approaching guards and keeping an eye out for a distinctive redhead.

We seem to go unnoticed for the most part, but it’s not long before the crowd thins. Dressed casually in jeans and draped in weapons, we soon draw the attention of Giovanni’s men. The crack of gunshots—a warning shot—is audible above the wailing of the fire alarms, and the remaining stragglers scream as they pick up their pace, abandoning their chips and margaritas as they dash for the nearest exit.

I dive for the nearest row of slot machines as a round of bullets fly over my head, and spot the others taking cover as well. Time loses all meaning as we’re engaged in battle, a sea of suited men blocking our way forward. Amid blood spray and bullets, something catches my eye, and I strain to see over the slot machine currently acting as a shield between me and Giovanni’s men. Craning my neck, I notice the guards at the back of the room stopping as they lower their weapons.

A hush seems to fall over the room as more and more men put down their weapons, until they part, and the most breathtaking sight steals my focus. Red strides through the crowd draped in a sexy black dress and splattered in blood, looking more beautiful than ever with her head held high. She looks like a true Antonelli queen. A fact that is only confirmed when I see what dangles from her hand.

With a crooked grin, she tosses the object to Dante, who catches it. For the first time, I see genuine emotion on his face as he stares in shock at his father’s bloody head.

“Giovanni is dead,” Red states, loud enough that her voice carries around the room. “Lower your weapons and recognize the new head of your family—Dante Antonelli.”

Her declaration is met with silence. Every man in the room is staring back and forth between Giovanni’s detached head and my girl. With their leader no longer alive to bark orders and demand they obey, none of them seem to know what to do. Part of me recognizes that most, if not all, of these men are grunts. They have no more allegiance to Giovanni than they have to Dante. Like soldiers, they simply follow orders. Hopefully, that means they’ll be smart and obey Dante now.

I shift my attention to the man himself—the new head of the Antonelli family. We’ve been allies until this point, but I wonder if things will change now that he’s achieved what he wanted. He’d talked about a truce, about helping to rebuild the city, but how much of that was bullshit—words said in order to secure an alliance?

He’s still staring at his father’s head, only tearing his gaze away when Red steps up beside him. Dressed the way she is, she looks like she belongs at his side. Even wearing my clothes, Dante radiates power. He’s a natural-born leader. The two of them together are the epitome of a power couple, and if I hadn’t witnessed for myself just how at ease Red is in my cramped home or at the clubhouse, then I’d believe this is where she belongs.

It strikes me as odd that she can fit into two contrasting worlds so seamlessly, but other than the glitz and glamour, perhaps our worlds aren’t actually all that dissimilar. I guess only time will tell. I just hope, for her sake, she doesn’t find herself pulled in two different directions.

Dante holds Red’s gaze for a long moment, something indecipherable passing between them before he turns to face the men before him. “You heard my wife. Lower your weapons. Those who do not accept me as the new head of this family, speak now.” Other than the shuffling of feet and a few shared glances, no one speaks, and after a moment, Dante continues, “In that case, get this place tidied up. There will be much to do in the coming days, but I will speak with each of you once I have met with my advisors.”

Slowly, as though unsure, everyone begins moving, keeping one eye on Dante and the rest of us as they carry out his orders. Along with Enzo and Oliver, I fall in line behind Dante and Red as we stride as a unit across the room. I itch to pull her into my arms and curse her out, knowing she’s safe and unharmed, but I’m unsure of what the dynamic should be. So I quell my desire—for now. Instead, I settle for keeping my eyes locked on the ridges of her spine and the two dimples visible on either side, directly above the curve of her ass.God damn, my woman is fucking sexy.

They stride into the waiting elevator, and the three of us follow. I position myself directly behind Red, and the second the elevator doors close, I step forward to envelop her back. My large palms slide over the smooth material of her dress, along her ribs, while Dante captures her lips with his. A squelching thud signifies Giovanni’s head hitting the floor, but I immediately dismiss it. Giovanni is done messing with us. Done ruining moments that should be spent holding my woman close and showering her with affection—right after I’ve made it clear just how fucking pissed I am with her.

“You’re in so much trouble,” I growl in her ear. “I’m going to spank your ass so hard you won’t be able to walk straight for a week.”

Her only response is to lean further into my touch. I feel Oliver and Enzo at my shoulders, the four of us circling Red in our need to be close to her, to assure ourselves that she’s actually here—safe and sound.

My hands slide over her abdomen, inching lower until I glide them down her thighs. Gathering the silk material in my fingers, I pull up her dress until my palm is flush with her skin, the heat at her apex calling to me like a homing beacon.

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