Page 47 of Hot-Blooded Killer

If we get out of here, I swear to myself, if we escape with our lives intact, I will make sure this woman never again feels unwanted or unloved.

“Oh,” the Colombian said, “but my boss, he wants to know why you married her to his enemy.”

Edoardo’s chuckle rings a bit hollow. I suspect having a gun pointed at him is not his favorite position to be in. Still, he answers calmly enough. “My plan was to take over the Beneventi empire, what’s left of it, anyway, and pass it to El Toro along with my daughter. If your boss hadn’t been so impatient, I would’ve managed it, too.”

“You son of a—” Gia begins cursing and struggling in her captor’s arms as if she wants to attack her father. I don’t blame her—he deserves that and worse. Her impressive command of both English and Italian curses would bring a smile to my face if not for the dire situation we’ve found ourselves in.

And yet, something about her performance rings hollow, as well.

Because it’s exactly that, I realize—a performance.

The whole time she’s cursing and fighting, she’s also staring intently into my eyes as if willing me to understand something.

I narrow my eyes just the tiniest fraction, but it’s enough to let her know I’m paying attention. As soon as she’s sure I’m watching, she flicks her eyes to the bookcase on her right, my left.

I wait until the Colombian’s attention is on Edoardo, then glance at the bookshelf myself.

It’s mostly filled with books and a few art objects. What does she want me to see?

When I glance back at her, she pauses as if to draw breath and mouths the wordbox. Then she dives back into her cursing streak again.

“Shut up, woman,” the Colombian says, and he shakes her.

While he’s distracted, I glance at the bookshelf again, and this time I see it. A small wooden box nestled in among the books at just about eye level.

I look back at Gia and give a tiny nod, disguising the movement by shifting my weight from one foot to another.

Then Gia mouths the wordgunat me.

We’ll have to move quickly, and in almost perfect coordination.

Any of my brothers and I could manage it. We spent our entire lives training together, learning to work together to overcome any captors who might attempt to kidnap us when we were young, then training to work as a team when we got older.

I can hear my father’s voice echoing in my memory. “You never know when a situation is going to turn against you. You have to be ready to work together.”

I have no idea if Gia’s had any training at all, or if she’s always been a stereotypical Mafia Princess, pampered and protected from the uglier side of our lives and businesses.

The fact that she knows where her father keeps his guns is a good sign, but I still don’t have the details I need.

I inhale, considering all my options.

I could let the Colombian take Gia to El Toro, and that would save my ass.

But it would break my heart in the process.

It really isn’t an option at all.

If I’m able to overcome El Toro’s man, it will leave Edoardo with a hell of a mess. Whatever promises he made to El Toro will be broken, and the leader of the Los Kappas cartel will be out for Edoardo’s blood.

That might break Gia’s heart.

But it will save her life, and right now, that’s all I care about.

Having come to my decision, I give Gia another tiny nod.

But this time, her captor sees it.

“What are you saying to her?” he demands, his gun swiveling to point directly at me.

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