Page 98 of Beautiful Devil

“If Bruno was still alive, I’d kill him again. So since you’re of no use to me and you were supposed to be dead twenty six years ago, it’s time for you to die once and for all. But first, I’d like to have some fun with you.”

Fear like I’ve never felt before courses through me, and I begin to panic as the thought of me not only getting murdered by him but being raped as well. Surely he wouldn’t sleep with his own niece, right? I take a loud gulp, and as beads of sweat form on my forehead, one slides down my temple. Although I’m restrained, I won’t go down without a fight.

He rises from his seat and takes the last couple of steps toward me, closing the gap between us. He towers over me as he smiles sinisterly down at me. My heart is beating so fast, and I’m terrified of what he’s going to do next. He lifts his right arm, and I’m not prepared for what happens next. He punches me square in the jaw. For someone who is on death's door, he can still throw a punch. I hold back my scream. I won’t give this bastard the satisfaction of my pain. Shaking out his hand, he locks eyes with me while he says something that I don’t catch in Italian.

Before I can begin to process what’s going on, two, big burly men stand in front of me and lay into me. One of them holds the chair steady while the other lands a brutal punch to my ribcage, knocking the breath from my lungs and leaving me gasping for air. While I fight for oxygen, the men trade places so his friend can have a little fun. Just when I think I’ve pushed myself past the worst of the pain, he lands another blow to almost the exact same spot as his partner.

I feel a crack in my ribs. The pain I get every time I breathe now is excruciating. My entire face feels like it’s on fire, and just before Dante halts them, the big guy landing punches hits me right in my temple. My vision starts to blur, and my head is pounding so bad, it feels like it’s about to explode.

I can feel my body start to shut down on me. I’m in pain everywhere, from head to toe. My right eye is already starting to swell from the punches I took to my face. The pain in my ribs feels like it’s getting worse, making it harder to breathe. I said I wouldn’t go down without a fight, and I meant it, even if that means not passing out before Dante shoots me and ends my life.

My head is hammering and starts to bob on its own from side to side, trying to keep me awake. I blink my good eye a couple of times so I can see better and that’s when I see Dante in front of me holding a gun.

“Well, you had a good run,cara. Twenty-six years longer than you should have. Any last words?”

His cocky smile mocks me, and I would like nothing more than to be able to wipe that smile off his face myself.

Bastard.

Any last words? Yeah, I have lots, but the only thing that comes out is, “Fuck you,uncle.”

That wipes the smile right off his face and puts one on mine. He lifts his gun and holds it a foot away from my face. I decide I don’t want my last moments alive spent staring down the barrel of a gun, so I close my eyes and think of happier times. What pops into my head doesn’t even surprise me.

Fabi.

My husband.

My love.

I’m sorry. I love you, I say silently in my head, hoping he’ll be able to hear it. Wishing I could tell him in person.

The gunshot goes off, and I fall back in my chair, hitting the ground. I must be dead, because I swear I can feel Fabi’s strong arms wrapped around me and hear him whisper, “It’s okay,dolcezza. I’ve got you,amore mio. I’ve got you. Stay with me, Gia.Ti amo.”

Before everything goes black.

CHAPTER34

FABRIZIO

We’retwo minutes away from where Gia is being held, and my knee won’t stop bouncing up and down. I’m familiar with the anger and rage that are flowing through me right now. What I’m not so familiar with is this feeling of fear. Fear is not something allowed in my line of work. Fear makes you weak, it makes you drop your guard, and more often than not, it's what gets people killed.

I will do everything in my power to get mydolcezzaback, and that includes burning the entire contents of this city to the ground. I’d sacrifice my life for hers. I’m nothing without her. A lump forms in my throat at the thought of returning to my old life without Gia. How empty, cold and dull my life was before her.

We leave the car on the side of the road half a mile away, deciding it would be best to sneak up on Dante and his minions. We make it to the large stone pillars of the gated driveway, and a pair of black rusted gates hang looking like a gust of wind would blow them to shit. I look up and see what looks like an abandoned house. It's covered by the overgrown trees on either side of it and looks like it would have been worth some money back in its prime, but now there are few windows actually left intact and those that are, you can barely see through from dirt and grime.

Movement at the front door catches my attention as I see two armed guards in place, no doubt awaiting our arrival. Another man is standing in the now-open doorway talking to the guards. They both give a sharp nod before the man enters the house, closing the door behind him. The two guards remain stoic for a minute before beginning to casually talk to one another.

We need to move quickly while they’re distracted.

“Capo, coperto della zona posteriore,” Luca confirms through the earpiece.Back area covered, boss.

Looking at Marco, I can tell he’s thinking the same thing I am: this war is different than any of the other ones we’ve been through.

He continues to look at me with a small smirk and shrugs before nodding his head. It’s in those small gestures that I know that this man would also give up his life to save my Gia. In his own way, he loves her too, and knows how much I need her in my life.

I give him a small smile and nod.

“Andiamo,” I say, confirming that now is the time.

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