Page 144 of Mafia Kings: Dario

“Because I’ll take her place,” Dario said calmly.

I tried to screamNO!beneath the tape over my mouth.

“Shhh, it’s fine,” he said to me in a calm voice, then looked back at the Turk. “Take me hostage, and you’ll walk out of here a free man. All you have to do is aim your gun at me, not her.”

The Turk hesitated – then demanded, “Get rid of your pistol first.”

“Alright… don’t shoot.”

Dario leaned over slowly, set his gun on the floor, and kicked it gently over to the Turk. Then he held up his hands.

“I’m defenseless. Take your gun away from her… and aim it at me.”

I could hear the Turk breathing behind my ear.

I could feel the barrel of his gun pressed against my head.

Suddenly the pressure went away, and I saw the gun swing out over my shoulder towards Dario.

I screamed into the duct tape covering my mouth.

“Fool,” the Turk snarled –

And then there was a single flash of light up on the second floor, a muffledPTOK –

And the Turk fell away from me, his arm sliding off my neck.

I stood there trembling as the bastard’s body thudded on the floor behind me.

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Dario raced towards me and wrapped me up in his strong arms.

I hung onto him, finally safe.

After a second, he pulled away so he could see my face.

“Are you alright?” he whispered.

I nodded.

He smiled at me, happier than I had ever seen him before. “Let’s not ever do that again.”

I laughed behind the tape on my mouth.

“Is everyone all right?” Dario yelled as he felt for the edge of the tape on my face.

“We’re fine!” someone yelled from the third floor – Massimo, by the sound of it.

“This is going to hurt,” Dario warned me right before he peeled the tape off my face.

But after everything I had been through, the pain was nothing.

As soon as the tape was off, he asked, “Are you really okay?”

“Yes!” I cried out happily, tears streaming down my cheeks –

And he kissed me passionately.

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