Page 281 of Merciless Desires

MARCELLA

Dominov and Melinda turned to me with wicked grins. Dominov stepped back, and Melinda launched forward to grab a clump of my hair at my crown. She pulled me to my feet, laughing when I cried out.

“I’m going to have fun tearing you apart.”

Dominov yelled at her in Russian, and she frowned, turning to glare at him and argue back.

I didn’t care what they were arguing about. I needed her to let me go. I needed to get to Matteo.

I kept shifting my bound wrists back and forth behind my back, needing my hands free to try to get Melinda off me.

Gunshots rang out in the metallic space—some aimed at Dominov, some aimed at Matteo, but most aimed at his papà. As cruel as the man had been to me, I didn’t want him to die.

Matteo spun and flicked a glance at me, and before I had a chance to react, he fired his gun in my direction. I squeezed my eyes shut, but I wasn’t the one to scream.

Melinda was.

She released me, and I tumbled to the dirty concrete floor, landing on my side. My shoulder screamed from the impact, but I shoved myself up by my elbow until I was sitting.

Another scream, and Melinda launched herself at me, forearm gushing blood, eyes filled with hatred.

“Viktor says I can’t have you,” she hissed, gripping at my dress, ripping it as she climbed her way up, bloody hands clawing until she wrapped them around my throat. “I’ll have you. I always get what I want.”

Melinda pushed me onto my back, pinning my hands beneath me as she sat on my chest, using all her leverage to choke me, hands slipping around in her own blood. I tried to buck her off, tried to flip onto my side, but my feeble attempts only made her laugh.

“Weak! This is too easy!”

Melinda’s head bobbed to the side, right ear to her shoulder. She slowly lifted it back up and looked to the left. Blood poured from the gunshot wound just above her ear, dripping onto my face.

Two more shots connected with her forehead, and she slumped back, hopefully dead.

“NO!” Dominov yelled, pulling Melinda’s body off me.

He kept shooting, but he wasn’t looking where he was shooting. He was looking at Melinda.

I scurried back, trying to get to my feet in all the chaos, but I kept stumbling like a complete fool, fear clouding my every movement.

Dominov shoved Melinda’s body to the side and reached out to snatch my ankle, dragging me back toward him. My dress gathered around my hips, an action that only made Dominov laugh.

“You want me to take you in front of everyone, huh? Don’t be so fucking desperate, malishka.”

He slipped his fingers below the bust of my dress, gripping the fabric to drag me to sit. Dominov held a knife in front of my face, and without even bothering to look, he hacked at the ropes that bound me and my hands.

I swung my fist around to hit him, but he snatched my wrist and drew me in front of him as a human fucking shield.

“Stand up. Stand the fuck up.”

I stood and slowly brought my gaze up to where Matteo stood, gun aimed directly at me. If he wanted to shoot Dominov, the bullet would have to go straight through me.

Dominov brought his blade to my throat, pressing until he drew blood. “Go to him.”

“What?”

“Fucking go to him, malishka.”

Gunfire stilled as Dominov urged me toward Matteo. His papà came into view, pistol trained on me, and I was stopped right before I could reach out and touch Matteo.

“Matteo,” I cried, tears mixing with the blood on my cheeks.

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