Page 15 of Mafia Betrayal

9

chiara

I walkedout of the restaurant, my hair basically matted to my head, my dress soaked all the way through. I needed a damn shower after Alessandro and his little stunt. Sure, I was the one who had started it, but he hadn’t had to be the one to end it. That was my job.

My phone buzzed with a text from an unknown number.

Unknown: 5th Ave and 40th. 1:30.

I checked the clock, gazing at the bright white numbers that read11:21 p.m. I had enough time to shower and drive there without Tommy noticing. Since he was out on actual business tonight, I was hoping that he would be gone all night long.

The elevator doors began closing ahead of me.

I jogged to it. “Hold the elevator!”

Before it could close completely, I snuck my hand through, and the doors reopened. I stepped in, saw Alessandro, and immediately wanted to walk back out.

I pulled my purse higher up my shoulder and waited for the elevator to open on the ground level. Alessandro followed me out. Conveniently, he had parked right across from me.

“Good night,reginet—”

“Fuck you,stronzo.”

He suddenly stopped and grabbed my hand.

I yanked my hand away from his. “What do you think you—”

Three gunshots rang out through the night. He ducked behind my car, pulling me with him.

“Fuck.” He shook his head and pulled a gun from the waistband of his pants. “Stay here.”

He looked through the car windows for a moment, then stood. He pointed the gun toward his car and pulled the trigger, then pulled it twice more in different directions. A window shattered, its glass falling onto the ground.

I gazed under the car, seeing feet walking toward us from the left. Alessandro walked out from behind the car. My heart thumped against my chest. I had only been in a shoot-out once before. The night Mom had died.

And no matter how much I hated Alessandro, I couldn’t let him die like Mom had.

I unzipped my purse and grabbed my gun. Besides, no way I was going to let him have all the glory and treat me like I could do nothing.

From beneath the car, I aimed my gun at the man’s kneecap and shot, making him collapse to the ground. I hopped up and watched Alessandro walk to the man, press his shoe into the man’s hand, and shoot him straight in the head.

Alessandro looked back at me, jaw clenched. “I told you to stay there.”

I crossed my arms over my chest and walked over to him. “I saved your ass. A simplethank youwould do.”

Alessandro put the gun back into the waistband of his pants.

“Who is he?” I asked, bending down to pull the man’s wallet or phone out of his pocket.

Alessandro grabbed my arm and pulled me quite harshly away from the man. “Nobody you need to worry about.”

“Well, he shot at us, so, yes, I think I need to worry about him.”

He shook his head, his face becoming paler. “Leave it alone. It’s too risky for you. I told you, you’ll just fuck things up for me.” He dragged me to my car and opened the door. “Get in.”

The light from inside the car flooded out. His baby-blue shirt was stained red with blood near his hip bone. He covered it with his arm, hiding it from me.

I knotted my brows. “You’re shot.”

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