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I wanted to shoot him between the eyes. I wanted to make him bleed. All I could see in my mind’s eye was Dario on the floor bleeding to death.
I needed to get him help. I needed to stop this. But how?
I had to buy myself some time. I knew their plan now. I was sure they were going to kill me next. I had to stall.
“I know where the flash drive is.”
Nico shot me a look of incredulity. “She’s lying. I watched Dario throw it into the river.”
“You’re wrong. There’s another copy.”
“Damn, I didn’t think Jason’s widow was a lying bitch. He threw it into the river after they had their little heart-to-heart. You should have heard them, Matteo. He was all vulnerable and shit…talking about how he was going to give it all up.”
“Stupid,” Matteo spit out shaking his head.
“That’s what I said,” Nico said turning the gun on me. “You know how much Dario is worth? The fucker made millions from our father’s business?—”
“It was his father, too. And clearly, he didn’t want you two incompetent assholes running anything, otherwise, he would have set everything up for you two to take over. What happened? Did your precious daddy like Dario more than you two? How sad. Did you guys sit around plotting how you would get back at Dario while crying into your cereal in the mornings?”
“Oh, she’s sassy,” Nico said, but I could see I had hit a nerve.
“You must have felt like a big man, killing Jason. You’re just a punk with a gun. I grew up in foster care with your type. You’re dead inside, trying to feel important by hurting others. Why don’t you put the gun down and let’s see how much of a man you are without it?”
“I bet you would like that, wouldn’t you?” he growled. He looked lasciviously at my body again, making my skin crawl. “I’ve never fucked a pregnant woman but I’m not opposed.”
“Shut up, you sick fucker,” Matteo said. He stared at me and shook his head. “You know, you kind of remind me of her.”
“Who?”
“Doesn’t matter. I got rid of her?—”
“By accident,” Nico said with a giggle. “She was in his car. Big mistake. Yikes.”
“And now he’s going to lose you, too. Too bad he’s not around to see it. What a waste. I would love to see the look in his eyes. Goodbye, Mya. Nico, take care of her.”
Nico smiled. He was a psychopath. “Say goodbye, Mya. It’s been fun meeting you. Too bad you won’t be around for the next family reunion. Dario has the worst luck, first Vicky, and now you.”
Who was Vicky? His mother? I would die before I ever found out. I closed my eyes, as Nico aimed the gun at me.
I heard a gurgling sound and opened my eyes. Nico was standing there, his eyes unfocused, as blood pooled in his mouth.
His eyes were confused as he dropped the gun and crumbled to the ground, his eyes staring up at nothing.
He was dead.
I looked up and saw a man with a gun in his hand, but my vision was blurry.
“Well, that’s that,” said the man, tucking the gun into the waistband of his pants.
“You killed him, you son of a bitch!” Matteo was screaming. At least, I thought it was Matteo, and then suddenly everything went silent. Chaos was all around me, but yet I couldn’t hear a thing.
And I felt all the blood rush from my head. I started to fall. Strong arms caught me.
And I thought I saw Dario as I fell.That couldn’t be right, was my last thought.
CHAPTER THIRTY-EIGHT
Dario