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The look on her face when I stepped inside was like a knife to the chest. Pure betrayal. I’ve been stabbed, shot at, even tortured on assignments, but the disgust in her eyes hurt worse than all of it. She thought I was abandoning her to die like trash.
Raffy’s face pales, the arrogant smirk that dripped from his lips moments ago is gone, replaced by wide, frantic eyes. He’s still holding on to Alessa like she’s some sort of lifeline, the one thing keeping him from crumbling under the weight of his own failure. His grip tightens around her arm, the pressure so brutal I can see the muscles in his arm strain. Alessa winces, her face twisted in pain as she yanks at her arm, trying to break free.
My trigger finger itches, jaw clenching so hard my teeth might crack. Been here a thousand times before—some asshole thinking he can take what’s mine. He’s already dead, just doesn’t know it yet.
“Let her go, Raffy!” I bellow as I take a step closer toward them. The fact that there aren’t any laser beams dancing in the air and no bullet has yet to puncture my leg is a good sign. It means the people on the rooftop have been taken care of.
Raffy locks his arm around her throat like a goddamn vice, squeezing hard enough that she chokes on the pressure, her nails digging into his skin as she fights to breathe. “Please!”she begs, and the sound twists my gut into fucking knots. Those pleas are for the bedroom, not some piece of shit who’s manhandling her.
A bullet passes through the window from behind me, scaring Alessa just as Raffy ducks from instinct. I dare to look over my shoulder and see Vincenzo’s gun smoking. “If you hit her, I swear to God, I will bury you alive with your dick in your mouth.” The threat comes out before I can stop it, and I don’t even give a shit that it’s disrespectful and could cost me my place in the Commission.
Another shot cracks through the air from the other side, smashing into the concrete just above Raffy’s head. I whip my head and see Paolo’s hand outstretched and shaking, his gun pointing at our uninvited guest. “What the fuck did I just say?!” I bark. These old bastards couldn’t hit water if they fell out of a fucking boat.
Raffy strides toward the door, shoving it open with a smug grin aimed right at me. He knows I know. The second he steps into that crossfire, all hell’s gonna break loose. Bullets will rain from every goddamn direction, and while TJ’s got at most five men, including Luca, I’ve got no clue how many the Commission brought. Once the lead starts flying, it won’t give a damn who it rips through. Alessa included.
So I sprint. Raffy, like a dog about to be chased down, starts to move quickly, tripping on his way to the back kitchen. “You’re gonna get us both killed, you fucking asshole!” Alessa shrieks, fighting like hell to slow him down. She digs her heels in, deadweight, yanking against Raffy with everything she’s got. The corner of my lips tug. Smart girl. Stubborn as fuck—just like me.
The safehouse is unrecognizable. Countless bodies sprawl on the floor, some of them bleeding with bullet holes in their heads, their eyes staring into oblivion. Others groan in pain, crawling to safety.
Bullet holes cover every corner of the dining room, the place where my brothers and I usually have our brunch on Sundays is ruined. The long table is tipping on one corner, and the leg is no longer intact. Chairs are scattered all over the room along with unknown debris and bullet casings.
“No, no, no!” Alessa lets out a tormented cry as Raffy extends his arm, aiming at some fucking imbecile walking straight into the line of fire.
The kid looks so goddamn green I don’t even want to admit he’s one of TJ’s recruits. Barely out of diapers, his gun shakes from his unsteady grip. Raffy does the poor bastard a favor and saves him from dying slow and stupid with a bullet in his cheek.
Blood blotches brutally across Alessa’s face—she flinches. A lone tear rolls down the side of her cheek, leaving behind a slick, crimson trail that clings to her skin. Then a sob follows, thick and choked with despair as she watches the kid fall head-first to the floor.
She’s watching some green recruit get his brains blown out, and something breaks in her. This ain’t her world—never should’vebeen. But that’s on me—and Raffy’s gonna pay for every tear on her face.
The world darkens around me, my vision tunneling at Raffy.
I don’t bother wasting my time as I continue to walk, just as another man I don’t recognize passes in front of me, rifle at the ready. Before he can take another step, I take a shot at his shoes. He turns his head in my direction, shouting in pain. I smash his nose with the butt of my gun and knock him unconscious. He collapses to the floor and before his head can hit the blood-stained surface, I pull the trigger.
Raffy continues to walk forward, killing anyone who dares to barricade his way. Alessa’s cheek is covered with blood and tears, her lips quivering watching these murders up close. Her green eyes are haunted now, filled with a horror she’ll never unsee.
Another bastard charges at me, but I put a bullet straight through his chest before he can take another step. The next guy—dumb enough to think he can take me out with a blade—drops like a sack of bricks as I shoot him twice, one in each shoulder. The knife clatters to the floor, and I scoop it up.
I’m about to stand when a strong arm snakes around my neck, pulling me backward. I take the dagger and stab my assailant in the thigh. He cries in pain, his hold going lax. I take it as an opportunity as I pull out the dirk from his leg and do a maneuver, grabbing his forearm and dropping my weight. Bending forward, his balance breaks and the momentum sendshim flying over my shoulder, slamming onto the floor with a brutal thud.
“You look like shit,” says a voice behind me. “You’re fucking late,” I grunt, rising to my feet. “It’s nice to see you, too, brother.” “Cover me,” I demand, skipping pleasantries as I jog toward where Raffy and Alessa are nearing the front door. I shoot another man coming my way, as Luca fires twice behind me.
“Where the fuck is TJ?”
“In my ears.”
“I need something to disarm Raffy. I can’t take the shot with Alessa.”
“TJ.” I hear Luca say on his earpiece. “You have vision on Raffy?”
“He does, but it’s not a clear shot,” Luca grunts his answer.
“Here.” I take the earpiece from him and put it on.
“TJ.”
“Boss.”
“We don’t have much time!” I shout.