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Every building within sight out of the windows did the same, like it was a brief neighborhood blackout.

“That’s very rude.”

I would recognise that voice anywhere, and my head snapped towards it.

Zarina stood in the middle of the room, arms crossed under her breasts, delicious fucking unimpressed pout on her face as she surveyed the situation in front of her.

All of the men moved at once, taken off guard by her surprise arrival.

If I didn’t know any better, I would’ve guessed that I’d been knocked out too, and seeing her here, looking like that, was a concussion-induced dream.

“No!” Rome snapped. “Zarina!”

She shot her sister-in-law a blinding smile and a wave. “Hi!”

The boys surrounded her immediately, shoulders tense with their guns drawn and pointed at her, but they shot each other confused glances.

The four men in their makeshift thrones at the back, however, all wore different versions of the same look of intrigue.

Zarina spun to face them, turning her back to us and tilting her head at them.

“Call off your muscle, shit-for-brains,” she gestured to the man closest to her, but spoke directly to Theo.

He barked a laugh into the air, standing and stretching a little before heading towards the centre of the room where Zarina stood.

They had positioned themselves by the exit, had sat huddled there for hours, speaking in hushed tones excitedly.

I’d been trying eavesdrop, trying to hear what they were saying, but they were careful to be quiet as they passed papers and computers between them.

Theo approached slowly, swaggering up to Zarina like he was King Dick, looking her up and down like she was the most delicious thing he’d ever seen—which I’m sure she was.

Because fuck, even duct-taped to a chair surrounded by a bunch of Santinos, I was fighting a boner.

“Look. At. You.” Theo shook his head appreciatively, and Zarina offered him a flirty little turn to show off her outfit.

I mostly fought the primal instinct to growl my disapproval, but I must’ve made some sort of noise, because Sam frowned at me and shook his head. So I bit down on my lip until it hurt, hoping that it would be enough of a distraction.

“Why is my brother unconscious and duct-taped to a chair?” Zarina cooed, reaching out and fiddling with the collar of Theo’s button up shirt.

His mafia-associate facade was long gone now, and he was back into his pastel coloured button ups and too-tight slacks. He looked like he studied fucking finance or something—which he probably did.

“Because he needed to be taught to shut his mouth,” Theo said back, with dark eyes that gave away exactly what he was thinking about my girl.

“Mmm,” Zarina chuckled. “Ain’t that the truth.”

The three others approached, and the one that I recognised as William cleared his throat.

“Zarina Santino,” he said with a smile. “It’s been a while.”

She turned to offer him another one of those fucking brain-melting smiles. “Wish it was longer, Willie.”

He laughed, and I watched as his shoulders dropped a little. Piece by piece, she was breaking these guys down.

I had no idea what she had planned, but I trusted her.

That still didn’t stop that feeling in my gut, that tremble in my hands from fighting off the urge to shoot each in the head just to get them away from her.

A few hours back I’d wished that I would get to see her again before I died, and now I was realising how selfish that was.