Page 79

My fingers tighten on the papers, leaving creases in the expensive stock. The monster in me takes note of every bruise, every mark they've left on my brother-in-law. Every debt that will need to be repaid.
With interest.
"The documents are in order." I pull out a pen, a matte black Mont Blanc, because appearances matter, even now. "Release him first."
"Sign first." Carlo's smile shows too many teeth. "Then maybe we will discuss terms for your wife's continued safety as well."
The threat hangs in the air between us. They know about the baby, know exactly which buttons to push.
Think they have all the power.
"Very well." I uncap the pen. "Let's make this official."
Because what they don't know, what Ava never understood, is that sometimes the biggest cons are the ones hiding in plain sight.
And I didn't become the Monster of Chicago by playing fair.
But then everything falls apart.
I see it in Carlo's eyes a split second before everything goes to shit.
The slight shift in his stance. The almost imperceptible nod to his men. The way his smile turns predatory in a way that has nothing to do with business.
"Run!" I roar at Tomasso, already moving as the first gun appears. My shoulder slams into Tony, sending him rolling away from Marco's grasp just as bullets tear through the space where we stood.
Years of violence have taught my body to react without thinking. I drive my elbow up into the nearest guard's throat while simultaneously drawing the ceramic blade from my sleeve. The guard drops, clutching his neck, as two more rush toward me.
"Get him out!" I shout to Tomasso over the chaos, seeing him grab Tony. A bullet grazes my arm, causing hot pain that I barely register. The monster in me is fully awake now, turning every movement into lethal poetry.
The first attacker reaches me with a wild haymaker, an amateur mistake. I duck under his swing, blade opening his femoral artery in one smooth motion. He goes down screaming as I pivot to meet the second man.
This one's better trained. He comes in low, trying to grapple me. I let him close the distance, using his momentum to drive my knee into his solar plexus. The crack of ribs is satisfying, but I don't have time to finish him.
Because Carlo Fiori is drawing a gun.
I dive behind a concrete pillar as shots explode around me, chips of stone stinging my face. Four hostiles down. At least six more, plus the brothers. And my ceramic blade won't do much good against firearms.
Unless...
A figure appears to my left, and muscle memory takes over. I catch his gun hand, forcing it up as his shot goes wide. My forehead smashes into his nose, the crunch lost under more gunfire. But now I have what I need.
His weapon.
"You really think we'd let you walk away?" Carlo's voice echoes through the warehouse. "Let you keep that pretty wife and her brother? Your empire? Your heir?"
I check the gun's magazine. It’s half full. Not great, but it'll have to do.
"Stefano!" Marco's voice drips false concern. "Be reasonable. We can still make a deal. Just you and me, like the old days."
The words are meant to draw me out, make me react. Instead, I use the sound to pinpoint his location. Three pillars over, slightly to the right.
Time slows as I center myself, letting the monster take full control. Every sense heightens. I notice it all—the coppery smell of blood, the echo of footsteps, the subtle shift of shadows that betrays movement.
A guard peers around the pillar to my right. My first shot takes him in the throat before he can cry out. The second catches his partner in the knee as he moves to help.
Five down.
"Kill him!" Carlo's composure finally cracks. "Kill him now!"