Page 130 of Die for You

Bria rushes over to Valentina and slashes her face with the blade.

It’s deep and it will scar, but my God, it just makes Valentina even more brutal than she already is.

Valentina licks away the fallen blood from her lips. “You can kill me, but that doesn’t bring back your father. Nor does it erase the fact that even dead, Lenny will love me more than you.”

Bria shrieks, and when she attempts to slash Valentina’s throat, Nico runs at her, shoving her into the wall. The table with tools topples over, scattering instruments all over the floor.

Nico punches Bria in the stomach, which results in the box cutter falling from her hand.

Valentina furiously works at the rope on her wrists, and as Hugo charges for her, I trip him.

The other man pulls out a gun and shoots at me.

I rock my chair backward at just the right time, and it crashes as I hit the floor. I’m able to free myself, but my hands are still tied. Regardless, I charge the man with the gun and tackle him.

Nico is attempting to restrain Bria, but he’s no match for her. She throws a punch that connects with his jaw.

Hugo is attacking Valentina, who is still tied. She uses her leg to propel backward and smashes her chair against the wall. She charges him and even with her hands tied, she beats the shit out of him. She kicks, bites, and headbutts him.

He doesn’t stand a chance.

But we’re at a massive disadvantage being restrained.

Bria charges Valentina, gripping her hair and smashing her face into a cabinet. She hurls her around the room like a rag doll. The man with the gun aims at Valentina. I kick him in the solar plexus, and when he goes down once more, I kick him in the face, knocking him out cold.

Nico runs over, blade in hand, and furiously cuts through the rope at my wrists.

“Hurry!” I demand, and when it gives, I break my hands apart, the rope coming free.

I grab a hammer and instantly smash Hugo’s fingers with it as he reaches for the fallen gun. I pick up the gun.

Bria still has Valentina, but when she sees me charging her, she spins her around and places a knife at her throat. “I’ll give you a choice—walk away with Valentina and live your happily ever after. But in return, you leave me Lettie.

“A small sacrifice for happiness.”

Valentina laughs, but it’s not a happy sound. “That’s not happening.”

“Fine, have it your way, then.”

Bria throws the knife at Nico.

He grips the knife sticking out of his chest, and his eyes widen as he drops to his knees. If unattended, he will die.

Valentina howls in pain, frozen and watching the man she loves bleed out in front of her.

I go to charge Bria, but Hugo smashes my kneecap with the hammer using his uninjured hand.

“Fucker!” I cry, kicking him in the face with my good leg.

I can’t put my weight on the busted kneecap, so I hold myself up against the wall.

Hugo hobbles over to where Valentina is being held captive by Bria. Valentina looks at me because we’re fucked this time and for real.

No army of men will come to our rescue, Bria made sure of it. The ones left standing are Bria’s puppets. No one will help us. We’re on our own.

Just how we were when our paths collided.

But I won’t stand back and watch my family be destroyed.