Page 30 of Kidnapped By the Boss

The way he was phrasing those things didn’t inspire the most confidence that this queen was even still with us, but I already had too many deaths weighing on my conscience to worry about another. Besides, if she was willing to be with someone like this piece of trash, then she had only herself to blame for whatever came to her.

“So you’re short one queen, and where is the rest of your crew?” I asked.

“You are very needy,” Antonio said. “I thought you came here to discuss the matter of being my queen?”

“That’s precisely what I’m here to do, but I can’t rule over a kingdom with no subjects,” I huffed back.

The smile on his face grew. “I come to like you more and more with each word you say, Katya. I look forward to changing your last name.”

“Changingmylast name?” I said. “Unfortunately, I think you may be overestimating your abilities.”

“You expect me to be afraid of your current husband?”

“You should be,” I responded. “You may be the reigning champion of this ring, but there is a world champion you could never hope to defeat. One who has conquered even the Bratva in Russia.” I sneered at him. “The only man I’ll ever call my King, and the last one you’ll ever beg for mercy from.”

“Is that a threat?” Antonio asked.

“Threat is such a nasty word,” I said. “I think you’ll find Vincent Costello is a man that deals only in assurances.”

As soon as the word “Assurance” left my mouth the door behind me slammed open and I saw the smug expression drop from Antonio’s face. I didn’t even need to turn around to see what was going on, and soon, Costello family soldiers were appearing in rows on either side of me. The last ones into the room were Devrick, Mario, Annie and Taylor, and then Vincent appeared at my side.

“What is this?” Antonio said.

“It’s a raid,” Vincent said. “Because I’ve had just about enough of you causing trouble. I let you have your fun, but that’s over now.”

It was obvious from the look on Antonio’s face that he understood he’d been cornered. At least three dozen of the Costellos’ soldiers now filled every inch of this speakeasy, and all of our upper ranks were now shoulder to shoulder with our eyes fixated on him, and he was totally alone.

“This would not be the first time a beautiful face has backed me into a corner, Mrs. Costello, and it won’t be the last,” Antonio said.

“Correction, it will be your last,” I said. “Because we’re going to kill you.”

The word “kill” made all of the soldiers draw their weapons and fixate them on Antonio. He looked around me towards the door, but two people down from me, Mario started to chuckle. “Yeah… You made a mistake hiring that security guard. He couldn’t secure shit.”

“Consider it one death for the dozens you’ve cost me,” Vincent said.

Suddenly, Antonio turned around, and I screamed out, “There’s a hidden door!”

“Shoot!” Vincent screamed.

“No!” Devrick yelled.

But it was too late. The entire front row of Vincent’s soldiers began firing in Antonio’s direction, just as he was disappearing behind the hidden door. Several of the bullets hit the wooden walls and bounced back, which I realized a little too late was likely an intentional design. Soldiers scattered and everyone ducked out of the way of the ricocheting bullets, but I bolted forward. There was no way Antonio had a way to get into that hidden panel from the outside, so if he managed to get it closed, we wouldn’t be able to get in.

Behind me, I heard Vincent yell, “Katya!” but I didn’t stop. I had to make sure that Antonio didn’t get the door closed all the way.

He turned around and looked into the chaos in the speakeasy and saw me coming, and tried to hurry to get the door shut. I was a little too far away to run and block it, so I did the only thing I could think to do—I leapt off my feet towards the door, slamming my body against it as it closed. I was afraid that I didn’t make it, but when I dug my feet in and pushed against the door, it gave a little and I realized that he didn’t get it to set completely into the jamb. I could feel his weight trying to force it shut from the other side, but within seconds, I had Taylor and Annie at my side, pushing against the panel with me. The three of us combined were more than enough to overpower Antonio, and the door pushed back open. I held out a hand for a gun, and Annie set hers in my hand, then I shoved the door aside and bolted into the hallway.

Unlike the warmly lit, stylized speakeasy outside, it was like I’d just run into an office building. It was a white wall, linoleum floor hallway with halogen lights hanging overhead, and looked as if I punched any of these walls, they’d be made of cheap drywall. Antonio was booking it down the hallways and I was after him, but I could hear footsteps behind me. I had allies, so I knew if I could juststophim, we could deal with him.

Finally, Antonio turned one of the corners and tried to get inside a door before I could see him, but I turned in just enough time to see it close. I slammed against it, trying to get it open, but then all of a sudden, a pair of arms wrapped around me and yanked me backwards. Vincent curled me into his arms just in time for a bunch of bullets to come flying through this much thinner, not at all bulletproof, door.

“Be more careful,” Vincent huffed at me.

“Sorry,” I said. “I was just so close.”

“There’s nowhere to go,” I heard Devrick say just before he appeared in my peripheral vision. “I had this building surveyed. There are only three entrances, the main one up top, the exit that we came in through, and a back door that is much further from this point.”

“Boss, can I be a little chaotic?” Mario walked up and joined us in the hallway.