Page 29 of Only Fools Rush

“Luciano was a fool for a thousand fucking reasons.” They were so close. Only a few more steps.

“Ryuji,” Ciel said, “they’re feet away. Stand by for a clean shot.”

That dead look passed across Max’s face again. “Do you want to know how this alliance has been secured?”

I didn’t give a fuck, but if it kept him talking, I’d ask. “How?”

“Is she listening?” Max asked, glancing around like he was looking for a ghost. Now positioned behind her father, Chiara tensed. Her face shuttered.

“What?” Leona hissed.

“An alliance has been secured through an engagement,” Don Vincenzo said. “Between my daughter and Maximiliano.”

I sucked in a breath, eyes wide as my focus flew from Chiara to Max. She angled herself away, toward the window only a few steps behind them, fingers tight around her phone. Max stared straight at me.

“A fuckingengagement?” I asked.

Leona said nothing in the comms.

“Breathe, baby girl,” Ciel said, voice laced with concern. “Breathe.”

My heart went cold at Ciel’s tone. Itkilledme that I couldn’t respond. I couldn’t say or do anything besides stare at Max, totally bewildered.

“Leona, we will end this here. Be patient,” Obi responded. “Caspian, we’re thirty seconds away. Ryuji, if you have a shot, take it.”

“Do you understand now, son?” Vincenzo said, pity in his voice. “What happens if you kill him? The full force of my army and his will come down on you.”

They took another step backward, now in full view of the window.

They acted so quickly I could barely register. Max’s arm shifted on his gun, something he did when he was aiming. I didn’t hesitate. I lifted my weapon to fire at him just as Chiara screamed.

She darted forward, knocking into Vincenzo at the same time the window shattered.

I squeezed the triggers on both my guns, but pain laced down my arms. My shoulder flared white-hot. My aim went wide, blowing a hole in the wall to the right of Max’s head.

Vincenzo collapsed, blood gushing from his throat.

Max didn’t hesitate. He grabbed Chiara’s wrist and ducked into the door opposite the window. I caught a strange emotion on Chiara’s face—asmile?—as they both disappeared inside.

“Cas!” Leona practically shouted in the earpiece. “Guys?”

“My bullet hit Tommaso,” Ryuji said. “He’s dead.”

The Don laid at my feet, eyes wide in surprise.

Obi and Wynn came rushing down the corner.

“Nice timing,” I murmured to both of them. My brain was still trying to process what had happened. My body was in so much fucking pain, but I couldn’t let them see it—because then they’d know that if my bullets hadn’t gone wide, Max would be dead.

He was alive because of me.

I never should have hesitated. I should have killed him when he first walked into the hallway.

Obi looked at the door. “They’re inside there?”

I nodded.

“Hostage situation?” he asked, double-checking his guns, and glancing at Tommaso’s corpse.