Page 71 of The Bonventi Rise

I watch him thrash around, I remember Alina's terrified face, the blood on her clothes. My third shot punctures his lung. The wet, gurgling sound he makes as he gasps for air that won't come is deeply satisfying.

Almost as much as Alina's music.

His eyes are wide with terror now, all defiance gone. He knows this is how he dies—how the last thing he will see is me standing over him as darkness comes for him.

I lean in close, pressing the barrel of my gun against his forehead.

"I want you to know something before you die," I say, my voice cold and steady. "This isn't just about you attacking her. This is about sending a message. To your bosses. To anyone who might think of coming after her or my family again."

The final shot goes straight through his forehead, execution-style. His body goes limp, eyes staring blankly at the ceiling. Blood pours out onto Alina's kitchen floor.

I stand up slowly, my ears ringing from the gunshots. The kitchen is a mess of blood and brain matter. I walk over and turn a timer off, the beeping finally stopping.

Next, I turn the oven off, black smoke starting to leak out. Whatever was in there is completely black.

I pull out my phone, blood still hot in my veins as I dial Gio. My hands are steady despite what just happened—what I just did. Years of experience have taught me how to compartmentalize.

"We have a problem," I say the moment he picks up.

"Shit. Are they at Alina's? I'm?—"

"Russian hit Alina's apartment," I say, cutting him off. My jaw clenches as I look at the corpse bleeding out on her kitchen floor. "He's dead. Need immediate cleanup."

"Fuck." A pause. "Alina?"

"She's alive. Fought back. Hit him with a pan before I got here. But this wasn't random, Gio. This was coordinated with the warehouse hit."

"Okay, listen to me. I'm already on my way. Take Alina and get the fuck out of there. I've got our best coming with me."

"Thanks, brother," I say. "And one more thing."

"What?"

"Leave the body someplace the Russians will find it. I want to send a message."

Gio laughs. "Sure, what's the message?"

I take a breath. "That you don't fuck with the Bonventis. And she's one of us."

There's a pause on his end. "Consider it done. Now get out and maybe call the chief too, you know."

Yes, I do. The chief will keep the police away.

"I'll call him now."

"Okay. Take care, brother."

"Thanks, you too," I say, ending the call.

I take one last look around the kitchen, committing the scene to memory. And as the adrenaline starts to fade, a new emotion creeps in—fear. Not for myself, but for Alina. She’s seen it now, the man I’ve kept hidden behind the charm and control. The part of me that doesn’t hesitate, that puts four bullets in a man without blinking. I wonder if she’ll look at me the same way again—or if I’ve just destroyed the one good thing I had.

I can't dwell on this too long, however. I need to get back to her and get her the hell out of here.

36

ALINA

The Capstone's elevator doors slide open, and Marco gently guides me into the hallway, his hand on the small of my back. I can barely feel it. My entire body feels numb, disconnected.