Page 161 of The Fractured

He’s mine.

She lunged, one arm going around Lily’s throat as she raised her knife. When Lily’s hand slipped from mine, everything seemed to slow right down.

A shot was fired, and Lucia’s head snapped back before she had the chance to plunge her blade into Lily’s stomach.

As Lucia’s body collapsed with a fresh bullet hole between her eyes, Beatrice screamed in agony while Gabriele roared at Vince for shooting their sister.

Gabriele was closer to me, and so was the gun in his hand. But it was Beatrice near Lily, grabbing Lucia’s knife to finish the job, that flooded my veins with adrenaline.

Beatrice grabbed Lily, holding the blade to her throat, and I grabbed Gabriele, locking him in a chokehold with my arm as I pressed his gun to his temple.

He gasped for air and clawed at my forearm.

I tightened my grip, leveling Beatrice with a glare. “Don’t you fuckin’ dare.”

Lily’s terrified whimpers echoed into the silence of the room. Everyone had a gun on them now, but no one dared to make the first move.

“That was your daughter!” Beatrice screamed at Antonio, pointing the tip of the knife dangerously close to Lily’s jugular. The faintest drop of blood slid down her skin.

I began calculating how fast it would take to shoot Gabriele and then Beatrice before she could cut Lily further.

“We’re out of time,” Antonio said.

Gabriele, barely getting air, choked out, “What?”

Therewasmore movement outside those high windows. They were waiting for the right moment, and right now was the best chance with a detective’s daughter’s life at stake.

Each window was suddenly kicked in before a tactical team dropped in from above, guns ready. They barely reached the ground before the two dozen men beneath them started firing. In turn, they fired back.

I ducked as bullets whizzed past my head, letting go of Gabriele.

He scrambled off somewhere, but before I could attempt to stop him, someone grabbed the back of my shirt and pulled me behind one of the large storage crates.

I stumbled to my ass, thanks to Vince’s manhandling, and found Antonio beside me. Phone to his ear — potentially talking to his police source. Or maybe his wife.

“What happened to you?” Vince asked, referring to my hand.

“Small cut.”

I peered out from behind the crate, searching the chaos for Lily. My eyes flicked to the stairs leading to the mezzanine as Beatrice made her escape up them.

Lily was in her grasp, pulling against her.

With Gabriele’s gun in my hand, I went to go after them, but a bullet clipped the corner of the box before I could step out. When I looked to the stairs again, Lily and Beatrice were nowhere in sight.

“We move to the exit on three,” Vince said, already moving to guard Antonio’s side.

I shook my head. “I’m not going anywhere without Lily.”

“You won’t make it across the fuckin’ room.” He ducked as a bullet ricocheted nearby.

“I’m stayin’…” I addressed Antonio next. “Sorry, boss. For everythin’.”

Antonio shook his head, mildly disappointed. “This isn’t the time for that conversation. Just survive this.”

“If you’re gonna do this, go now,” Vince barked. “I’ll cover you. But then we’re gettin’ out of here.”

I nodded once and crouched behind the corner of the box again, preparing to move.