Page 109 of The Mafia Marriage Contract

I thought there would be more than two Red Tribunal members at the meeting. More people to reason with. A chance to bargain with a full jury.

"I’ve come here to turn myself in. I’ll do whatever you ask of me, except kill Kingston. This isn't me disobeying an order. I’m offering an alternative.”

The unmasked man laughs darkly, a sound so low and mocking, it sends a chill down my spine.

"Bold move." His eyes gleam with amusement. "You think by sacrificing yourself, you’ll save him? That you’re somehow buying him time?"

My heart pounds in my chest. “Can we find another way… come to an agreement?”

The masked man stands beside him, not speaking, his presence a threat, but it’s the unmasked man who continues the conversation.

"Tell me, Livvie," he says, stepping closer, his eyes scanning my clothes, measuring my height, stripping me down with just a glance. "Are you ready to die for him? Because that’s what this is about now."

My stomach churns, and panic rises in my throat, choking me. I’ve made my choice. I’ve already committed to this, but the way he says it, so matter-of-factly, makes it seem like a simple business transaction.

The cold finality of it sinks deeper than I’d expected. Truth is, I’m already preparing for what comes next. For whatImust do.

And a part of me still aches,knowing I’ll lose him forever.

“Give me another assignment. I’ll go after someone else,” I say, my voice shaking but desperate.

He laughs in a short sharp burst. “They’re not interested in offering you another assignment. You made your choice the moment you showed up here. You’re not in control, and you’re certainly not a negotiator. As it stands, you’re a liability.”

He draws his gun. “And now, your life is the price of that mistake.”

That might be so, but I didn’t come unprepared. I’ve participated in murder before. My soul’s already black with guilt.

What's one more death to hide in my shadow, if it's for the right reasons.

Vigilantes kill the bad guys all the time. They get justice their way.

I swallow the bitter taste of my rationale, almost laughing at the irony. This was inevitable, wasn’t it? The monster my father always expected me to evolve into, the one I’ve fought so hard not to be… is who I’ve become.

For Kingston. For them.

The weight of a gun, tucked to my waist under my track pants, gives me comfort and the knife strapped on the inside of my ankle is the backup plan.

“I didn’t come here to die.” I glare at him. “Are you seriously telling me the Red Tribunal won’t reconsider the order and give me another hit? Kingston isn’t a threat to you. We did what was asked of us. We followed through on the order to marry, so killing him doesn't make sense. There were bigger plans for us. Give us a chance to carry them out.”

He doesn't lower his aim when he takes a step closer, his pinprick pupils jet-black in the expanse of storm gray.

In a beat, I draw my gun, the cold metal hard in my hand as I take aim at his smug face. His eyes narrow to slits, a hint of amusement there, but it’s more dangerous than before.

My finger tightens around the trigger when his expression tells me this isn’t a game I can win.

“Silly girl.” His voice is calm, almost spooky. “You think pulling a gun will make it all go away?”

Next to us, the masked man draws a gun, strides into my personal space, and jabs my temple with the barrel.

“This will only go one way,” the unmasked man sneers. “You shoot me, he shoots you, and your husband will still die. This little show of yours will be in vain when your dead body is found bloated and washed up on the shore, and Kingston, well, his head will be shipped to his father in a gift box.”

A smirk spreads across his face and anger bubbles up like venom in my throat. Before I know it, I’ve spat in his face. “Fuck you.”

The gun wedged into my temple digs in deeper.

“For your disobedience…” He wipes away the spittle. “The Red Tribunal will sentence everyone you love to death. Your family. Your friends. Everyone you’ve ever cared for.”

His face looms before me. “Not so fucking brave now, are you, O’Callaghan scum?”