Page 96 of Vendetta

There wasn’t time to feel. All that mattered was her.

Chapter 61

Nico

I’d just pulled my blazer on over the Kevlar when a knock sounded at the door. My pack and I shared a look.

Oliver tucked his gun against the small of his back and pulled the door open a crack. “Listen, I don’t know what’s taking them so long. It must be a big clog,” he said before registering who was beyond the door. After a moment, he replied to the muffled words outside. “What? Oh. Sure.”

The new arrival was indecipherable from where I stood, but Ollie handled it. Once he’d pushed the door shut, he cocked his head at me, confused.

“Rocco said your dad wants to see you in his office. Alone.”

Cruz stuffed another gun into his suit. “I don’t like it. That’s a bad idea.”

“We could just kill them. There’s only three outside, and two near Francisco’s office,” Oliver suggested with an excited grin.

“Not counting any roaming patrols.” I paced across the room to the picture windows. Flashes of black moved through the trees where my brothers skirted the barracks. This was about to get ugly, and Rosa was in the worst possible place. “If he hears gunfire, he won’t hesitate to kill her. We need to be careful,” I said, rummaging through the bag my brothers left behind.

Two silencers were buried at the bottom. That would have to do. I tossed one each to Cruz and Oliver. “Kill the other two outside. I’ll knock out Rocco. By the time he wakes up, we’ll have won, or we’ll be dead.”

Adrenaline roared through my veins as my hand landed on the door handle. I gave my pack a nod and pulled it wide.

Rocco was slow to react when I launched myself at him, taking him to the ground. The butt of my revolver cracked across his skull as the whistle of two silenced gunshots swept past my face. The remaining guards wobbled before toppling to the ground. Red stains painted the walls where their blood and brains splattered. Rocco was the lucky one. He might get a chance to repent for the sins of my father. As long as Rosa lived.

“Toss me the last set of cuffs,” I called to Oliver, who was already moving to get the backpack.

“There are two guards left outside the office, plus your father,” Cruz said as he tucked the silenced pistol into his pants.

“We don’t have much time.” I took the cuffs from Ollie and secured Rocco’s wrists around a pillar in the hall. “That won’t hold him for long once he wakes up.”

Oliver pointed his silenced gun at Rocco’s head. “Why don’t we kill him now and save ourselves the trouble?”

“Because, once we take over, we’ll need soldiers like him,” I said, and headed down the corridor.

Unlike most of the trash guards at the villa, Rocco was well-trained and knew when not to overstep. That was the only thing saving him from my bloodthirsty omega today.

“We’re taking over? Right now?” Oliver hurried to catch up.

Cruz trailed silently at my heels. Once my brothers were involved, there was no other outcome. They’d planned to follow me when I took the throne. It was just happening a little sooner and under different circumstances than we’d expected. There would be no peaceful retirement for my tyrant of a father, not anymore.

I led the way through the twisting halls, slowing as I rounded the last corner before my father’s study. I motioned the others to stay behind me. The two guards outside the door tensed as if they expected trouble. They were right.

Cruz and Oliver walked into view with their guns drawn, and I held my finger to my lips. The guards shared nervous looks but didn’t move. Something felt off. They complied too easily. Not even a dirty look. I slowed and drew my gun, my eyes darting down the hall. A shadow moved across the wall, right before six more well-armed, masked soldiers poured out from the room at the end.

Well, fuck.

Now it was eight to three. And with Rosa a hostage a few feet away, even I didn’t like those odds.

Reluctantly, my hands went up in surrender.

“Toss your guns.” The gruff voice of one of the masked guards carried down the corridor.

Were we really going to fucking do this? I thought about Rosa, trapped in the office with my father and dropped my gun. The two thuds from behind me told me that Cruz and Oliver had done the same. Frustration simmered in my blood. Whatever happened, I had to get to her.

The soldiers inched their way down the hall as if expecting us to retaliate. If Rosa’s safety wasn’t in question, they would’ve been right.

Rosalina