Page 271 of Marcello

Like idiots, none of the four were watching their rear.

When they heard Lucrezia and me approach, they all whipped their guns around at us.

“DON’T SHOOT!” I yelled.

Lucrezia breezed past them, totally unconcerned by how close we’d come to being mowed down.

I heard Cesare yell gleefully from the next room.

I knew Dario Rosolini wasn’t in there with him –

So who is?

“What the hell’s going on?” I asked Serpente.

Before he could answer, Lucrezia screamed, “WHAT THE FUCK ARE YOU DOING?!”

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Ipushed past Serpente and ran into the room.

Cesare stood there, his face smeared with blood. He gave us an unhinged smile. “Dario Rosolini’s not here, so I’m taking it out on his bitch.”

Lucrezia was stunned into silence.

When I looked down at the floor, I saw why.

A pregnant woman was lying on her side. Cesare had obviously been at her.

Her face was bloody…

Her arm was broken, with sharp bones poking through the torn skin…

All while her arms shielded her belly, trying to protect the tiny life inside her.

My face was blank with shock – but inside me, something broke.

Nothing is worth this.

I can’t –

I can’t fucking do this anymore.

I looked at Cesare.

We both had our guns drawn –

But mine was dangling by my side, while his was up in the air.

I knew he was faster than me. If I pulled on him, I would die –

And so would that woman on the floor.

I kept my gun by my side as I walked past Lucrezia, who was frozen in horror.

“You don’t want to do this,” I told Cesare.

His glee turned to demonic rage, and he pointed his gun at me. “What the fuck did you just say?”