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“Unfortunately, that’s where you’re wrong. She almost died because of your assignment. You daughter was kidnapped. Does that matter to you? You lied to a woman who cared about you. Does that mean anything to you? Put down the weapon and walk away.”
“Fuck you, Valentin. I’m a professional. I finish every assignment.”
The tables had turned quickly, but the missing piece was far too important.
“Who is the son of a bitch who put hits on my family?” Casimine demanded.
Another rustle in the trees grabbed my attention, but the hiss from another unwanted visitor chilled my blood to the core.
“I am, Father dear.” As Filip moved from the denseness of the trees into the open light, his arm wrapped around Cassidy’s neck, I shifted my full attention in his direction.
“Bastard,” I said under my breath. How the hell had he managed to grab her? What the fuck had he done to my parents, my sister?
Casimine reacted in slow motion, his face twisting as the horror of the betrayal finally sank in. “What the fuck is wrong with you?”
“What is wrong? You and my uncle were going to share territories, determined to push me out of my rightful place. I deserve to rule. I created our army, built our business. I was the only man with the balls to challenge the Vincheti scum. And for that, you called me worthless, pretending as if I was nothing to you.”
Cassidy struggled, trying to wrench her way free, her eyes wide open, pleading with me to get her free from the monster’s arms.
I took several deep breaths, realizing that this would become a massacre.
“You bastard,” Casimine huffed, taking two long strides in Filip’s direction. “You were weak, hungry for power. You made mistakes, those that almost cost us everything.”
Filip’s plan was a decent one, although his greed and anger had proven to be his downfall.
“Kill him,” Filip directed Orpheus. “That’s what I paid you to do.”
“And if you do, there won’t be a single one of Casimine’s soldiers who won’t hesitate to send you directly to hell,” I snarled. I kept my gaze locked on Cassidy, watching every move she made.
She moaned, her voice strangled. “No! My baby! You bastard. You fucking bastard.”
As soon as Orpheus turned his head in her direction, Casimine took the opportunity to fire off a single shot in the assassin’s direction.
Only his aim was off given his shaking hand.
That allowed chaos, Cassidy screeching then twisting her body, managing to free herself from Filip’s hold, lunging toward me. While everything seemed to pitch into slow motion, the only sound that of my thudding heart and the screams of the woman I loved, the inertia of what was happening, the ugly visions would forever remain locked in my mind.
I grabbed her arm, tossing her to the ground, spinning and taking aim at Filip, but I was a split second too late, the man able to fire off two shots. I could see the bullets as they headed in my direction, the fiery glow as they left the chamber.
Then the blur of darkness as Orpheus pitched in front of me.
Pop! Pop! Pop! Pop!
I got off a single shot, lunging for the ground in an effort to cover Cassidy, prepared to die in order to protect her, waiting for the explosion of agony.
But it never came.
As another round of gunfire went off, the echoes began to clear, real time resurfacing.
Then I watched as Casimine collected himself, firing a single shot into Filip’s forehead.
Then suddenly, all was quiet, the peace of the few seconds a realization that the end was near.
A rumble began seconds later, soldiers coming from all directions. I snapped my head toward Cassidy, gasping for air.
“Baby. Are you alright?” I pulled away, checking her for injuries before jerking my head in several directions. “Do not fire! It’s over!”
“My baby. Where is she?” Cassidy croaked.
