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I raised my arm a few inches and pointed at my watch. Then held up one finger.
His head barely moved, but I knew he understood what I was trying to tell him. Aiden was artsy and a free spirit like his sister, but he wasn’t an idiot. He knew what was at stake for all of us.
One of Lorenzo’s men curled his arm around Alex’s mother, a gun pressed to her head. She squirmed in his arms, even though it was pointless. In less than a minute, she would either die in a hail of gunfire, like most of the men in this room, or she would become our new prisoner.
Either way, we would win.
She deserved to die for her sins.
A loud bang at the back of the ballroom ended the ceremony. The windows exploded on impact, glass shattering across the room. Gunshots rang out, one after the other. Lorenzo’s guards attempted to shoot as dozens of men from Alpha Command swarmed the room, dressed in full gear.
Several men threw flash bang canisters. People started coughing. Some tried to run, but the smoke was so thick it made it hard to see more than a few feet in front of me.
As we had planned, I dropped to the floor beside my brothers and covered my mouth with my jacket. White smoke from the canisters filled the air. I looked up just in time to see Aiden grab Alex.
Of course, Lorenzo wouldn’t go down without a fight. He shot at them, the bullet missing Alex and grazing Aiden’s shoulder. A team of men advanced on him. Quick on his feet, Lorenzo grabbed Savanna and ran out of the room in the opposite direction.
As Alex and Aiden snuck out of the ballroom, I let out a sigh of relief. Lorenzo was on the run with Alex’s mother, but at least our girl was safe.
Windows smashed, shards of glass raining down on the guests. The room filled with a familiar vinegar scent as white smoke rose from the floor. My heart raced at the sound of several gunshots, one after the other.
I trembled with each shot, my body shaking so badly I was thankful for Aiden when he hooked his arm around me. He steered me away from Lorenzo, who shouted my name over the uproar in the room.
Men dressed in black camouflage invaded the ballroom, shooting at the guards. The guests couldn’t bring their weapons into the mansion. That was our only saving grace. Otherwise, this place would have been a bloodbath.
My men were at the back of the room seconds ago and then dropped to floor as if on cue. I should have known they wouldn’t come to the island without a plan. None of my men were stupid. They always did things with a purpose.
Until a minute ago, I thought I would have to marry Lorenzo just to get out of here alive. All so my guys wouldn’t have to leave the island in body bags.
Aiden lifted me off the platform and dragged me toward the hallway, ordering me to cover my mouth and nose with my hand. A bullet whizzed past my ear and hit my brother in the shoulder.
“Aiden!” I shouted, tears stinging my eyes.
He winced in pain, but he didn’t let the wound or the blood seeping through his shirt deter him. “I’m okay,” he bit out. “Let’s go.”
Aiden guided me toward the first door on our right. Inside, the room was pitch black, with only a sliver of moonlight, which cast a shadow on the hardwood floor.
He locked the door behind us and placed his hands on my shoulders. “Lexie, listen to me. I know you hate the dark, but we can’t turn on the lights. We have little time to get to the shore.”
I swallowed the lump at the back of my throat. “Tell me what to do.”
He led me toward the windows and shoved the curtains aside. Aiden got on the windowsill and pushed out the casement windows as far as they would go. Then he lifted me and set me on the ledge. “Jump.”
I sucked down my fear and blew out a deep breath to steady my rapid heartbeat.
“You can do this, Lexie.” He rubbed his palm on my back. “Jump. I’ll be right behind you.”
I was terrified, but I trusted my brother and his instincts, so I jumped out the window. Aiden hopped down a second later, and we ran across the lawn. By the look of it, Alpha Command had taken out the guards surrounding the island.
My brother clutched my hand as we hauled ass into the jungle. I swatted at low-hanging branches, ignoring the random animal noises that slithered down my spine. Fueled by fear and adrenaline, I moved as fast as my feet would allow in a pair of heels. It wasn’t easy running through mud and dirt. A few times, my heels got stuck, and Aiden had to pull me out.
Once we reached the dock, we stopped to look at several boats anchored to the shore. But it was the man dressed in a dark suit with cropped black hair that stole my attention. He stood on the dock beside a yacht with his hands stuffed into the pockets of his slacks.
I recognized the tall and imposing man from the party at the Salvatore Estate. Dante Luciano, the head of a crime family in Atlantic City. He was Luca and Marcello’s cousin on their mother’s side and related to Lorenzo Basile.
Goosebumps dotted my arms.
Aiden attempted to move toward him.
