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Aria looked at Damian.“I’msorry.”
He shook his head and she wanted to weep for the fear on his face. She had done that. She had made him afraid by putting herself in a position to be used byMalcolm.
ByPrimo.
Primo walked over to her, smoothed her hair, cupped her face in his hand. She couldn’t prevent the grimace from twisting her mouth. She didn’t want Primo touching her, didn’t want him anywherenearher.
He rested a hand gently on her shoulder, looking into her eyes. Then he backhanded her hard enough to splitherlip.
Damian fired a shot intohisleg.
Primo screamed, but Aria didn’t even flinch. She’d grown used to the sound of guns beingfired.
She’d grown used to a lot ofthings.
Primo stumbled, pointed his weapon at Damian, then seemed to think better of it. He turned it on Aria, holding it to her temple. The barrel was smoothandcold.
“This isn’t my sister,” he said, his mouth close to her ear. “This is some traitorous bitch. I don’t evenknowher.”
She hated herself for the tears that leaked fromhereyes.
Malcolm was still behind her, holding her wrists in the iron grip of his hands, his scent sour, his breathing heavy. He was too close, the meat of his body pressed against hers from behind. She was trying to keep her body away from his, twisting her arms to the point of pain to keep whatever distance she couldbetweenthem.
Damian was so close. So close and sofaraway.
If she was going to die, she just wanted to feel his arms around her onemoretime.
Just onemoretime.
“What the fuck are you doing?” Primo screamed at Malcolm. “End thisasshole!”
“Iwouldn’t.”
Aria looked up to the second floor loft where Cole stood, his weapon aimed in her direction — or more specifically, atMalcolm.
* * *
Damian was surprisedhis hand was steady. There was nothing but rage washing through his brain, behind his eyes. He wanted to burn this fucking place to the ground. Wanted to kill Primo slowly now for hitting Aria, wanted to tear Malcolm limb from limb for daring totouchher.
He had no idea how Aria had come to be at the club. It was hard to imagine Primo — or even Malcolm — breaking the security he’d put in place at the Westchester estate, but it didn’tmatter.
She washerenow.
The love of his life. His greatestweakness.
They were at a standoff, Cole’s weapon pointed at Malcolm, Primo’s pointed at Aria, Damian’s pointed atPrimo.
All while Malcolm had the most dangerous weapon of all in hishands.
Aria — the one thing Damian wouldneverrisk.
He tried to see the chessboard. Aria, his queen, everyone else a pawn to be used tosaveher.
“This is a losing situation,” Damian said. “If you hurt Aria — either of you — you’re dead seconds later. Cole will put a bullet in Malcolm’s brain, and I’ll have the honor of finishing you,Primo.”
He looked at Malcolm as he talked. Primo wasn’t a man of reason. He might kill Aria and then himself just for the hell of it. Just to prove apoint.
