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I look away, feeling awkward. Will is cute and all, but he’s Franco’s guard, and I don’t want anything to do with Franco whatsoever.
I notice more men heading my way when the lights turn off, plunging everyone and everything into complete darkness. Murmurs fill the room. My eyes start to adjust to the darkness, and I make out people entering the ballroom.
The lights turn back on, and I get a better look at the new people joining us.
It’s a group of men, all with guns in their hands.
Then the gunshots go off.
CHAPTER2
Gemma
Idrop to the ground, instinctually covering my head as the loudbang bangof gunshots fills the air. Screams fill the room, and I hear the rush of footsteps as people try to make a run for the door. I can feel them running past me, but I’m too scared to look up.
Who are these people, and why are they doing this?
A lull in the gunfire makes me look up. There are men, holding weapons, walking around the room, circling everybody and keeping them contained in the ballroom. Someone whimpers beside me, and when I look over, I see my youngest sister, Mia, so close to me, yet it feels like a divide is between us. I reach my hand out, and she scrambles to me on her stomach, clutching her fingertips into my skin.
“It’s ok,” I whisper. “You’re ok.”
Someone fires their gun. I wince as I draw Mia closer to me.
“Gemma,” she chokes out.
“Shh. Just stay quiet. We’re ok.”
“Our family.” She looks around, searching for them. I force myself to look, too, and I can just make out my mom and Cecilia in one corner, huddled together. Cecilia is gripping the cross around her neck, her mouth moving, probably saying one of her many prayers. Looking the other way, I see Emilia, Marco on top of her on the ground. I don’t see Francesca or Antonio, but it’s a sea of people on the ground, so I tell myself not to worry too much. Not yet anyway.
“Everybody, listen up!” a man says, his voice echoing through the room. I almost vomit when I see who’s talking. It’s the man who spoke to me in the hallway—the one I was captivated by. “I don’t want to kill anyone today. I’m just here for someone, and if that person would kindly give themselves up, then no one needs to die. Understood?”
“Viktor, you fucking bastard,” Marco snarls, standing up.
My eyes widen. Viktor? Two years ago, I remember Emilia warning me about a man named Viktor who had a tendency to hurt people. She made it clear he was a bad,badman. He’d introduced himself to Emilia at a club we went to, but I hadn’t really seen him. Now, all I can see is him. With the gun slung across his back and a smirk, Viktor is the image of dangerous.
Viktor lazily turns to Marco. My brother-in-law is an intimidating figure, but Viktor doesn’t even look worried. “Ah. Marco. You’re here. Happy seeing you again. Thought more about my proposal? I’d still like to work with you.” His eyes flit to Emilia. “And the lovely Emilia is here as well. How fitting. I shot her once before; I can always do it again.” Emilia grabs Marco’s leg, but he shakes her off, squaring off against Viktor.
“You think you can just come in here and start shooting, and I’ll work with you? Viktor, you’re insane.”
He shrugs, shifting his gun. “I’d be careful calling the man with a machine gun insane.”
Marco stalks right up to Viktor. “I’m not afraid of you.” His snarl makes his scar look more pronounced. “Let everyone in the room go. We can talk. You don’t need to keep these people as hostages.”
“But the hostage part is so much fun.”
Emilia stands up. “Viktor, just let my family go, please. You can have me if that’s what you want. But just let my family go.” My sister has always been brave, standing up for us even in the hardest of times.
“Emilia,” Marco hisses. “Don’t.”
“Yes, don’t, Emilia.” Viktor chuckles. “This is just getting juicy. But see, I’m not here for you this time.”
“Then, who?” she demands.
Viktor wags his finger back and forth. “Sit back down, please.”
“Emilia,” Marco says. Her expression says that’s the last thing she wants to do, but after a moment, she nods and sits back down.
We’re in a room filled with Mafia men, and Marco and my sister are the only ones brave enough to stand up to Viktor. I look at the other men on the ground with disgust. Why aren’t they fighting harder? Viktor only brought four men with him. Granted, each has a machine guns. But if we could cause a distraction, maybe we could fight back. There’s no way I’m dying at a party my mom threw for me, surrounded by pathetic men. I’m seriously supposed to marry one of them? My sister has more guts than they do. And if she can try and save us, so can I.
