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“But she has everything to do with this. She’s the reason you’ve been absent. I thought we had an understanding. That you would rightfully take your place by my side and then one day take over. But she’s muddled your brain, and all you want to do is hang on her skirt and beg for her attention. No son of mine will ever be slave to a woman.”
He spat the last word out as if it tasted bad. But I was still stuck on the son part. It seemed impossible. Maurizio was cruel and unhinged. He was insane. And Lucius was the exact opposite. It didn’t make sense.
Another shot rang out, and Lucius roared, lunging for me. Maurizio’s hand dropped away, but not before the knife he’d been holding against my neck nicked my skin.
I tumbled forward, and Lucius caught me, his hands frantically sliding over every inch of my body. “Are you okay? Did he get you anywhere?”
He found the small cut on my throat and inspected it, turning my head every which way. Only once the bleeding stopped did he let me go.
My eyes fell on the form lying by my feet, and I thought it might have been preferable had I passed out.
My empty stomach revolted, and I doubled over. All sound faded, replaced with a ringing noise. A firm hand found my back and another squeezed my arm. I blinked hard and shook my head. Lucius was standing next to me, his usual composed features contorted, his jaw clenched so hard I feared he’d break a tooth. And then all the noise crashed into me once again, as if someone hit Play.
“What—” I croaked, my voice scratchy and hoarse.
Lucius turned to Santino, who was standing next to us, gun in hand. I hadn’t noticed him, my attention on the mangled form of Maurizio.
“Have you lost your mind?” Lucius roared. “He could have killed her.”
An angry Lucius was a scary but beautiful thing. His body was tensed, his muscles bulging, his face a mask of fury. But Santino didn’t seem worried. He shrugged, nudging Maurizio with his foot. “You knew this was the only way. Besides, I had surprise on my side. He wasn’t expecting it. The longer we let it go on, the more time he’d have had to prepare.”
It made sense. And I was grateful for his actions. Even though I could have happily gone my whole life without seeing the inside of a brain. Some things should forever remain a mystery.
Lucius gripped his hair. “Fuck.” He turned to me. “We have to go. Now.”
Taking my hand, he guided me past the carnage. The other guys in the room stood around, looking between the two dead bodies. They made no move to stop us, too confused by what was happening since there was nobody left to lead them.
As soon as we cleared the door, Lucius and Santino shouted at each other in Spanish. It ended in Santino gripping my hand and Lucius sprinting off down the hall.
Santino pulled me the other way. “Let’s go.”
“What about Lucius?”
“He’s getting an emergency bag and some of your stuff.”
We finally came to a stop in a giant garage that held a fleet of cars. He unceremoniously dumped me in the back seat of one of the many black SUVs.
Lucius barged into the garage a few tense minutes later, carrying two large bags and my handbag. Looking at him centered me, an island in the sea of uncertainty I currently found myself in.
He jumped in and handed the handbag back to me. “Everything’s still in there.”
I sighed in relief, because it meant I’d have my passport. And that was all I needed to get out.
Santino put the car in Drive, and the tires squealed as we shot toward the garage door that was slowly opening. Santino didn’t wait for it to open fully, and we raced through, missing the metal by inches.
Lucius pulled a shotgun from the floorboard and checked it over. With his other hand, he took a gun from a holster on his leg. “Take this,” he said and pointed to the side. “Safety switch.” He held the gun up. “Trigger. Hold it like this.” He demonstrated it for me.
I watched him with sandpaper-dry eyes and a gaping mouth fit to catch flies. I had never touched a gun in my life. He held it out to me, but I made no move to take it. He took my hand and put it around the gun. “Don’t hesitate to use it. It’s either them or you.”
I nodded numbly, the gun heavy in my hand.
We arrived at the front gate, and the guards waved us through, oblivious to what had happened moments ago. We shot down the gravel drive, steadily gaining speed.
16
LUCIUS
He was finally dead. And I didn’t know what to think. I should have been elated. I was finally free of the monster who’d made my every waking moment miserable. But instead of relief, I felt confusion.
