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"Make mine a cappuccino," Set piped up, and Bellona stifled a giggle.
The inside was as beautiful as the outside. Bellona knew that money didn't buy taste, but Tirone's house was full of paintings and sculptures that were gorgeous.
"If we have to kill him, I get the first pick of his collection," Bellona whispered to Set.
He pointed to a set of black and white ocean photos. "Okay, but I want those for Ayla. She likes the sea."
Rafael cast an incredulous look over his shoulder at them, and they both smiled back innocently. The kitchen was white and pine, with lots of silver appliances that barely looked used. Bellona went to the coffee machine and started grinding beans, delighting in the wince of pain that flashed over Tirone's face at the intrusive noise.
"So what are you doing here? Come to shout at me?" he said, slumping into a chair in the sunshine.
"No. I know that you're bankrupt, Tirone. That's how Rita convinced you to try and take me down, isn't it?" Rafael asked and leaned casually against the counter.
"What lies! I'm not bankrupt! How dare you accuse me of that," Tirone spluttered.
Bellona said, "Do you have any string in this kitchen? I feel like I'm going to need some soon."
Rafael's lips twitched. "Behave yourself."
"She is, trust me," Set said and opened the fridge to get a snack.
"Do you two mind? That's my stuff you're going through!" Tirone snarled.
"Don't worry about them. Worry about how much easier it's going to be if you stop lying to me. I can help you get out of financial trouble, Tirone. You should have come to me to begin with." Rafael sat down opposite him. "Explain it to me so I can understand."
Tirone sniffled and drained his drink. "I was duped. The shipping company, the investment—everything looked clean. There was nothing suspicious about it."
"Except I bet it looked too good to be true," Bellona said and placed an espresso in front of Tirone and one in front of Rafael.
"It was. That bitch Rita. I knew the Costas were bastards, but she manipulated the whole thing from start to finish. I over-invested, and it failed, and I'm fucked." He took the espresso and sipped it. "You can stop all of this, Rafael. She doesn't want you dead. All this nonsense with the bounty on your head is just to push you to marry her. I mean, would it be so bad? She's not ugly, and she's got to be worth a billion at least. You could make all of this unpleasantness go away for all of us."
The metal milk jug in Bellona's hand bent as fury pushed its way through her. She slammed it down on the counter. "Rafael is not a piece of ass for you to pass about because you fucked up, old man. Grow a fucking spine," she snapped.
Rafael raised a brow at her outburst, but his eyes burned with all sorts of sexy promises. "I won't be marrying Rita, Tirone. But if you pull your support from her, I will help you with the debts that you owe," he said, looking back at the mess of a man opposite him.
"Bells," Set said, drawing her attention. Bellona went to him, and he passed her a phone that had been left on the kitchen counter. A message had lit up the screen.
Thank you for your message, but I no longer need you.
Bellona tackled Rafael to the tiles as the glass window broke, and Tirone's head exploded all over the kitchen. She dragged Rafael behind the solid marble counter, and Set ducked down beside them.
"Two on the roof opposite, and my bet is there are a few more on the perimeter," Set said, his eyes burning gold. "Thoughts?"
Bellona's fury was turning her ichor to lava. She gently touched Rafael's face. "Are you hurt anywhere?"
"No," he assured her, but he was pale and had bits of Tirone in his hair.
Bellona turned to her best friend. "I'll draw their attention. Get Rafael back to the apartment."
"But—" Rafael began.
"No buts, kid. You're coming with me," Set grumbled. He pulled a dagger with a long, curved blade from his boot and gave it to Bellona. She summoned her shield and gave it to Set. "I'll protect him. I promise. Happy hunting, Bells."
Bellona took one last look at Rafael before unleashing the strength in her veins. She blasted through the house and up to the third floor. Five men were on the flat roof of the house opposite her, looking at another team creep through the gardens toward the house. Bellona went to the end of the hall and ran as fast as she could toward the window. She smashed through it, hurtling over the gap between the buildings and landing beside the men.
"Wonder Woman?" one asked in a daze.
"Guess again," Bellona snarled and lopped his head off with Set's long knife. The other two men tried to draw their guns, the sniper rolling with the rifle. Bellona disarmed the first man, slicing open his belly before smashing his face in with the butt of the handgun. She dodged three bullets fired at her before cutting off her attacker's hand that held the gun. He screamed as Bellona caught it and threw it at the sniper aiming at her. She shot the one-armed man in the face before grabbing the sniper by the throat and holding him out over the edge of the building.
