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"What's it look like?"
Angel's face flushed at the taunt, and he turned his attention on me. "Why didn't you answer your phone?"
"Me? Why?"
"I've been calling you all night--I've been worried sick about you."
Luca tucked his arm around me. "As you can see, Angel, she’s being taken care of."
I wasn't sure if he meant to rile up Angel as much as he was, but it sure was working. "Like hell," he snarled. "You think this is funny? Do you have any idea what happened tonight?"
"No, but by the looks of your arm, I missed all the fun." Luca kept his tone casual, but his grip was like iron. Angel growled and took a step towards us, and Luca pushed me behind him. "What the fuck is your problem, Angel?"
Angel jabbed his finger into his chest. "You are my fucking problem, Mariano. You're nothing but a jumped up nobody from Mission Hill, trying to make a name for himself and get a taste of the boss's daughter while he's at it. Well, you fucked up this time, boy."
Boy. Angel was only a couple years older than Luca, but his ego needed that. Angel and Luca looked about ready to cometo blows; Luca would mop the floor with Angel, and that was a mess I didn't need.
"Stop," I said. "Both of you. Angel, what's wrong?"
"What's wrong?" Angel echoed. "I'll tell you what's wrong. Tonight was a fucking shit-show. The Irish hit the mansion and took out a bunch of our guys. And your boyfriend was noticeably absent."
"It's my night off, asshole," Luca said.
"Luca is telling the truth," Dom said from the doorway. None of us had heard him come in. I stifled an eye roll, wondering how the night could possibly get any worse, but Dom's next question answered that for me. "Where were you tonight, Emilia?"
"Here." I glanced at Luca, but he wouldn't meet my eyes. My heart thumped in my chest. Had someone seen me?
Dom stared at me, his expression unreadable. "The whole time?"
"Yes."
His gaze slid to Luca. "And you?"
"She was with me. We've been a little busy tonight, if you know what I mean--"
Luca was cut off by Angel's growl of rage, and he launched himself at Luca. The two of them went down in a tangle of fists and blood. Angel slammed his fist into Luca’s jaw and sent him sprawling to the ground. My stepbrother was on him in an instant, raining blows down on his face and torso.
"Angel, stop!" I cried, but he didn't hear me. Luca hooked a leg around Angel’s knee and flipped him in some crazy wrestling move. He locked his arm around Angel’s neck and started to squeeze.
In my pocket, my cellphone buzzed. I didn’t dare check it, even though it might be Alfie calling with his location. The flutter of hope knocked me from my paralysis, and I started towards themen fighting on the floor, but Dom grabbed my arm, stopping me. Angel’s face was turning blue, but Dom only watched.
This was getting out of hand. Luca was going to kill him.
Angel reared back and slammed his elbow into Luca's solar plexus, driving him backwards a few steps. Luca's face contorted with pain; Angel had knocked the wind from him.
Angel was on Luca in an instant, rolling to his feet with his knife in his hands and murder in his eyes.
With a cry, I yanked the pistol from the small of my back and snapped the safety off. They had stopped fighting and were eyeballing each other across the room, bloodied and breathing hard, Angel’s knife between them. The cold steel weighed heavy in my hand, and the moment stretched on forever.
I leveled the barrel at Angel's head. "That's enough."
My hands were shaking, blood roaring in my ears. Angel's eyes widened, and he dropped the knife. "What the hell are you doing, Emilia?"
"Don't touch him. You both have done enough damage for one night. Everybody out." Nobody moved, and I thumbed off the safety. "Get out!"
Angel's eyes flashed, but he said nothing. Dom clapped his hands on his brother's shoulder and steered him towards the door, sparing one glance over his shoulder at me. The suspicion in his eyes had given away to appraising calculation.
The door shut with a bang. Luca turned to me and took the gun from my shaking hands. "You okay?"
