“Dante, please?—”
“Sign the papers, princess. Transfer everything back to me, and we can start rebuilding properly. Refuse, and you both die here among the ruins of my father’s arrogance.”
Kasimira looks at the documents, then at the gun pointed at her belly, then at me. I can see her calculating odds, weighing options, trying to find a path through this nightmare that doesn’t end with our child’s death.
“If I sign,” she says carefully, “you’ll let us go?”
“I’ll let him go. You come with me to reclaim what we built together.”
The gunfire outside grows louder as Russian forces push deeper into the house. Through the smoke and chaos, I can hear Marco screaming orders in what sounds like Russian, coordinating the assault on his own family home.
“Boss!” One of my men appears at the far end of the corridor, blood streaming from a shoulder wound. “We need to move! They’re bringing up heavy weapons!”
“Choose quickly, princess,” Dante says, finger tightening on the trigger. “Sign the papers and live.”
Kasimira reaches for the documents with shaking hands. “I need a pen,” she says.
“Use this.” Dante produces a fountain pen with his free hand.
That’s when the eastern wall explodes.
Heavy weapons fire punches through century-old brick and mortar, sending debris cascading across marble floors as dust clouds fill the air.
In the confusion of the explosion, I empty my clip at the Russian assault team, but there are too many of them. My weapon clicks empty just as Kasimira throws herself behind an overturned table. “Alaric!” she screams as more Russians pour through the breach.
I dive for cover, my empty gun useless in my hands. Through the smoke and chaos, I see Dante pursuing Kasimira toward the corner where the shell company documents are scattered across the floor from when the table was overturned.
“Sign them now!” he demands, grabbing her by the arm. “Transfer everything back to me!”
“Never!” Kasimira breaks free and grabs handfuls of the papers, tearing them into pieces before Dante can stop her.
“No!” he screams, watching years of financial manipulation flutter to the floor in shreds. “You stupid bitch! Do you know what you’ve done?”
“I’ve freed myself from you!”
“You’ve destroyed everything!”
He produces a gun from inside his jacket, his face twisted with rage. The barrel of his weapon presses against her pregnant belly as she tries to back away, her hands protectively covering our unborn child.
From across the room, I see the scene unfolding, but I’m pinned down by Russian gunfire, my own weapon empty and useless. Benedetto and his men are scattered, some down, others fighting for their lives against superior numbers.
Dante’s finger tightens on the trigger as Kasimira stares up at him with absolute terror in her eyes.
48
KASI
The torn piecesof shell company documents scatter around my feet like confetti at a funeral.
Dante’s face is twisted with rage as he stares at the destroyed papers. His breathing is heavy, labored, like a man pushed beyond his breaking point.
“You stupid bitch,” he snarls, advancing on me. “Do you know what you’ve done?”
I back against the wall, my hands instinctively covering my belly as the baby kicks frantically inside me. Through the smoke and gunfire echoing through the mansion, I can’t see Alaric anywhere. Blood pounds in my ears as panic floods my system.
“Two years of work,” Dante continues, his voice rising to a scream. “Millions in assets, all of it ruined because you couldn’t accept your place!”
Tears stream down my face as he aims the gun at my stomach.
