But he’d been dead from the moment he’d stepped into this room and witnessed my humiliation. Snarling, I increased the pressure on his throat. The drumming sound slowed and then stopped, and the man went limp and lifeless.
Their deaths had been too quick. My blood boiled in my veins, adrenaline surging. I was eager for more violence, more retribution.
I would get the chance to kill again before Nora and I escaped from this estate. I would happily murder anyone who tried to stop me.
I didn’t have time to worry about my nakedness; I had to move before anyone came to investigate the dead men’s screams. At least the gun hadn’t been fired.
I grabbed the weapon and moved toward the open door, checking the hallway for more guards. When I saw that the corridor was mercifully clear, I snuck out, away from the awful dungeon where I’d been tormented in ways I never could’ve imagined.
This estate was entirely unfamiliar to me; I’d never had a reason to visit Dante’s home outside the city. We’d always done our best to avoid each other’s company. I should’ve kept a closer eye on him. His father had been a traitor. It shouldn’t have surprised me that Dante would be no different, even though he’d managed to earn my dad’s respect over the years.
The usurper would die today, and I would have everything that was rightfully mine, including my wife.
I began a cautious, methodical search of the mansion, checking each darkened room before moving on to the next. As time crawled by, unease began to eat away at the righteous rage that’d fueled my initial escape. I should’ve encountered more guards by now. The silence and stillness set my teeth on edge. Surely, someone would’ve discovered the dead men. Everyone should be on high alert, hunting for me.
But there were no boots stomping through the massive house, no men shouting for my blood.
Fear fluttered deep in my chest. The last time I’d hunted Dante—when I’d led the assault on this estate and easily smashed through his defenses—I’d run straight into a trap.
I tamped down the budding panic. Fear was a weakness, and I had to stay strong and sharp.
But it became harder to resist as I continued to stalk through the eerily quiet mansion. My hand shook with unspent adrenaline, and I firmed it around the gun before it could fall from my unsteady fingers.
Dante was toying with me again. He had to be.
I rolled the tension from my shoulders and continued my search. It didn’t matter if this was another sick game. I had a weapon, and I was no longer drugged or chained down. I would kill the bastard or die trying.
My heart leapt into my throat when I heard a raised female voice, muffled by the closed door that was mere yards in front of me.
Nora.
Not hesitating for a second longer, I burst through the door and raised my gun at the same time, surging into the bedroom with my weapon at the ready.
“Luca!”
Her anguished cry punched my chest, and I rocked back as though at a physical blow.
Dante held her tightly in front of him, the coward using my delicate wife as a shield. He held his own gun, and the barrel was pressed to her temple.
“Took you long enough to find us.” He smirked at me.
The sadistic monster had known I was coming for him. It truly had been another sick game, a mindfuck.
My arm was raised, ready to shoot the bastard. But I couldn’t fire without risking Nora’s life.
“Let her go,” I growled, strengthening my stance. I wouldn’t back down. I couldn’t.
He brushed a kiss over her pale cheek. “But we made a vow: until death do us part. I’ll never let my wife go. Nora is mine.”
A low growl slipped between my bared teeth, and I aimed right between his eyes. I could take the shot. I was an excellent marksman.
But if he made one swift move, Nora might get hit.
She looked so achingly fragile in his cruel grip, the scrap of black satin robe barely shielding her modesty. She was totally vulnerable, her life in my hands.
“Drop your weapon, or I’ll pull this trigger.” Dante issued a chilling ultimatum.
“I will fucking kill you,” I vowed, not lowering my gun.
