Smack!
I’m seeing stars again when his phone rings, and he smiles.
“There he is now. Rizzo.”
“I’m out,” the man says. My dad’s face pales, and his body goes rigid with pure fury. “She’s been fucked by Alexander. Ever plan to divulge that little piece ofinformation, you asshole? You knew the score, and you didn’t fucking deliver. The deal’s off.”
“Listen, there are surgeries?—”
“I said the deal’s off.”
The phone goes dead, and my father lets it fall to the floor as he turns to me. “You little piece-of-shit bitch. I should have killed you with your mother.”
My shoulder is screaming, and I’m nauseous from the pain.
He’s going to kill me.
Where’s Rome? I want to see him, just one more time before I die. I want to tell him how much I love him. How grateful I am for everything he did for me.
Suddenly, we hear gunfire coming from outside. It sounds like a freakingwar.So many explosions and smoke in the air. My father grabs me, wrenching my already dislocated arm and pulling me against him as if I’m a human shield.
What a weak piece of shit.
“If I go down,” he sneers into my ear, “we both do, bitch.”
Fifty-Seven
ROME
As my army takes care of the men outside, Mateo, Julian, and I charge through the front door and kill everyone in our wake, fanning out through the house. It takes all of six seconds to find Rizzo and my firefly in the living room off the kitchen, but I stop cold as I take in the scene.
Lovelandis dead at Eloise’s feet.
What the fuck? Loveland was in on this?
Rizzo holds his daughter in front of him, his weapon pressed to her neck.
And I can tell that her shoulder isn’t right.
This son of a bitch.
“If you let me live,” Rizzo says, licking his lips nervously like the piece of shit that he is, “I’ll let you marry my daughter. We can join forces, form an alliance.”
I tilt my head to the side. “Or?”
“Or I kill her right now.”
Eloise’s eyes are on mine. She’s fuckingterrified. She’s trembling, and she’s in agony. There’s so much blood on her that there’s no way she’s not injured. Shot. Stabbed.
Jesus, baby.
“You know, it’s interesting,” I tell him, not taking my eyes off my firefly. I came in this side of the room alone. I can already see Mateo approaching Rizzo soundlessly from behind, and Julian is to my right, just out of sight. “I plan to marry your daughter with or without your blessing. Your approval doesn’t mean dick to me.”
Her lip quivers. She swallows hard. Her gaze drifts away from mine as if she’s disassociating from the pain she’s in.
But I need her with me.
“Firefly.” Her gaze whips back to mine. “On me.”
