I have no sympathy for this lying cunt. So she got her feelings hurt and her partner in crime turned on her. Big fucking deal. What’s that saying about dogs and fleas?
My hand finds her throat before I can stop myself, fingers pressing into the soft flesh. “What does he want with Raven?” I demand.
Gia coughs, drawing ragged breaths into her lungs. “He’s not who you think he is,” she manages finally. “Finn Kearney is just a name. A mask.”
“Then who is he?”
Her eyes meet mine, fear momentarily eclipsed by the weight of her revelation. “Salvador Greco,” she whispers. “He’s the sole survivor of the Grecos.”
The name hits me like a physical blow, memories igniting in rapid succession. Fuck. Fuck. Fuck. This is what mercy gets you.
“The Kearneys adopted him and gave him a new name. But he never forgot who he was. Who you are. What you did,” she finishes.
The pieces click into place with sickening clarity. The explosion last year. The precision of the attack at the Leone Room… fuck.
“And now he has Raven,” I seethe, more to myself than her.
“Matteo, please, you have to believe me… I didn’t know who he really was until after. I didn’t know he was going to take her. I thought—”
“You thought what?” I cut her off. “That helping someone destroy me would somehow make me love you?”
She has no answer for that, fresh tears spilling down her cheeks.
The gun feels heavy in my hand as I draw it from my waistband, the weight of it familiar and comforting. I press the barrel to her forehead, right between her eyes, and watch as understanding dawns across her features.
“Please,” she whispers, one last pathetic plea.
The crack of a gunshot echoes through the basement, but it’s not from my weapon. Gia’s body jerks, blood blossoming across her chest like a grotesque flower. I whirl around to find Piper standing in the doorway, a small pistol gripped in both hands, smoke still curling from the barrel.
“That’s for putting her in danger,” she snarls, voice steady despite the slight tremor in her hands.
Behind her, Enzo and Rafe are frozen in shock, staring at the normally composed Piper with newfound respect. Or maybe that’s me. I mean, this is the same woman who flinches when blood is ever spilled or discussed near her.
I lower my own gun slowly, surprise momentarily overriding everything else. “I had that handled,” I tell her, but there’s no heat in the words.
“I know,” she replies simply. “But I…” Trailing off, she worries her bottom lip. “This is my best friend we’re talking about. And I just… I couldn’t.” A sob steals her voice, her shoulders shaking.
Before I can think it through, I cross the room and reach for Piper, pulling her into a hug, ignoring Enzo’s low growl.
“Thank you,” I say loud enough for my cousins to hear.
Letting go, I turn and watch Gia’s body in the bed. No one moves to check if she’s still breathing. We all know she isn’t.
“Salvador Greco,” Remus says from somewhere behind Piper, the name heavy with significance. “The Greco boy you allowed to survive.”
“And he has Raven,” I confirm, holstering my weapon. “Which means we’re running out of time.”
Piper steps forward, her gun now lowered but still gripped tightly. “I’ve identified three properties that might be where he’s keeping her,” she says, her business voice at odds with her rapid breathing. “Old warehouses owned by shell companies connected to North Coast Effects. All of them are isolated enough to hold someone without drawing attention.”
“We’ll split up,” Rafe decides, already pulling out his phone. “Cover all three simultaneously.”
“Just tell me which one is most likely to be housing that Sicilian piece of shit,” I growl, my patience thinning by the second.
“No,” Piper says. “We should talk about this upstairs and come up with a proper plan.”
“There’s no time for fuck’s sake,” I growl.
“And,” she continues, ignoring me. “I’m coming with you.”
