The impact jars my wounded ribs. Wheezing through the white-hot burst of pain, I grab his gun first, smashing his hand against the wall until his fingers loosen. The weapon clatters to the floor.
“Chloe, you okay?” I keep my eyes on Gio.
“I’m fine.” She exhales heavily through her nose. “These ropes are cutting off my circulation, but I’m fine.”
Gio’s laugh reveals crimson stains on his perfect teeth. “She’s lying. I’ve been working on her for hours. Just didn’t break her yet.”
Fury explodes inside me. I slam my fist into his face and relish the sensation of his nose crunching beneath my knuckles.
Blood sprays as he retaliates with a knee to my injured ribs, a calculated strike aimed at my weakness. The vest absorbs the bulk of the impact, but pain still drops me to one knee.
He seizes the advantage by driving his elbow into the back of my neck.
I roll with the blow, letting momentum carry me across the floor. Then I pop up in a fighting stance, copper in my mouth, vision tunneling. Breathing is agony.
Gio circles, his footsteps light in his Italian leather shoes.
He’s not just some pampered rich boy. He knows how to fight. Military training, maybe, or the hard education of growing up in a crime family.
“Do you really think the diamonds are Roman’s?” Gio ignores the blood gushing from his nose.
I don’t give a shit about the diamonds or the seed of doubt Gio’s trying to plant in my head. Not when I need to get Chloe out of here.
Another explosion rocks the floor, closer this time. The chemical smell grows stronger. A thin haze of smoke slithers into the room.
Time’s running out.
I feint left, then lurch forward, snapping his head back with a right hook. I follow with a hit to the solar plexus, robbing him of breath.
He stumbles backward, gasping, but recovers fast. His fist connects with my jaw and sends me staggering.
“You don’t even know what you’re fighting for!” Malice laces Gio’s tone. “Roman’s been lying to all of you for fifteen years.”
His words are drivel meant to distract.
They don’t work, because I’m not fighting for Roman.
I press forward again, ignoring the burn in my muscles, the throb of my wounds. Our bodies collide in a tangle of limbs and fury.
I ram my knee into his stomach, causing more air to rush from his lungs.
His fingers dig into where the bullet grazed my shoulder and twist. For one crucial second, the pain blinds me, allowing Gio to slam his forehead into my face.
My lip splits, and the taste of copper invades my mouth.
We separate and rotate around each other again as the smoke thickens.
Through the fog, I see Chloe working at her restraints, using the edge of the chair to saw at the ropes.
So damn smart.
“Time’s running out, Ilyin.” Gio wipes his chin. “Building’s coming down soon. You’re going to die here. And for what? A woman you barely know? Diamonds you’ll never see?”
After another explosion, part of the ceiling collapses in the far corner. Flames lick at the doorway, hungry orange tongues consuming the oxygen as the heat intensifies.
Sweat pours down my face and stings my eyes.
This time, I don’t hold back or pace myself.
