Page 86 of Read This Before the Villain falls in Love with You

Sara steps right into my face, venom dripping from every syllable. "I shoved her into bathroom stalls and dumped bleach on her clothes. I held her head underwater in the sinks until she choked and sobbed. She's weak. Pathetic. Just like you."

Something snaps inside me, white and blinding. The fear evaporates, replaced by pure, feral rage. Sofia's quiet face flashes in my mind, gentle and bruised, and every instinct screams for blood.

Sara raises the blade, aiming for my throat with a cruel smirk. "Time to die, London."

I don't hesitate. I bunch my legs and throw all my weight upward, yanking the loose rusted wall ring with a violent, bone-rattling jerk. The ancient mortar cracks and explodes in a shower of dust, tearing free from the wall.

Gravity drops me down like an anvil. Before Sara can even blink, I swing both cuffed hands around her neck, looping the heavy iron chain tight over her windpipe.

Sara lets out a strangled shriek, dropping her knife to claw desperately at the chain biting into her throat. We crash hard against the stone floor in a tangle of limbs.

My teeth bare as I twist the links with everything I have. "You touched Sofia? You miserable, sadistic cunt!"

She thrashes violently under me, heels drumming against the stone floor, nails gouging bloody furrows into my forearms. I ignore the pain. I drop all my weight onto her chest, knee planted over her ribs, and haul back on the metal links with every ounce of strength in my body.

Her face mottles purple. Her eyes bulge wide in sheer terror as she finally realizes nobody is coming down to save her. A sickening crack echoes off the walls as her neck collapses under the iron. Her hands slip from the chain, fluttering weakly against the floor before going completely limp.

I hold the pressure for three long seconds just to be certain. Silence settles over the cellar, broken only by my ragged breathing. I shove the body away and scramble backward on my hands and knees. My stomach heaves violently. A sour rush of bile hits the back of my mouth, and I press my forehead against the damp, icy flagstones, choking back a sob as the brutal reality of what I just did slams into my chest like a wrecking ball. I just killed a person. My hands won't stop shaking. Her unblinking eyes stare into the dark, milky and blank.

Breathe, Nora. Don't fall apart now. Panic later or you're dead. I swallow down the bile, wipe the cold sweat from my forehead, and force my numb fingers to close around the silver knife on the floor.

I work the tip into the cuff locks, twisting until the pins pop with a sharp snap. The iron clatters to the stone. Blood rushes through my bruised wrists in a fiery tingle.

I grab Sara's trench coat, check her pockets for a sidearm, and slide the heavy keys into my waistband. Then I push the heavy door open an inch, scanning the empty corridor ahead. The Bellinis thought they caught a helpless hostage. Now I'm walking out of their dungeon, and I'm burning their whole fucking empire to the ground.

Chapter 33

LUCA

The plan was crazy from the start, but Nora wouldn't have it any other way. She offered herself as bait so Bellini would keep his eyes on her while we ripped his empire down to the dirt.

Matteo taps his watch against the wood. "They fell for it. Bellini thinks he can destroy us by having our girl locked in a room."

I slide a fresh magazine into my gun, the snap sharp in the quiet room. "Let him think that until we kill him."

"Adrian marked three spots, and Enzo ran recon on all of them," Matteo adds, rubbing his knuckles. "Three places that keep Bellini fed with guns and money. Enzo says if we hit them hard, Bellini's men have nothing left to fight with."

I strap my vest tight. "We don't just hit them. We burn everything down, then we get Nora back."

Adrian spreads a map flat on the table. "First is the bakery depot south of here where he stores his heavy artillery. Second is the dockside warehouse. Enzo is already in position outside the third spot, the stone safe house near the hills where Bellini stashes his cash."

Matteo pulls his straps tight with a quick grin. "Sounds like fun. Let's make sure none of it is standing by morning."

"Move fast and hit hard," I order, black gloves pulled tight over my fingers. "Nora bought us this time. Don't waste it."

The alley smells like damp garbage and cold yeast behind the bakery door. Adrian steps to the latch with the lock pick, but I put my heel straight through the wood. Splinters shower the dark entrance hall. The guard on the prep stool grabs for a Glock near the flour bin. I fire twice into his chest before his fingers close around the grip. He slumps into a sack of rye, knocking it flat. Footsteps pound down the hall. Matteo hooks the man's ankle with his boot, driving his blade up into the throat as the body hits the tile. Red streaks the faded floral paper.

In the kitchen, two men have were pressed flat against the back tiles. A third leans against the metal prep station, knees knocking together under his dirty apron, looking like he picked up a rifle yesterday. I cross the floor, grab a handful of his collar, and slam him down across the marble counter. Metal bowls bounce and ring against the grease-stained floor.

I twist his collar until his eyes go wide and his chest heaves. "Where is the safe key?"

He claws at my hands, shaking all over. "Under the sink! In the floor! Please don't shoot me!"

Adrian kicks a stray piece of wood away and holds up a phone. "He called Bellini's docks right before we walked through the door."

Matteo kicks open the floor hatch and grabs a heavy black box full of books. "See? It pays to talk."

I toss the box at Adrian. "Tie him up and dump the gas. Burn the guns. Bellini doesn't get to keep a single bullet."