Page 199 of Bleed with Me

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Nina

Sonny’s greatest talent was pretending he wasn’t a coward. He stood under the flickering warehouse lights in an immaculate suit, his shoulders relaxed, and a satisfied smile stretched across his face. Two armed men surrounded him, one guarding my stolen gun while the other kept Aryna trapped against his body. Protected by weapons and muscle, Sonny looked almost fearless. Almost.

I witnessed firsthand what happened when he encountered someone stronger, more powerful than him. His confidence cracked. His temper replaced whatever intelligence he possessed, and he became exactly what he had always been. A pathetic bully who needed weaker people beneath him to feel powerful.

“You came without your husband,” Sonny remarked, slowly circling me, but I kept my attention on Aryna.

Pure fury bubbled in the lower pit of my stomach, ready to burst out. I wanted to tear every man in the building apart with my bare hands. Instead, I smiled at her.

“It’s okay, angel,” I said gently, my fingers twitching for some weapon to kill these fuckers.

“No, it isn’t,” Sonny corrected. “Nothing is going to be okay again.”

My eyes snapped to him.

“Was that supposed to frighten me?” I asked in a mocking tone, knowing exactly how to push his buttons.

His jaw ticked. Just as expected. Good. Angry men made mistakes, and Sonny made more than most.

“You cost my family too much,” he ground out. “You humiliated me in front of the entire city. You married that fucking doctor and handed the Valentino empire to the Zhumagulovs.” He raised his bandaged hand. “You were promised to me! Instead, your crazy husband permanently damaged my hand!”

“You picked an uneven fight, honey.” I shrugged nonchalantly. “Why is that my fault?”

He crossed the distance between us and grabbed my chin. His fingers dug painfully into my flesh, forcing my face upward.

“You still haven’t learned when to keep your mouth shut,” he growled, his nose millimeters from mine.

“And you still need others to do your job.”

His palm connected with my face. The impact sent me stumbling into a metal table. My hip slammed against the edge, and pain shot down my leg.

“No, Mommy!” Aryna cried out, making my head whip toward her.

Sonny turned to her with a delighted smile, and my stomach dropped. He approached her slowly, like a predator ready to pounce. She pressed herself farther into the man holding her, though there was nowhere to go.

“Sonny,” I warned, but he ignored me.

“You know.” He crouched until they were nearly eye level. “None of this would be happening if your precious mommy knew how to behave.”

Aryna’s lips trembled.

“She’s my mommy. Don’t hurt her,” she sobbed.

The declaration almost shattered my heart.

Sonny reached for her face, glancing over his shoulder at me.

“Don’t touch her!” I yelled, straightening up, ready to launch at him. Yet his grin only widened. He brushed a strand of golden hair away from Aryna’s cheek, enjoying every second of my helplessness.

I quickly scanned the warehouse again. My gun rested at the back of the second guard’s waistband. He stood to my right, close enough to reach if I could distract him. The man holding Aryna was stronger and positioned behind her, his weapon angled toward her head. Near the wall, half concealed under torn plastic sheets and construction debris, lay an old shovel. But a shovel against a gun could never win.

Fuck!

An angry sound dragged my attention from an escape plan. Sonny curled his fingers around Aryna’s chin, and she glared at him. My brave little girl glared at the fucking asshole.

“Take your hand off my girl.” My voice came out threateningly low.