Total pages in book: 71
Estimated words: 69945 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 350(@200wpm)___ 280(@250wpm)___ 233(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 69945 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 350(@200wpm)___ 280(@250wpm)___ 233(@300wpm)
“So nice of you to arrive right on time,” she said. “Drop your weapon.”
She lifted her own gun and pressed it against Corey’s temple. He shivered and looked at me, terror in his eyes.
I threw down my gun, already planning how I would go for it the second I had a chance.
“Let him go, Lisa. You’ve got me here.”
“I’m afraid I can’t do that. He knows too much. He’s already ratted me out. That’s not something I can forgive. But I did want him to have a chance to watch you die.”
No, things weren’t going down this way. Giorgio was out there. X had been right to force me to bring him. I also knew that no matter what he’d told me, Lucien had other people here. He was likely here himself. They were all family, blood or not, and I did need them. I might not like it, but it was true. I wanted to be the one who killed Lisa, but if it had to be Giorgio, so be it. It was more important to take her out.
Lisa took hold of the tape covering Corey’s mouth and ripped it off. He cried out, and I hated seeing red marks on his face, but I didn’t react.
“Corey, why don’t you tell Dominic exactly what you think of his sad excuse for protection?”
Corey didn’t say anything. Lisa pressed the gun harder against him. “Go on, Corey. Tell him. Tell him what you think of him. Tell him how it’s his fault that you’re standing here, ready to die.”
Corey was looking at me. His eyes were pleading. I had to save him. Then he looked behind and above me.
“Dom, sniper, watch out!”
I ducked as a shot was fired, and then another one. I heard the thunk of a body falling. I glanced back. It was Lisa’s man. Giorgio had gotten him.
I charged then, as Lisa stood there in shock.
She shoved Corey away and started to run. No amount of pain or stiffness in any of my limbs was stopping me from doing what I needed to do. I charged after her, grabbing the back of her shirt and shoving her down. She grappled with me. We rolled over and over. She clawed at my scarred face, tried to pin my injured wrist, but none of it worked, because I was too determined. She would not hurt me again.
I pulled out the knife that was sheathed along my thigh.
When she saw it, her eyes went wide, and she stopped struggling. “Dom. Please. You don’t understand. I’m…I’m so sorry. They made me do it.”
“No one made you do anything, Lisa. It was all the other way around. It was you directing things the whole time, years ago and again now.”
“No, he made me. I didn’t want to hurt you. They would have killed me if I didn’t. Please, I loved you.”
I didn’t believe a word she said, and there was no way in hell she was going to insult me like that. “You never loved me. You played a role, and you played it well, but I’m not falling for it a second time. Not seeing who you were is the biggest regret of my life.” I drove the knife into her just below her ribs and angled upward to stab her black heart. No more regrets.
She lay on the floor, gasping, shock on her face. She really hadn’t thought I would kill her. After all she’d done, she’d thought I would go easy on her.
“Dom. Help me. Don’t let me die.”
I ignored her and turned to Corey. Even if I wanted to help, there was nothing anyone could do now.
Corey was staring at me, eyes wide. Would he finally see me as the monster I am? A man who would kill his ex-wife.
I couldn’t worry about that now. He was pale, and I worried he’d pass out. My hand hurt like hell, and I didn’t want to have to drag him out of the room.
“You…she…you….”
“Come on.” I took his arm and turned him toward the door. He followed me easily. “She won’t hurt either of us again.”
“You saved my life.”
“After you saved mine.” Without his warning, I might be the one bleeding out. “I told you the first day that you could trust me to take care of you.”
“She was crazy. She….”
“She was a villain from the start. She never cared about me or anyone else as far as I know. She left me for dead and almost got what she wanted, but I crawled out of the inferno and came back to life. Now it’s her turn to die, and I don’t think she has the power of resurrection.”
I glanced over my shoulder. She was still now, dark blood pooled around her. I knew she was dead, but I would let the authorities confirm it, and X would see that no one questioned what I’d done.