Total pages in book: 76
Estimated words: 73724 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 369(@200wpm)___ 295(@250wpm)___ 246(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 73724 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 369(@200wpm)___ 295(@250wpm)___ 246(@300wpm)
Tobias, one of the men who guarded my family, comes out next, and I tilt my head.
Could the traitor be a guard?
“How did you make it out alive, Tobias?” I shout while training my weapon on him.
“I took two bullets. When I woke up, I was with an Italian man who brought me here.”
I stare at Tobias, not sure whether I can trust what he’s saying.
“Cassia,” Savvas says. “Why are you treating us like this?”
“Someone betrayed me,” I call out.
“We need to take this inside,” Knight mutters. “We’re starting to draw attention.”
Tobias moves slowly and pulls up his shirt so I can see one of the bullet wounds near his hip and gives me a pleading look. “I was shot, Cassia. I’d never betray your family.”
God, what choice do I have but to cautiously trust them until the traitor reveals himself?
The thought terrifies me, but I lower my gun and order, “Everyone back into the house.”
Chapter 19
CASSIA
As soon as we enter the living room that has one couch and a variety of other chairs, Knight orders, “Keep your weapon trained on them. I have to search through the house.”
I lift my machine gun and nod.
The second Knight leaves the living room, Michail asks, “Who is that man?”
“My bodyguard.”
The frown on Michail’s face deepens. “Where did you meet him?”
“Through the alliance,” I reply.
I glance at everyone in the room, seeing Savvas’ daughters, Ophelia and Lydia, are also here.
There’s a man and woman I’ve never met, but before I can ask her who they are, Michail’s expression darkens even more, and he snaps, “So you’re listening to a man you met recently and treating us, the people you’ve known all your life, like the enemy?”
I narrow my eyes at my father’s right-hand man. “Knight saved my life, and any of you could be responsible for the attack.”
“That’s absurd,” Savvas gasps.
“You don’t think it’s a little too convenient that we’re suddenly attacked, and this man you hardly know shows up to save you?” Michail asks.
Slowly I tilt my head as I frown at Michail. “Convenient?” Anger pours hot into my chest. “Is that what you call having my entire family slaughtered and taking four bullets?” My tone drops low until my words sound like a threat. “None of you were anywhere to be found, so I called on my alliance. They were there within the hour to have my back while you all scurried into a hiding place.”
In the midst of my anger, I don’t realize I’ve lowered my weapon.
Michail stalks closer to me, rage cutting deep lines into his face. “We were all attacked!” he practically spits at me. “Because your father kept fucking taunting the bratva and decided to make you, a woman, the next in line.”
Chills spread over my body, and I become aware of the fact that Knight hasn’t returned yet.
How long has it been since he started searching the house?
Should I call out to him?
I raise my weapon again and order, “Back up, Michail.”
He remains standing close to me, his hands opening and closing into fists.
“You come in here and accuse us of betraying you,” Michail growls while taking another step closer to me. “Who’s to say you’re not the one who betrayed us? Everyone knows you were fighting with Ilias. You didn’t like the way we ran the organization and wanted to change things.”
As I stare at the man who’s been a constant throughout my life, the sense of betrayal that shudders through me fractures everything I ever knew.
My voice is a mere whisper as I ask, “Was it you, Michail?”
Disappointment fills his eyes, and he shakes his head at me. “That kind of thinking will get people killed, Cassia. The organization will turn its back on you if you choose to treat us like the enemy.”
I stare at Michail, thinking how much my family loved him.
I loved him.
My anger turns into rage as I shout, “Was it you?”
He lifts his chin and moves another step closer. The next second, his arm darts out, and he grabs hold of the barrel of my machine gun in an attempt to disarm me.
My lips part to tell him to stop, but the words turn into a gasp when a shot rings through the air, and Michail’s body drops to the floor.
Jesus.
Intense shock seizes me in a death grip, and I can barely breathe as I watch the pool of blood forming beneath my father’s right-hand-man.
It all happens in a matter of a second.
No.
I shake my head slowly as the horror of what just happened sinks in.
NoNoNo!
In absolute disbelief, I turn my head to where Knight is standing with the smoking gun in his hand, then I look back at Michail’s body.
He killed Michail before I could get my answer.
“What?” Savvas breathes in horror. “What have you done?”
My chest rises and falls with heavy breaths as my mind races to catch up to what just happened.