Chapter 14 - The Return of the King
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"You're a monster, Marco," I spat, backing away until my shoulders hit the cold brick of the chimney. I shielded Leo with my body, ready to take the bullet meant for my nephew. "Dante trusted you. He’s your brother!"
"Dante is weak!" Marco roared, his sophisticated facade entirely shattered. "He went soft the moment Isabella died, and he went entirely insane the moment you walked into the restaurant. The syndicate needs a king, not a grieving widower playing house with a waitress!"
He raised the pistol, aiming directly at my head. "Tell my dear nephew goodbye, Alina."
I squeezed my eyes shut, bracing for the impact.
CRACK.
The deafening sound of a gunshot echoed through the attic, but the bullet didn't hit me.
Marco screamed, dropping his pistol as his right knee exploded into a mist of blood and bone. He collapsed onto the dusty floorboards, writhing in sheer agony.
I opened my eyes.
Dante stood at the top of the servant's staircase, his expensive suit torn and covered in blood that wasn't his own. He looked like a literal demon dragged from the depths of hell, his gray eyes burning with an unholy, murderous fury. He held a smoking assault rifle in his hands.
"I told you, Marco," Dante whispered, his voice vibrating with lethal intent as he walked slowly toward his bleeding brother. "I told you what I would do if a single hair on their heads was harmed."
"Dante, please!" Marco begged, crawling backward, leaving a trail of blood on the wood. "It was the Falcones! They made me do it!"
"The Falcones are all dead," Dante stated coldly. "I slaughtered them at the shipyard. Every last one. And they were very eager to tell me who arranged the ambush before they took their final breaths."
Dante didn't hesitate. He didn't offer a monologue. He raised the rifle and fired a single, definitive shot.
Marco went completely still.
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Dante dropped the rifle, his terrifying demeanor vanishing the instant he looked at me. He crossed the attic in two massive strides, dropping to his knees and wrapping his arms around both me and Leo.
"I've got you," Dante choked out, burying his face in my neck, his tears mixing with the dust and blood. "I've got you. You're safe."
