the trigger and his blood splatters over my face before he slumps on top of me.
I lie there, letting the adrenaline rush through me. Another man who thought I’d just roll over and play wife. Maybe if he saw my worth, he never would’ve shown his back to me. One brother down, two to go. Shoving against his limp form, I push him off of me, rolling him onto the dirt where he’ll stay until he’s found.
Rolling away from him, I drag myself up to my feet, zipping my boot up as I go. Clutching the gun tighter in my hand, I look back in the house’s direction, wondering if they would’ve heard the shot. There’s no way I can walk back into the house without Damon and survive on my own.
Looking down at his body, I murmur, “I did warn you, you’d have your breath taken away.”
If he knew me well enough, like he said, he should’ve known I meant it quite literally. I’ve stashed guns in various places around the property in case I needed them someday.
Over the years, I’ve made sure they didn’t weather in the elements and, I’m thankful the effort came through for me today.
Not looking back, I walk away from Damon DiMarco’s lifeless body and keep the gun clutched tight in my hand as I begin taking the path Raphael always took when coming to meet me. I ignore the old well, slip through the trees, and out onto the dirt road leading around the city. There shouldn’t be anyone out here, but if there is, and they pose a threat to me, I won’t hesitate to shoot the shit out of them either.
Chapter Forty-Five
Raphael
As Cristian and Trey go back and forth, arguing how to retrieve Mila without it costing her her life, I wonder what she’s doing now. More importantly, what the fuck she’s agreeing to now?
“Our move should be tactful. Come on, you know the estate as well as she does. There must be more than the one tunnel in and out?” Cristian insists.
“Of course there is, but enough is enough, we need to hit them hard. The brother made her a deal for a reason. I don’t believe they’ll kill her if we show up with an army behind us.”
I can’t stand him at the best of times, but as they argue back and forth, my agitation only grows for him.
Cristian slams his hand on the edge of my desk. “Our men would have to fight before we even got close to the gate. How many men are you willing to sacrifice before we even lay eyes on her?”
This stumps Trey, but I’m willing to guess he’d sacrifice them all to get Mila back safely. I know I would if I was to make that call.
Growing tired of them both, I cut in, “Mila had a plan, whatever it was, when she told me to trust her. We should trust her.”
Trey hisses, digging his teeth into his bottom lip, probably to stop himself from arguing back with me.
“Boss, you need to come outside.”
Looking from Trey to the doorway, a soldier is standing straight with his hands clasped behind his back.
“What is it?” Cristian snaps, moving into my line of sight.
“She’s back.”
I’m on my feet and crossing the office before he can explain further. Barging past him, I limp as fast as I can across the foyer and throw open the doors.
Stopping on the top step, I scan the drive until I lay eyes on her, and then I’m off again. The closer I get, the clearer I see her, and the blood. The second I reach her, she’s in my arms, and I feel my heart racing against her. Pulling back, I run my hands down her as she steps back.
“It’s not my blood,” she says, her voice far too calm for my liking.
I notice the gun in her hand and pry it from her tight grip, holding it out until someone takes it from me.
“Before you hit me with your questions, I need to shower.”
She walks by me, and I quickly catch up to her, burning to wrap my arm around her. Yet I stay by her side, running thousands of scenarios through my mind as to why she’s here, casually strolling up my drive, covered in blood.
She simply nods at Trey waiting at the door and heads up the stairs. He watches her go and proceeds to follow Cristian back into my office, and rather than joining them, knowing