her lounge pants, pulling them down enough to reveal her ass.
“Don’t,” my voice didn’t sound like my own as I stepped forward.
“Make a move and I’ll end her.” He still had the blade pressed right to her throat. Her big brown eyes silently pleaded with me, but I was paralyzed, watching as he grasped his dick and slowly fed it into her.
Nora’s cries filled the room, cracking my chest wide open.
“NO!” I yelled. “Please…”
“God, she’s tight,” Vinnie grinned at me as he thrust into her over and over. “I can see why you fell hard for this pussy. Fuck me, she’s squeezing my dick so tight.”
His fingers gripped her hips tightly, making pain flare in her eyes, but my strong, brave girl didn’t flinch. She took it all while I stood there powerless to do anything else but watch.
Fuck.
FUCK!
A violent storm raged inside of me. I wanted to tear this fucker limb from limb, to rip his heart from his chest and watch the life drain from his eyes. But I was powerless. If I tried to shoot him—and I had a fucking perfect aim—he could still hurt Nora, or worse.
I couldn’t take that risk. I had to wait until he was distracted.
His grunts of exertion filled the room as he pounded into her. Bile rushed up my throat, but I forced it down. It was my fault Nora was in this position. The least I could do was be there with her in this living nightmare.
Her eyes remained locked on mine, tears dripping down her face.
“Now,” the word formed on her lips and at first, I didn’t understand, but then realization slammed into me.
In his vigor to hurt her, to ruin her, Vinnie had let his hand at her throat relax, enough for the knife to drop away from her throat a little.
It was risky, but it was now or never.
“Do it,” she mouthed. “Do it.”
“Fuck yeah, take it, bitch. Take it like a good little whore.”
I slowly reached into my jacket and grasped the butt of my pistol. My heart crashed against my rib cage, blood roaring in my ears, as I whipped it out. “Hey, brother?” I called and Vinnie looked up, fear stunning him. The shot rang out through the room, reverberating through me. “Tell our father to go fuck himself.”
Vinnie collapsed in a heap and Nora scrambled away, tripping over his body. I rushed to her side and pulled her into my arms. “I’ve got you, Gattina. I’ve got you.”
“Oh my God.” She clawed at my sweater. “Is he—”
“He’s dead.” It was a kill shot and I hadn’t missed. “It’s over…” The words felt like ash on my tongue. Because Nora should never have been in the middle of this in the first place.
“Enzo?” Voices rang out in the building and Nora flinched, pressing herself closer.
“Relax, Gattina, it’s just Nicco and Matteo.”
“It is?” Her body melted against mine, the adrenaline leaving her and shock kicking in. I gently pulled her to her feet and straightened out her clothes. Nora was like a rag doll in my arms as I picked her up, cradling her against my chest.
“In here,” I yelled back.
They burst through the door seconds later, a string of expletives leaving their lips as they took in the sight before me.
“Is she—”
I shook my head. Nora was barely conscious. “I need you to take her,” I said to Matteo. “Take her to Arianne and call the doctor.”
“How bad?” He gently eased Nora into his arms.
“Bad.” My eyes shuttered as anger drenched my veins.
“Fuck. Yeah, okay. Backup is on its way.”
I gave my cousin a sharp nod, and he turned to leave, but Nora murmured my name. “Ssh, Gattina.” I gently stroked her face. “You’re safe now. I promise.”
“S-stay with me.”
“I’ve got to take care of some things here, but I’ll be there soon. Matteo and Arianne will be with you. Luis too.”
“M-Maurice?”
Nicco shook his head and I swallowed the truth. “He’s okay.” The lie soured on my tongue, but she’d had enough to deal with for one day.
“Go,” I said to Matteo, watching as he carried her out and away from me. From this absolute clusterfuck.
“What the fuck happened?” Nicco asked.
“He raped her… he fucking—” I grabbed the nearest chair and launched it across the room, kicking the one next to it. Pain skittered through my foot, but it wasn’t enough. I wanted to destroy everything in eyesight.
“E, breathe. You need to bre—”
“He was my brother.”
“W-what?”
I nodded. “Vincenzo Marchetti’s long lost bastard child. By