Sweet Pain (Amatucci Family #3) - Sadie Jacks Page 0,2
tone.
If Turo’s chuckle was anything to go by, he was looking forward to whatever she’d offered as punishment.
Ryker huffed a quiet laugh as our group made our way out into the big space of the shoddy maze. “He’s going to land on his ass if he’s not careful. Nik doesn’t let anyone tell her what to do unless she’s paid handsomely for it.”
I slapped at his arm. “I sincerely doubt that Nik is a hooker.”
He laughed. “No, gutter brain. She isn’t. I meant she only takes orders in a professional sense. And her skills allow her to demand whatever price she wants to set. Turo’s got his hands full if he thinks to encroach on her freedom.”
We slid to a slow stop in the opening of the maze. The rest of my family was standing around in various states of heightened disarray. Momma had her robe around her shoulders, an AR-15 in her hands.
By her glare alone, I knew she didn’t really support the life-saving efforts going on in the middle of the hallway. But I also knew she wanted the information her sons could get from the wounded party.
I looked down. A small beautiful woman was lying on the floor. A puddle of blood was growing in ever-widening circles under her abdomen. Her long dark hair and sunkissed skin spoke of long days in the blazing sun and rich blue waters.
Mas knelt next to her, his hand pushing down into the wound on her belly. “Why, Nia?”
The woman choked, smiled. “Because I could. Because it was my time to be in charge. He had no right to push me out. You understand families. How overbearing and hard bosses who are also our parents can be.”
Mas winced. “A hard life doesn’t mean you should hurt innocents. Sell them like cattle.”
Antonia smiled. Her teeth were covered in red. “She’s just like you. Soft. Weak. I need to beat it out of her.” She laughed. Blood, saliva, and other grittier, meatier things spewed from her mouth.
Mas’ brow furrowed. “She who?”
“Amara. But you’ll never find her.” She coughed again as Jessa and Rafe worked to get the bleeding stopped. She shook her head slowly, a fierce smile on her face “Never find her. She’s yours, but you’ll never get her.”
The whole room seemed to still.
Mas leaned forward. “Amara. She’s mine?” He shook Antonia’s shoulders. “My daughter?”
Antonia just smiled, dipped her chin the slightest degree. “Should have joined me when you had the chance, huh? No one to blame but yourself.” She coughed again. A fountain of blood spurted upwards from her gaping mouth.
Mas grabbed Antonia’s chin. Pulled her up to him. “If she’s mine, I’ll find her. I’ll save her. This I vow upon my honor.”
We all inhaled at his promise. I’d never heard Mas make one. And knowing him as well as I do, I knew he wouldn’t stop until he found his daughter.
If the dying woman could be believed.
He dropped her head. It made a thick, meaty thunk against the concrete. “Stop,” he said as he glared at the woman he’d shared his bed and body with.
Rafe pulled back, but Jessa kept up her ministrations.
“Jessa, so help me God, if you don’t let her die, I’ll send you after her,” Mas said in his broken, hoarse voice.
Nico snarled, pulled Jessa away from the body. “Stop, Jessa.”
She fought him for a few brief moments. Sighed as all signs of life fled Antonia’s body. She wiped the back of her wrist over her brow. “We couldn’t save her.” She looked up at Nico. “I couldn’t save her.”
Mas snarled and got to his feet. “She didn’t deserve to be saved.” He pushed from the huddling group of family.
“Massimo,” Momma called after him.
He shook his head and kept walking.
Papa patted Momma’s arm. “Let him breathe for a little while.”
She nodded, sorrow in her dark eyes. “How did they find us?”
Everyone was quiet as we stood over the body of an evil woman. I had no answers. Didn’t really understand much of what was going on. Other than Mas was hurting right now. Hurting in ways I couldn’t even comprehend. To find out that he had a daughter, but that she’d been hidden from him?
What kind of monster did that?
“I think I have an idea,” Nik said.
The sound of rushing feet and barked orders filled the giant room. “NEW TRENADIE SWAT. HANDS UP WHERE WE CAN SEE THEM. WEAPONS DOWN ON THE GROUND. DOWN ON THE GROUND!”