Page 75 of Devil's Game

“No.” My voice was shaky as the word spilled from my lips, freezing him in place. “I can handle this. Please, I need you to help get them out of here.”

Pain sliced across my chest, my heart splayed open, like the shot had gone through me instead. I wished it had.

“Don’t you dare,” Merrick growled, but Kellan and Sophia were already helping him to his feet.

“Sugar.” There wasn’t the same teasing lilt to Spade’s voice as his name for me rolled off his tongue. There was darkness, the promise of death, and warning. “If you think I’m going to leave you alone—”

“Get them out of here, Spade, or I’ll never forgive you.” Tears pricked at the corners of my eyes as Merrick fought against their hold, but it was no use; he was losing too much blood. Heonly had minutes to get some medical attention, or I’d lose him forever. “Trust me.”

I held Spade’s gaze, the glittering violet depths nearly taking my breath away, but I tore my eyes away far sooner than I wanted to as Tommaso scrambled on the marble floor, clamoring for his gun to finish the job.

“Giana.” Kellan’s pleading tone nearly broke me, but I already knew what I had to do.

“If he dies, I will never forgive any of you.” I couldn’t even look at them as the words left my lips. It was my fault. I was at the center of this, despite Tommaso’s actions being all his own, and the truth was, I’d never forgive myself if I lost Merrick, if the games led to one of my guys or Sophia losing their life.

This was between me and Tommaso, and we had to finish this once and for all because we were destroying everything around us, and I would not let the people I loved become collateral damage.

Some of the tension eased from my chest as the elevator doors dinged open, and I blocked out Merrick’s raspy voice as he barely held on to consciousness, blocked out Sophia’s tears, blocked out Spade’s broken look and Kellan’s pleading voice.

They all knew I wanted to be the one to end him, that I wanted to take his life. They needed to trust that I could do this, just like I had trusted them.

“I wouldn’t do that if I were you.” My tone was cool as I stalked toward Tommaso, keeping my gun aimed at his head as his hand wrapped around his gun. He froze, blood oozing from the shoulder wound as he looked up at me, his mahogany eyes wild, like my shooting him had just pushed him further into his obsession.

“You won’t kill me.” He chuckled, keeping his hand poised over his weapon. “You love this dance too much,mi amore. Youlove the thrill of pretending to hate me, of having me pining after you.”

I shook my head, not letting his words get to me. Yet another game he loved. Distraction was the best tool he had in his arsenal.

My finger tightened on the trigger, but before I could pull it, Tommaso’s foot swept across my ankles, sending me tumbling to the ground. I barely caught myself before my face smacked against the hard marble, the gun clattering from my hands in the fall. Adrenaline spiked through my veins as Tommaso reached for his own gun. I had mere seconds to react as I kicked out, sending the gun skating across the floor in the opposite direction of my own.

“You want to do this the hard way, then?” He grinned, malice flickering in his eyes as he reached for me. I was too slow to avoid him this time. He fisted my leather jacket, tugging me toward him in a violent jerk that left me scrambling for purchase on the slippery floor.

“You really think you can win in a fight against me?” He chuckled, shaking me in his grasp, as though he thought I was a rag doll, no threat to him at all.

I brought my hands up between his and pushed out with all my strength, jerking him off me. His features lit with surprise, but I didn’t stop to revel in the victory. I used his momentary shock to my advantage and pulled my fist back, clocking him with two fast punches to the side of his face before retreating.

“Fuck,” he cried out and lunged for me, but I was already gone. I slid away from him, using the marble to my advantage for once as I put some distance between us.

I scrambled to my feet and lowered into a defensive stance just as he stood, his balance wobbly as he clutched his already swollen face. “You really shouldn’t have done that, love. I wastrying to show you mercy, but now, I guess I’ll have to put you in your place.”

“You can try,” I huffed in amusement.

Rage flickered like flames in his mahogany eyes as he launched himself at me, but I refused to let him intimidate me. He brought his fist back, and I was ready. I narrowly dodged the oncoming blow and twisted my hips, slamming my knee straight into his gut. He wheezed and tried to grapple for my leg, but I was too fast. I spun and landed a backhand to his face in the same place I’d already hit him, feeling the sweet relief of justice washing over me as he stumbled back.

I refused to stop, refused to give him a second to catch his breath or regain his strength. I hoisted one of the now-empty side tables and threw it at him. He loosed a pained cry, but he was able to cover his face at the last second, avoiding most of the damage. I launched myself at him, knowing I needed to get him to the floor again, knowing that was where I would have the biggest advantage against his strength.

Before he could regain his composure, I lunged for him, letting my shoulder take the brunt of the impact as I slammed into him. A scream tore from my lips as he grunted in pain. He tried to pull me off him, but I was already locked on, following him as he tumbled backward.

His head smashed against the marble, blood coating the white surface from the impact, but it wasn’t enough to knock him out. I used him as a shield, making sure he took the brunt of the fall as I quickly recovered. Agony pulsed through my knees as they slammed against the floor, but I gritted my teeth through the pain, my hands searching for his throat, for the only thing I could think to do in that moment.

His eyes widened as my hands closed around his throat and I pushed and squeezed, desperately trying to block his airway. His hands scrambled for purchase, his short nails biting intomy hands, but I pushed away the pain, losing myself in the fear freezing over his irises. I was so enraptured by the intoxicating power washing over me that I didn’t realize his hands had fallen away until it was too late.

Pain bit into my right thigh, so sudden, I almost thought I was imagining it at first, until I peeled my eyes off Tommaso’s reddening face to where his left hand had gone. A small dagger protruded from my skin, its blade embedded straight into my thigh. His hand was still on the hilt, weakly trying to pull it back to undoubtedly stab me again as blood oozed from the wound.

I had no way of knowing if he hit an artery, but I couldn’t just let him yank it out to stab me again while I hoped I could choke him to death first.

Pulling in a ragged breath, I made a split-second decision. I kept one hand on his throat and reached down with the other to battle for control of the knife. Tommaso was weak, his motions uncoordinated with the lack of oxygen and blood loss, so it didn’t take much to push him off. But as I took a deep breath and jerked the blade from my thigh, he fumbled for something in his pocket.

Panic surged in my veins, the adrenaline helping to keep the pain at bay, despite the warm liquid flowing down my leg. I slammed the knife down into the center of his chest as an agonized scream tore from his lips.

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