Page 88 of King of Hearts

“Is he already here?” I seethed, lowering back to my seat, but only to dig into the inner lining of my bag.

“He is…he’ll be having breakfast with us.”

Shit.This was going to be bad. I had to find a way to protect Alex and get the hell out of there before my father sabotaged this entire situation.

“You don’t underst—” I was cut off by a loud boom from outside. It shook the house, the chandelier above the table vibrated, and dust rained down from the ceiling.

Everyone was frozen around the room, including the two large men on their way into the dining room.

I slowly pulled my gun free and pulled the strap of my bag around my chest then gripped Alex’s carrier with all the strength I possessed.

“Who was that?” Markos asked with an eerily calm voice, the kind of tone that pranced along the edge of a knife.

Gunfire sounded from outside and glass was shattering, but it wasn’t in the dining room…it was everywhere else. The foyer, the living room…the cars outside. Everything seemed to be exploding as the purr of automatic guns rang through the air. I ducked under the table, dragging the car seat with me. I hovered over my daughter, protecting any open space that might expose her.

Shouting commenced, along with the sound of more shots and yells. I remained where I was under the table, but within seconds, there were large hands grabbing at me.

“No!” I screamed, desperate to fend off the person.

I reached for the gun I had set down next to the carrier, pointed the extended barrel at my attacker, and pulled the trigger.

Three shots quieted by the barrel pummeled into the soft stomach of the man grabbing me. Another man took his place, and I kept shooting.

Panic seized my lungs as I realized these were my father’s men. Markos had been hauled out of the room by his own men, and they hadn’t given me a second look.

It was telling enough of my future with the man, but I didn’t care. At this point, I was just going to run away with my daughter and be free of these men for as long as I could.

“Come now, Aurelia, don’t make this difficult,” someone cooed from above.

My father’s face came into view as he sank to his haunches, and I gasped sharply. His blond hair was slicked out of his eyes, but not well enough as strands fell into disarray. He eyed Alex next to me, and his lip curled in disgust.

I didn’t wait for him to threaten me again; I pulled the trigger with as much force as I could.

But nothing happened. A click sounded. I did it again and again, but it was just empty clicks that emanated from my gun. I was out.

Oh my god.I was out. He would have me, and I couldn’t defend myself.

“Climb out, littleértékes.” He laughed, his large shoulders shaking with delight.

I shook my head, climbing backward on my palms.

“Come now, I’ll spare your little child if you crawl out.”

I looked around the table, seeing the chairs all askew around the room. Long legs stood in their place, proving that he had me cornered. There was nowhere to run. So, on shaky limbs, I crawled out and met my doom.

* * *

My father strangledmy shoulder with his palm and led me toward the exit. A man behind us carried my daughter in her carrier, and I forced my gaze backward, which annoyed my father.

A tight pinch shot through my arm as his grip intensified.

“You will learn your pla—” His voice cut off as we came to a sudden stop.

My eyes flew forward to see what had halted our walk, and that was when I realized the courtyard had become a war zone. Cars blown up, glass everywhere, a hole in the brick wall that surrounded the Mariano compound. In front of the exit were at least a hundred men, all with guns and folded bandanas across their foreheads, all save for one.

My breath hitched.

“What the fuck are you doing here?” my father yelled toward the man standing in his way. He was wearing a black bulletproof vest over a white t-shirt and dark denim tucked into thick combat boots. My heart swelled so much I thought it might burst.

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