Page 29 of Mafia Kingdom

But as I step closer to the door, my instincts shift. The chaos on the other side isn’t the kind that requires bullets. I know who it is before I even see her.

“Put it away,” I murmur to Mike.

He hesitates for a beat, then lowers his gun. I do the same, slipping mine back into place.

The last thing I need is to terrify Sasha.

She already hates me for keeping her here. I tell myself it doesn’t matter. That itshouldn’tmatter.

But the truth is, it does.

And that might be the biggest weakness of all.

CHAPTER FOURTEEN

Sasha

I HAD RETREATED to my room and decided to take a shower. But I’ve been standing still, gripping the towel so tightly my knuckles ache. I drop the towel. I need something familiar.

Buddy.

I leave and make my way downstairs. The scent of steak hits me as I come off the last step.

My gaze snaps to the open kitchen door, and that’s when I see it.

One of Marco’s men—some thick-necked bastard in a black shirt—is kneeling beside Buddy, feeding him something off a plate.

I freeze. My stomach drops.

Buddy licks his chops, tail thumping. His bowl sits empty a few feet away, completely ignored.

“What the hell are you doing?” My voice cracks the air like a whip, sharper than I intended.

The guy looks up, “Boss said to cook the dog some steak.”

My vision tunnels. Heat flashes through me, my skin prickling with the force of my own anger.

“Buddy can’t eat steak,” I bite out, my voice trembling with rage. “It makes him sick.”

The guy shrugs, like it’s no big deal. Like my world isn’t already spinning out of control.

That’s it. That’s the final fucking straw.

“Jesus Christ!” I grab Buddy’s collar, pulling him toward the door. I can’t take this. I need air. I need to breathe. I need to get the hell out of here.

I wrench the door open, stepping into the hall—

And slam into a wall of muscle.

A guard blocks my path, built like a goddamn tank. Another stands just a few feet away, arms crossed over his chest.

“You need to stay in your room, Miss.”

I stare at them, heart hammering.

“You have got to be fucking kidding me.”

One of them exhales through his nose. “Orders.”

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