Page 558 of Sinfully Savage Mafia

Killer.

How ironic.

Messina’s expression turns decidedly more evil as the words tumble from my mouth, but I square my shoulders, never once giving him an indication that I’m the weak little bitch who backs down, even in the face of death.

Because I’m not that girl.

Maybe I was before, but I’ll never be again.

“You have a smart mouth on you,” Messina mutters. “I think I’ll cut off your tongue first.”

Strong hands grab my wrists, throwing me against a wall before wrapping cable wire around them.

Messina frowns at the guy. “Where are the chains?”

The guy shrugs. “We used them on the other guys. This is all we have left.”

“Wire?” Messina yells, kicking over a nearby chair. “Fucking wire?”

“She ain’t a magician. It’ll hold her.”

I struggle against the guy, shoving my shoulder into his arm because it’s the highest I can get. He doesn’t even budge. My head twists in Zeno’s direction, his dark eyes telling me something.

I peer at him, trying like hell to figure out what kind of telepathic message he’s trying to send when I catch the slightest head nod toward the doorway. I don’t even have time to react before I hear Sergio’s booming voice reverberate in the space.

“Hey, Messina, I think you forgot about one thing when you decided to execute your plan today.” He walks into the room, his gun pointed at the back of Rayleigh’s head, his other hand dragging her along the floor. “This traitorous bitch is your niece, yeah? So, it’d be another serious loss if I say, blew a hole through her fucking skull?”

He shoves her into the room, her thighs caked with blood as she collapses to the floor and propels herself farther inside using her arms since her legs are pretty much useless.

“Uncle,” she moans. “Please, help me.”

Messina’s jaw tightens as he regards her. “You had one job to do,” he says, walking toward her.

“Yes, I know,” she sputters, sobs wracking her body. “But they hung me over the side of a parking deck. And they shot me. And I?—”

Messina holds up his hand. “No more excuses, Rayleigh.”

“Uncle, I just wanted to help, to find the people who murdered my brother. I did everything you asked. We have control of their security system?—”

“Ah, not so fast,” Sergio says. “My guy Mike just found your fucking virus and exterminated it. You ain’t got shit anymore.”

Rayleigh’s face pales, every spot of color completely vacating from her cheeks. “No, I was able to get in. I crippled the network. I had complete control!”

Sergio leans toward her, a smirk on his face. “See, that’s the thing, Rayleigh. You never really have full control of anything when you live in our world. It’s a damn harsh lesson that your brother learned when Zeno popped him.”

Rayleigh screeches, swinging her fist into Sergio’s midsection from her position on the dirty floor, but he’s smart enough and fast enough to jump back before it connects with his gut. “Fuck you, Sergio!”

“Enough!” Messina shouts, his face so flushed, he looks purple. He grabs Rayleigh by the chin and tugs her face in his direction. “Is he saying that we no longer have access to the security feeds at the Excelsior?”

“That’s what I’m saying,” Sergio confirms with a grin, his gun still on Rayleigh.

Messina looks at him. “Why do you still have a gun on my niece? She doesn’t have a weapon.”

“Because I don’t want you to make any dumbass moves. She’s my?—”

A loud blast makes my eardrums shatter and my brain rattle in my skull.

The gun in Messina’s hand is still smoking when Rayleigh’s body goes limp as an overcooked spaghetti noodle, falling to the floor in a pool of blood.

---