Page 84 of Sinful Bargains

The sound of my pulse drowned out everything. I could hear the distant roar of the car driving off, but all I could focus on was Joey.

I knew someone would take him from me, but I didn’t think it would happen so soon.

ANTONIO

Acold sweat trickled down the back of my neck. My grip on the gun tightened, fingers almost numb, as if the weapon had become part of me—something I could control, something I could wield.

The memory of Joey’s voice rang through my head, clear as day:“One shot, Antonio. One shot. That’s all you got. So you always make it count.”The words echoed in my ears as I lifted the gun to the window.

One shot. That’s all I’ve got. That’s all I needed.

Joey stepped further into the street, oblivious to the threat that was inches away from his life. My finger twitched on the trigger. The gun in my hand felt like it had always belonged there. I squeezed the trigger, aiming straight for the heart that didn’t seem to exist in his chest.

Joey had been taken down. And by the person he would have least expected. But for some reason, as the echoes of the shot faded away, all I could feel was the weight of my choices. The invisible blood on my hands.

One shot. One shot.

And I had taken it. And now I had to live with the stain of Joey’s demise on my hands.

Giovanni glanced over at me, eyes narrowing. “So, how’s it feel? You feel like a big man now?”

I shot him a sidelong glance, rolling my eyes. “What do you think? Maybe you should stay focused on your job before we get tracked down by every mobster in this town.”

The truth was, I didn’t feel any better. I thought this was going to solve the rage. An eye for an eye. But now all I felt was guilt.

He smirked, leaning back in his seat. “You’ve got the whole ‘cold-blooded killer’ vibe going on now.”

I looked out of the window and the reflection, in a black ski mask, was looking back at me. Every inch of innocence I thought I had left had just been stripped. “Let’s just focus on getting rid of the gun, okay?”

He chuckled. “Oh, I’m sorry, did I hit a nerve? You know, I think you should go down as ‘Most Likely to Commit Murder’ in the yearbook. What do you think?”

I shot him a look. “If you keep this up, Giovanni, I might just go down as ‘Most Likely to Commit Back-to-Back Murder.’”

He raised an eyebrow. “How the hell are we getting rid of this gun?”

I glanced out the window, trying to ignore the tension building in my chest. “I’ll toss it out once you hit the right speed.”

Giovanni’s neck snapped to face me, eyes wide. “What? Are you out of your mind? That’s the worst idea I’ve ever heard! You’d do better just walking into a police station and turning yourself in.”

“Just drive,” I said.

“I’m just saying, you could’ve at least left a note for the cops. ‘Dear Officer, I killed Joey. It was a family thing. Love, Antonio.’”

“Press the fucking gas!” I shouted at him.

He rolled his eyes, grip tightening on the wheel as he began to rev. “I can’t believe I’m still in this car with you. And, if you get caught, you’re by yourself.”

I gripped the revolver, my fingers trembling as I dangled it out of the window. I let it slip from my hand, watching it fall into the darkness. I closed my eyes, silently praying it would shatter into a million pieces. But I couldn’t bring myself to turn around, to see if it had landed or if the damage was done. I just focused on the road ahead, heart pounding, hoping the past would stay buried.

JOEY

By the time I saw the car, it was too late. The blacked-out windows, the engine purring. It was too late when I recognized it, too late when I saw the figure lean out from the passenger side. I heard the sound before I even felt the impact.

A gunshot.

The searing pain that shot through my chest made everything go white. It jerked me back, knocking the air straight out of my lungs. I could feel the heat of the blood rushing out of me, soaking through my shirt. This wasn’t good. Adriana’s scream reached me like it was underwater. I couldn’t hear anything but the thumping of my own heartbeat pounding in my ears. I wanted to say something, anything, but the words caught in my throat.

Adriana’s hands pressed against the wound in my chest, but it wasn’t enough. I could already feel it—the blood draining, the weakness spreading like a wildfire through my veins. I glanced at her face, her eyes wide with horror, her lips trembling as she cried out my name. But I could hardly hear her. I wanted toreassure her. I wanted to tell her I was fine, that everything was going to be okay.

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