Page 256 of The One
“Or, for something more personal,” Sofia leans in closer, her voice thick with venom, “I could have Davide fuck her, right here in front of you with his nine-inch cock. Believe me, he packs quite a punch.”
Mari’s eyes widen in terror, her body trembling. “Sofia, please—”
“Oh, shut up!” Sofia snaps, cutting her off. “You are such a disappointment!
“I had high hopes for you, Mariella. You and I seemed to click when we first met. Both of us cast aside, forced to play the game. I thought you were ready to rise to the top with me,” she sneers, her lips curling. “But no. You let a De Marco seduce and trap you. You are pathetic.”
She spits the word ‘pathetic’ like it’s a curse.
“You left one prison for another, and for what? A thick cock and a few seconds of pleasure? I had so much to offer you. I could’ve given you power, respect, a place where you could finally be somebody.
“But you blew it, or rather him, and now?” She shrugs as if to dismiss us. “You’ll die next to your beloved husband.”
I can barely hold myself back from charging at her.
But I glance at Mari. Her eyes are wide, her breath shallow, but there’s something more.
Determination.
I meet her gaze. In that instant, I know what she’s thinking.
Our freedom is close. We’ve come too far to lose it now. And I’ll be damned if I let Sofia, or anyone else, take it from us.
Mari nods almost imperceptibly, and I understand.
Thunder crashes, deafening in the silence.
In one fluid motion, Mari drops low, using the self-defense move we’ve practiced. She shifts her weight, twisting out of Davide’s grip, and slams her elbow into his gut. He stumbles back, just enough for her to break free.
I move quickly. My fist flies through the air and connects with his jaw, sending him crashing to the deck.
Out of the corner of my eye, I see Sofia’s finger tighten around the trigger… just as Mari bolts straight at her.
My heart stops.
Bang.
Chapter Ninety-Seven
Mateo
Imust have developed extrasensory perception because I swear I see the bullet leave Sofia’s gun. Time slows as a thin trail of smoke curls through the dark night air.
The deafening crack of the shot sends my fear into outer space.
“Mari!” I scream as I watch her body collide with Sofia’s.
They both stumble backward, the force knocking Sofia off balance. Her grip on the gun slips, and the weapon clatters onto the deck. My muscles react before my mind does. I lunge for it, but so does Davide.
He scrambles toward it, fingers stretching for the cold metal, but I kick his arm away with everything I’ve got. He curses, recoiling. I snatch up the gun, pivot, and without hesitation, put a bullet in his head. His body drops, lifeless. Fuck him!
I barely register the sound over the roar of the wind and waves. Damn, the storm has arrived.
My gaze snaps back to Mari and Sofia, both struggling to stay upright as the boat pitches beneath them. The wind howls, waves smashing against the hull. Mari grips the railing, chest heaving, while Sofia stumbles.
Steadying herself, Sofia sees her chance and makes a desperate lunge at Mari. I yell, ‘Code Red,’ hoping she remembers our self-defense training and that ‘Red’ means left.
Mari reacts instantly, dodging just as Sofia tries to shove her over the yacht’s edge. Her timing is perfect. Sofia, unable to stop, slams into the railing with full force. She overbalances and flips over the rail, hanging in the air just long enough for me to take a well-aimed shot.
