Page 62 of Reaper & Ruin
Danika chuckled, her smile widening.“Oh, I was hired by your boyfriend’s father to kill him. And look at that—I found you too. What are the odds? Seeing as you’re dead and all.”
Of course.Giorgio.The bastard had sent The Company after his own son. Gio’s family had never been one to shy away from extreme measures, but this? Sending Danika? She wasn’t just any mercenary. She was one of the best. One of the most ruthless. And she never failed.
It was overkill. Extreme. A death sentence for Gio and everyone around him.
And entirely in my favor if an ounce of the girl I knew was still left inside her.
A dozen thoughts raced through my mind. I could take her. I’d been trained to fight people like her—hell, I’d been trained with her. But one wrong move and she’d pull that trigger.
I couldn’t risk Gio’s life like that. I wouldn’t. Not just because I didn’t want Heaven to hate me, or grieve him, but becauseIdidn’t want him dead either.
Ilikedthe arrogant bastard. Which meant I would play along until I was sure my actions wouldn’t harm him.
Then I was going to beat her ass for putting a gun to his head.
“Get into the car, Atlas,”Danika ordered, her voice sharp.“And play nice, or I’ll redecorate this driveway with your boy’s brains.”
My feet felt glued to the ground. I couldn’t just leave Heaven behind. I couldn’t leave her alone, not like this. But if I didn’t do what Danika said, Gio was dead.
Fuck.
Danika cocked her head, her dark eyes narrowing.“Don’t make me ask again.”
I glanced at Gio, my stomach twisting. His eyes were wide, pleading, but he stayed silent. He knew as well as I did that we were out of options.
Slowly, I lowered my gun, tossing it to the ground. My heart raced, the tension thick in the air. Every fiber of my being screamed at me to fight, to do something, but I couldn’t.
I walked toward the pair, my hands raised in surrender, my eyes never leaving hers. When I was close enough, I leaned in, my voice low, a whisper only she could hear.
“You owe me,”I hissed.“I saved your life once.”
Her eyes flickered, something unspoken passing between us. For a moment, I thought I saw a glimmer of something—regret, maybe? But then she laughed—that cold, mocking laugh I knew too well.
“And that’s why I let you have your summer of fun, and why your pretty princess isn’t dead or with us, ready for daddy De Luca to rape and murder,”she whispered back.“Now be grateful and get in the fucking car.”
A wave of relief washed over me, so strong I nearly staggered. Heaven was safe. She was alive, and she was hiding.
For now.
I climbed into the car, my heart still racing. Gio was shoved into the backseat next to me, his wrists still bound, his jaw clenched so tightly it looked like it might break. I reached over,my hand sliding into his, squeezing tight. He squeezed back, his fingers trembling slightly.
Danika got into the driver’s seat, the rest of her mercenaries piling in around us. The engine roared to life, and the car lurched forward, leaving the cabin—and Heaven—behind.
I couldn’t think about her. Not right now. I had to stay focused. I had to get us out of this mess. I had to—
“How fucked are we?”Gio muttered under his breath in Italian, his voice tight.
I glanced at him, trying to keep my own worries, mostly about our girl, under control.“They’re Company mercs,” I said quietly.“And they’re on your dad’s payroll.”
He let out a bitter laugh, shaking his head.“So we’re dead then.”
“Not yet,”I replied, my voice firm.
Gio sighed, leaning back in the seat, his head resting against the window. He was quiet for a moment, staring out at the passing trees. His hand was still gripping mine, tight and desperate.“What about…?”His voice trailed off, but I knew what he was asking.
“All fine,”I said quietly.“She’s safe. Don’t worry.”
Gio didn’t say anything. He just closed his eyes, his hand still locked in mine, as if holding on for dear life. I could see the tension in his body, the way his chest rose and fell too fast, too sharp. He was scared even though he was angry and ready to fight. But if our girl was safe and ready to carry on the next steps of our emergency plan, then I knew we were okay.
