Page 89 of Claiming the Mafia Queen

“Let me have your gun!” she demands.

“No!” I shake my head.

“Give me your fucking gun!” she repeats, anger bubbling to the surface; seething.

“I only have one left!”

I’d used my AR and all of my ammo just getting to her.

“That’s your fault!” she hisses. “I’m not letting you get me out of here like I’m some damsel! I won’t hide behind you while you shoot us out of here!”

Her words are powerful. They’re demanding.

But they’re also…respectable.

“I’m the Goddamned Don of the Morino and Lorenzo families!” She reminds me through dagger eyes. “I’m not going to be anyone’s princess to save.”

I sigh heavily and relent by handing off my pistol.

“You have your knife…” she reassures with a sly smile.

Aria, you’re such a dick…

Chapter 19

Aria

Ican’thelpbutthink about my kids. I wonder if I’ll make it out of here. This lady and her goons are psychopaths. That much is for certain. They have me here. Held hostage. Why not just kill me?

If she really wanted to take Chicago, why wouldn’t she just get rid of me? Exterminate me and then take over?

This seems off…

Something seems off…

There’s a disruption, though. Gunfire in the distance.

I smirk.Let the games begin…

I tug and pull at my ropes. I hear faint screams in the distance and I wonder where the hell they are coming from.

I wonder who the hell is shooting…

My body is tired…

I feel myself fading again.

I’ve lost consciousness more times than I can count and I know it’s only a matter of time before I slip into a coma at this rate. I can hear the bullets ricochet off my door now.

They’re getting closer.

There’s no choice.

I have to get out of here.

I have to hurry.

I fiddle with the ropes some more and slide across to a metal beam next to one of the prep stations. It’s sharp on the corner. I rub my rope hurriedly on it, grimacing as the coarse fabric slides over my already damaged wrists.

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