Page 82 of The Burnt Heart

“Lara thought they were, I suppose.” My guys’ faces smoothed over as they tucked the emotions away. I did the same, nodding at my guys.

“Last chance?” I let the offer stand, but they all surged toward me. My chest was hollow, aching from a loss I hadn’t processed yet. I couldn’t let myself process. But their reaction gave me a muted glow.

“We’re not staying behind Adelaide. From now on, it’s no secrets and no sacrifices.”

I sucked in a deep breath, exhaling slowly as my hand circled the knob.

Then I opened it.

The hallway was dim, and the lights had blown down into the airy space. Shadows crept up the walls like creatures, but I welcomed them. I was one with the darkness in me, and there wasn’t anything that could scare me. It was now or never. I ushered them outside, noting the marks. They would fade, but the memory of them wouldn’t. Insisting they stay separate from the dangerous parts of my life hadn’t worked. We had all been trying so hard to keep things separate. Believing it would be cleaner to leave our dark, jagged pieces at the door. But where had that landed us? Hurting and broken. When we survived this, I was going to tear it down to the foundation, rip out the crumbling, weak parts. I was going to build something untouchable.

We were going to build it together. Jesse had picked up Harold’s discarded gun, and it looked good in his grip, natural.

I have a warped idea of what was attractive.

“Don’t hold back out there. Try not to shoot yourself in the foot.” I joked, trying to loosen the tight hold on my lungs. This could end terribly. We crept along the pathway, sticking to the shadows. The only sound was my soft, shallow breathing and the manic thump of my heart in my ears. For all the men that had swarmed the house when we walked in, they didn’t seem to be here now. Voices echoed and we detoured through the back garden. Logan surprised a guard who almost tripped over his feet at the sight of us. He grunted as the barrel of his gun slammed under the man’s chin. The guard crumpled into a pile at our feet.

“Good. But he still caught you unaware,” Jonah scolded quietly, melting out from behind the hedge. Logan gave him a smile. His eyebrow was a bloody ribbon, red trickling down his face. He searched over my shoulder before catching himself. My father wouldn’t be coming. I clutched at my chest, wishingI could claw my heart out to stem the sharp pain. Grief was a distraction. There would be time to fall apart later. That’s what I told the quivering hurt that ate my insides.

“I can’t find him, boss.” Jonah led us into a darkened corner where we rested for a moment. “Ray took care of the stragglers outside. But it’s nothing. Majority of them ran as soon as the first one went down, like rats from a sinking ship. I’ve taken out pretty much all the rest.”

He pointed to a hole he’d made in the hedge, and I peeked through. There were several cars idling on the drive, but no one was making a move to use them. I noticed a guard hovering in the shade of a hedge. I extricated the gun from Jonah and poked the muzzle through the hole. The guard had his thumb jammed in his mouth as he chewed, white teeth flashing.

My body jolted, and the guard’s head whipped back. He fell to the ground. Dead. I looked back at my guys, expecting to see horror. This was who I was, the woman they loved. But there was no hesitation, only devotion. It calmed something in me.

“I’ll get his weapon,” Jonah muttered, and I let him slink away. I watched the crumpled body of the guard for the telltale sign of Jonah looting his weapon. But I heard a voice I wanted to destroy.

“Come out, come out, darling.” Alessandro strode out into the driveway, Jonah’s sagging body held up like a shield. “Don’t make me put a bullet in your loyal guard.”

My chest seized. Feet moving before I could even process it. Jonah’s immense chest looked wrong, bent and deflated as he was.

“Boss, don’t,” his protest was sharp as Alessandro whipped him with the gun. My guys fanned out behind my back. Alessandro’s greedy eyes latched onto Briar, and he drank him in.

I’m going to rip your eyeballs out. I promised myself silently.

“Deliver my father to me. You’re going to let us both get in this car, and I’ll let the big guy go. Deal?” His lip curled like he couldn’t stomach the thought of having me win, but he had no choice. I didn’t move, looking past his shoulder. An answering grin, muted by a car windscreen, made me smile maniacally.

No deal.

But externally I nodded, jerking my head to Jesse and Briar, who loped up the steps to retrieve the bloodied mess of his father. It wasn’t long before they hauled him out, a shriveled, bloody bruise.

“Let my guard go,” I ordered, as Jesse shoved him into the drive. Harold swallowed a curse, gnarled hands pressing into his thighs.

“Fucking bitch,” Alessandro tossed at me before Jonah surprised him by tossing his head back. The hard skull ricocheting off Alessandro’s tender nose. He roared as blood spurted and they rolled to the side, a flurry of arms and legs.

“Wait, I can give you the Donato territory.” Harold wrenched himself to his feet, leaning against the car. I didn’t move, looking past his shoulder. My guys moved back as I flicked my hand, hiding my satisfaction.

“It’s already mine. You killed my father. The Unseen won’t dispute my right to swallow up your pitiful holdings.”

I gave a stiff nod, my spine fizzling with energy. Headlights flooded the area, illuminating Harold in an eerie light. Harold turned with his arm up in surprise as the engine revved. Ray smirked at his father from inside the car, giving him a little wave.

It was quick, but at my nod, Ray slammed his foot on the pedal and floored the car into his father. The crunch that filled the air was horrific but satisfying. I forced myself to commit it to memory. I would never allow myself to be maneuvered like this again. Ray got out of the car, the engine still purring, and lookedat his work with a discerning eye. Harold lay on the ground, bent at a strange angle and silent.

“Good riddance,” Ray spat. “Everything clear inside?

“Hope you’re not having second thoughts, Ray. It appears you have a half-brother. Don’t get too attached, though. I plan on killing him in a moment. It’s a bit late to be loyal to the Donato name now.”

He scoffed, looking pointedly at the gory aftermath of his time behind the wheel. One eyebrow inched up. He raked a cursory look at Alessandro, hiding whatever reaction behind levity.

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