Page 22 of Secret Revenge

“Turner, stay low and make your way towards the exit,” I whispered urgently, risking a glance at him.

“No, I’m taking him in.”

“You’re outgunned,” Turner yelled. “Put your weapon down and I won’t have to shoot you.”

Clemmons laughed. “I don’t think so. I’ve got men in the trees, waiting for my signal.”

Turner looked back. “Shit,” he said. “I count three men advancing on us.”

I kept my eye on Clemmons, the immediate threat. We had to take him out first, then worry about the other men. “Weapons?”

“They’re too far away to tell.”

I cursed myself for not bringing a man with me. yes, I’d wanted to keep my informant secret, but I could trust Riccardo.

I shout out the playground lights, hoping for any avantage the dark would give us.

Blood pounded in my ears as I charged toward Joshua with a fierce determination, every muscle coiled and ready to strike. My knuckles connected with his jaw, the sound of bone meeting bone echoing through the night. We both lost our guns in the exchange, but I didn’t care. No man lost to me one-on-one.

“Is this what you wanted?” I snarled, my voice laced with venom. “Did you think betraying us would give you power?”

“Your family had it coming!” he spat back, wiping the blood from his mouth.

As we exchanged blow after vicious blow, I heard a shot coming from Turner’s direction.

“Nicholas,” Turner’s strained voice cut through my thoughts. He was fending off one of Joshua’s men, sweat pouring down his face as he fought for his life.

“Turner, hold on!” I shouted, desperately trying to finish off Joshua so that I could come to his aid. But with each punch I landed, pain radiated through my body, a reminder of the injuries he’d inflicted on me.. I knew I was running out of time.

“Give up, Romano,” Joshua sneered, lunging at me with his knife. I narrowly dodged the blade, its edge slicing through the air where I had just been standing. My knife was in the car and I couldn’t get to it. My heart raced, adrenaline pumping through my veins as I realized the high stakes of this battle.

“Never,” I growled, the word escaping my lips like a primal oath. I parried his next attack, feeling the searing pain in my arm as his knife grazed my skin. The metallic scent of blood filled my nostrils, but I refused to falter.

“Pathetic,” he taunted, circling me like a predator. I gritted my teeth, trying to ignore the pain coursing through my body. I couldn’t afford to show weakness; not when so much was on the line.

“Turner!” I called out again, concern lacing my voice as I heard his labored breathing. He grunted in response, fighting valiantly against his fellow officers who sought to take him down.

“Your time is up, Romano,” Joshua hissed, lunging at me once more. I dodged the blade, but not before it sank into my leg, sending a searing wave of pain through my body. I fought back a scream, refusing to give him the satisfaction of seeing my agony.

“Your downfall will be your arrogance, Joshua,” I said, gritting my teeth as I forced myself to stand tall despite the pain. My vision blurred momentarily, but I pushed through, focusing on the man who threatened everything I held dear.

“Enough of this!” I roared, summoning the last of my strength as I charged toward him. Our bodies collided with a sickening thud, and for a moment, time seemed to stand still.

Turner’s labored breathing grappled with the silence of the night, and I knew time was running out. The cold metal of Joshua’s knife still lingered on my skin, a stinging reminder of the bitter battle we had fought.

“Could really use your help here,” Turner rasped between his own struggles. His eyes were filled with determination, urging me to put an end to Joshua once and for all. I couldn’t allow myself to be distracted by the fight Turner waged against his assailant; instead, I focused on the man before me - the one who had betrayed so many.

“Your pathetic attempts won’t save you, Romano,” Joshua sneered, his voice dripping with venom. “You’ll die here tonight.”

“Over my dead body!” I roared, fueled by a primal rage that surged through my veins like fire. My injuries screamed at me, but I refused to yield. I couldn’t afford to show any weakness, not when my family’s safety hung in the balance.

“Your wish is my command,” Joshua countered, lunging at me with a vicious snarl. I sidestepped his attack, using every last ounce of strength to deliver a fierce blow to his jaw. His head snapped back, and he stumbled, momentarily disoriented.

“Turner!” I called, my voice strained from the exertion. But there was no response. My heart dropped as I heard a shot and saw him collapse, his lifeless form crumpling to the ground. Rage and sorrow intermingled within me, fueling my resolve even further.

“You’ve taken enough from us,” I spat toward Clemmons, my voice laced with unbridled fury. “It ends now.”

“I’ve only started. Bianchi promised me a turn with your wife and nothing’s going to keep me from doing every filthy thing I can imagine to her,” he taunted, staggering to his feet. But the bravado in his voice faltered, and the uncertainty in his eyes betrayed him.

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