Total pages in book: 126
Estimated words: 115400 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 577(@200wpm)___ 462(@250wpm)___ 385(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 115400 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 577(@200wpm)___ 462(@250wpm)___ 385(@300wpm)
Killian lifts a single finger and holds it to his lips, warning her to remain silent and as she visibly swallows and her eyes fill with terror, she does as she’s asked. That finger moves, indicating for Monica to stand, and like a trained robot, she lifts herself off the couch, not capable of moving her stare from his.
She’s his captivated audience, and it only goes to show the kind of power he wields. It’s both fascinating and terrifying, but I wouldn’t want it any other way. A man in his position needs to be. He needs to terrify the very people he rules over so things like this don’t happen. But Monica and Sergiu got too comfortable, and they foolishly believed they were above Killian’s law.
Killian stands and slowly walks around the couch until he’s standing right behind her, and now that he’s stepped out of her line of vision, her gaze settles on me, and for the first time, I know what it’s like to look directly into the eyes of death.
“You see my beautiful wife?” Killian murmurs, his voice barely sounding over the TV. “Do you know what happens to people who harm those I love?”
Monica’s body visibly shakes, but she doesn’t dare try to run. She knows her fate, and while she might be terrified, she’s also accepting of it.
Then, being the kind man I know him to be, he raises his hands—one curled around her chin and the other at the back of her head—and with a violent twist, he puts her out of her misery, refusing to drag it out any longer than necessary.
A horrendous crack sails through the room, and just like that, Monica’s lifeless body falls to the ground.
Killian’s gaze comes directly to mine, making sure I’m okay. This death wasn’t like the others I’ve witnessed so far. This was different. It wasn’t bloody and reckless. There was nothing wild or brutal about it, just . . . simple. It was a woman, and while she did terrible things to me and deserved a million deaths, it sits uncomfortably inside my chest.
My gaze falls to her lifeless body as Killian comes to stand at my side. “It’s over, Angel,” he murmurs, pressing a gentle kiss to my temple. “She can never hurt you again.”
I swallow over the lump in my throat and nod, and just like that, we turn and walk out of the living room. Because while Monica might be dead and gone, her husband certainly isn’t, and until he takes his final breath, we won’t stop searching for him.
36
CHIARA
Killian leads me through the massive underground safe mansion, and after circling the top level twice, we begin creeping down to the next. He reaches out and takes the gun from my hand, and I realize shit is about to get serious.
He’s here. But where?
We move slowly through the home, and Killian is more cautious than I’ve ever seen him before, checking areas most wouldn’t even think to look, but Sergiu isn’t some random drug dealer off the street who needs to be punished. He’s the man who stood at Killian’s side all these years. He’s just as brutal as Killian. The two of them were brought up together, trained side by side. They know each other’s weaknesses, where to strike, and how to make it count.
It’s the first time I’m at risk of losing him. This could go either way, so if Killian tells me to move, I’ll move. If he tells me to run, I’ll sprint faster than I ever have in my life. Whatever he needs from me, I’ll do it without question, because the idea of leaving here without him isn’t acceptable to me.
If Killian dies here today, then I will too. There’s no doubt about it.
We move through the main bedrooms, past a sitting area, and to the other half of the downstairs area. There are a lot of closed doors, and each of them makes me nervous, not knowing what lies beyond.
We approach what I assume is a private office when the slightest movement in my peripheral vision catches my attention, and without hesitation, I drop to the ground. “Left!” I tell Killian, but he’s already seen it. A bullet whizzes straight past where my head was only a moment ago, and Killian shoots back, a bullet plunging straight through Sergiu’s knee.
“Ahhh fuck,” Sergiu roars before diving behind a couch.
Killian glances toward me, his eyes wide as they scan over my body, making sure I wasn’t hit. “I’m good,” I tell him. “Now, go and get the fucker so we can really end this.”
Killian nods and stalks toward the couch that Sergiu is hiding behind as I remain down on the ground, my gaze bouncing through the room to make sure nothing goes wrong. Killian walks with the kind of confidence that gets me hot, and as he approaches the couch, he holds his gun at the ready, but I’m not foolish enough to assume Sergiu isn’t just as prepared.