Total pages in book: 96
Estimated words: 90618 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 453(@200wpm)___ 362(@250wpm)___ 302(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 90618 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 453(@200wpm)___ 362(@250wpm)___ 302(@300wpm)
Aida screamed but I didn’t have time to check her. The next guy was trying to muscle in and managed to land a crunching blow on my face. I staggered back against the desk as he brought a gun up.
But before he could fire, he tripped on his downed companion, and I took the chance to surge forward, slamming my elbow into his face. He grunted and I grabbed his wrist, turning him to face the last guy charging in with a knife. Before I could fire, the guy sliced his knife along my side.
I grunted as pain flashed up my skin like lightning then kicked him in the stomach and knocked him back. His eyes went wide as I ripped the gun from the second guy’s grip and fired a round into the knife man’s chest. His white shirt bloomed red and blood splattered my face as he stumbled back out into the hall.
People screamed and began to run. The knife guy got trampled as people stomped on his body. I threw the second guy against the cabinet, but he wasn’t done yet. He shook his head then swiped at me, taking hard jabs at my face.
I dodged, caught one on my wrist, and turned his punch wide before moving in close. I brought my knee into his gut then jabbed him in the throat before smashing his face against the corner of the filing cabinet. He screamed as a tooth came loose, and he spit blood on the floor as he smashed down on top of his friend.
I stood there, breathing hard, head dizzy before I turned. Aida was crouched behind the desk, hands over her head.
“Are you okay?” I asked.
She nodded, opened her mouth to speak, but nothing came out.
A second later, Steven and Biagio came crashing into the room, guns drawn. “What the fuck happened?” Steven barked.
I gestured at the mess. Two guys down, one dead in the hall. “Vlas,” I said.
Steven stared at the men. “They don’t look like his boys.”
“Hired muscle,” I said. “I’d bet anything.” I walked over to the first guy and flipped him over onto his back. I knelt down on his throat and made him gag. “Who do you work for?” I asked.
“Nobody,” he gasped. “Nobody. Paid by Vlas. Work for nobody.”
I released him then kicked him hard in the skull. Motherfucker. Rage rolled through my body as I turned and grabbed Aida, pulling her along as I shoved past Steven.
“Wait,” she said. “My dress.”
I stopped in the hall, standing in the knife guy’s blood. I turned her around, zipped her up, then pushed her forward. “Go with Biagio,” I grunted, motioning for my soldier. “Get back home right now.”
“Dante—”
“Go,” I snapped at her.
Biagio moved past me, took her arm, and pulled her along. The club was emptying out, people spilling into the street. It was chaos, and anything could happen in this shit, but I didn’t think Vlas had more tricks to send at us.
Steven stood next to me, staring down at the dead man. “This is bad,” he said. “You can’t catch a case right now.”
“We’ll dispose of it.”
He sighed and rubbed his temples. “Vlas never uses outside muscle. What the fuck is this?”
“He’s playing to win,” I said. I looked at my lieutenant and frowned. “Don’t fucking say it.”
He grinned. “Why not? I don’t get to all that often.”
“Fine. Get it out of your system.”
“I told you not to come here tonight. Remember?”
I grunted and kicked at the dead guy. He didn’t move. Dead, for sure. I touched the wound on my side and my fingers came back bloody. “I need the doctor again,” I said. “More fucking stitches. And I need a new shirt.”
“We’ll deal with this guy first.” Steven shook his head. “Looks like some fucking local kid.”
Steven was right. The dead guy couldn’t have been older than this twenties at most. Probably some up-and-coming gangster that wasn’t affiliated with the Leone family. Kid probably thought he’d get some serious cash on top of some serious street cred if he and his boys could manage to kill me.
Fucking idiots.
“The other two need to come with us,” I said. “Get the rest of the guys in here now. We’ll take care of those other two and find a spot for these bodies. And we’ll compensate the club, make sure they keep their fucking mouths shut.”
“Fine. Better hurry though. Cops will be on their way soon.”
“Make the calls.”
Steven nodded and walked off with his phone to his ear. In minutes, more of our guys would flood this place, and we’d get the bodies out the back. I’d kill the other two, and toss all three into the Schuylkill River.
I stood over the dead kid and shook my head as rage flew through me.
I just wanted one night. One fucking night where I gave Aida a nice dress and took her out, showed her a good time, made her feel special. Things were going good, we danced, she sucked my cock like she was born for it, and soon I was going to take her back home and fuck her nice and slow. But Vlas had to be lurking around the corner, ready to ruin any measure of joy I could find in my otherwise broken and violent existence.