Page 127 of In My Heart
“Let him go!” I demanded as calmly as I could, “Or, I swear to God…”
“You’ll kill me?” he mocked. It was the first definite emotion I had seen on him. Amusement.
I swallowed hard but kept the gun trained on him. This ended here. I was resolved. I wasn’t losing anyone I cared about. This was my moment, my turning point. I was done being used, abused, sheltered, and underestimated. I was stronger than anyone ever knew, and this was the point at which I proved it to them, and believed it for myself.
“Yes.”
For a moment neither of us moved, then Daniel smiled faintly, less mocking now and almost approving.
“I believe you just might,” he agreed, shocking me. “You really are an Adamian, aren’t you?” he smirked.
“No. I’m a De Santis,” I corrected him assuredly.
“Daniel,” Grigor barked. I didn’t know how that bastard was still alive.
Daniel ignored him and his eyes remained fixed on mine. The smile slipped from his face and the stoic expression returned.
“You know what your father never understood?” he asked calmly. “Fear works temporarily. Loyalty lasts longer.”
Something changed in his expression then, and suddenly those words he’d said to me earlier seemed to piece together in my head. I lowered the gun to my side as Daniel moved his own from Dio, and turned it, then shot Grigor in the chest.
The sound echoed through the chapel and I jolted as I saw Adamian slump down the bench, a hole right through the centre of his forehead. The look on his face was one of utter betrayal and shock. I almost smiled at that – his pet project of many yearsturning on him at the end.Ha! Didn’t see that one coming, did you, you old bastard?
Dio moved away from Daniel and collected a gun from one of our men, standing back a distance, but keeping the weapon trained on Daniel.
“What is…?”
Whoever the guy who stepped forward, outraged, was, he didn’t get to finish his question. Another shot rang out from Daniel, and the second man dropped to the ground, shot with the same lethal accuracy.
“Taking out the competition, I see?” Rafe spoke up. I watched as he moved towards Daniel, his posture relaxed, a gun loosely held at his side. Dio already had a gun pointed at Daniel too, always covering my brother.
“Grigor built the empire, but little of it is family any longer.” Daniel shrugged. “His men are loyal to me now.”
Then he looked at the remaining soldiers who were spread through the small chapel. There weren’t many left. All of the men who had been sat in the pews when I arrived, were dead and their bodies spread across the space, along with many of the soldiers who had lined the walls at the beginning.
“Stand down,” Daniel commanded.
No one moved at first and Daniel’s voice hardened slightly.
“Now,” he added and one by one, weapons lowered. Rafe’s men, several of whom I recognised, stepped back, but did not holster their weapons.
“You think you get to walk out of here now?” Rafe questioned. He was short of breath, as shown by his fast moving chest, but the words came out controlled and steady.
“I know I do. You don’t want to start a war. You don’t have the means,” Daniel countered arrogantly.
“Oh, I have the means. I have the men, and I certainly have the firepower, but you’re right. I don’t want to start a war.” Rafe was playing, and from the look on his face, he was having fun.
“You need allies. The fact your family houses the last of the Adamian blood line guarantees you our allegiance,” Daniel offered cooly.
“And we should take your word for that? Because you treated me so well in the time I was with you?” I sneered angrily. “Screw you! I will never have anything to do with that family of psychos!” I announced bitterly, glancing to Rafe, wanting him to hear me. Daniel deserved to die. I did not want Rafe to let him walk.
“As my sister told you, she is a De Santis.” Rafe looked to me briefly with a tiny nod that reassured me. “And I can assure you that my family has no need of your allegiance. In fact, I’d rather say you’ve overplayed your hand here, Daniel.”
“Aye. I’d say Danny boy here got way too big fer his britches,” Arran agreed, and when I glanced to him, I could see he was still seething over Cal getting shot.
“You see, we came here tonight with he intention of getting back my sister, and our brother, but we also had another plan. To eradicate your entire family for what you have done. That plan was enacted, for the most part, earlier this morning, when many of my men, along with our Irish colleagues took out all of your warehouses, clubs, bars, and even that shitty little restaurant.Your men were eliminated for the most part, and any stragglers we will catch up with in time. This chapel, and the men within it, are about all that remains of your so called empire.” Rafe explained cooly.
“Lies. I’d know…”
