Page 127 of Dark Alliance
“Know thyself, dickhead.” I shift my feet, retaining my guard and preparing for his attack. “Had you just followed one simple rule, nobody would be in this situation. Now, I’m asking you one last time to put the knife down.”
I don’t actually want him to put the knife down. Ending him would be my pleasure.
But thanks to Cat, I finally know myself.
I knowmyplace. It’s beside her.
And I won’t do anything to jeopardize that.
So I’ll only kill him when he comes for me first.
“You know you’re just going to be a pawn in her game.” He spits the statement at me.
I laugh. Like that’s a problem? “As long as I’m on the board, I’ll be just fine.”
As if my response disgusts him, Nino shakes his head and huffs. I imagine the worm finds the idea of playing second position to a woman inconceivable.
When he swaps the knife to his less dominant hand, I recognize the significance.
Swinging his free arm behind his back, he pulls out a second gun.
“Connor!” Cat screams from the top of the staircase.
With a glance at her, Nino aims for Cat instead, giving me one extra second to react.
Exactly what I need.
I pounce, plunging my knife into his jugular.
We go down as I twist the blade inside his throat, blood splattering all over us both.
The gun discharges three times, bullets ricochetting off the bell before I manage to disarm him.
Nino Ricci is dead.
Chapter 39
Caterina
I fall to my knees as a cry that rivals the one I let loose just last week at my father’s bedside pushes itself through my system.
Nino…my brother…
Why couldn’t he justlisten?
Connor crouches beside me. “Cat. I’m so sorry.”
From his neck to his knees, he’s blanketed in Nino’s blood.
No, he’s baptized. We’re in church, after all.
I choke on my tears, sucking in a wet breath. “I’m sorry too.” I meet his eyes briefly before I all but collapse in his arms, blood be damned. “I didn’t know it would…it would…”
Connor hoists me into his lap as he leans against the wall. At least my face isn’t buried in my baby brother’s blood this way. Though I can’t imagine I’ll ever be able to escape the smell seeping into my nose.
“Death is hard, and you loved him. He was your little brother.” Connor cradles the back of my head while talking quietly into my ear.
“This is my father all over again.” My chest heaves, and my body trembles. I can’t even pretend to control the convulsions.
