I glance past her to Gabriel and the others. All the Cartel eyes are on my interaction with Felicity, and none of them seem to notice that their captives have started struggling against their bonds. I don’t know if they can break free, but if I can distract Felicity long enough, they just might be able to. Gabriel’s eyes meet mine, and I try to communicate wordlessly that I’ll keep her talking as long as I can.
I stare Felicity down. “That woman raised me. She looked after me. Where the fuck were you?”
“I moved on to bigger and better things,” Felicity replies. “Harry was only ever a stopgap for me. The fact that I had you was…” She shrugs. “Inconvenient.”
My throat is painfully dry. How could the woman who birthed me be so cruel? So callous? I want to put my hands to my ears and shut out all of her venomous words, but I need to stay strong. I do not let any of my distress show and instead glower at her with distaste.
“So, you left us?” I say.
“It was all very amicable,” she says with a simpering smile. “I was always too strong of a personality for your father anyway. He wanted a woman he could control, someone pathetic and weak. We both thought your mother was a suitable choice, the kind of meek creature that could keep his plate full and his bed warm without asking any questions.”
Bile rises in my throat. I stand taller and tighten my jaw.
“You may have thought of my mother as weak, but she did not raise a weak daughter,” I say in an even, razor-sharp tone. “If you harm the don of the Bellucci crime family or his woman, you will be hunted for the rest of your life. And when we catch you, we will make your death a spectacularly painful affair. So if I were you, I would make the smart choice and leave this apartment now.”
Something like pride flashes in the depths of Felicity’s sapphire eyes. Her lips draw into a feline grin.
“Oh, my angel. How delightful.” She turns back to Gabriel. “I hope for your sake that you’re not as much like your father as Alexis is like her mother.”
I panic when I realize that in looking back, Felicity and the Cartel guns might see Gabriel or the others struggling with the ropes. I need to draw their attention back to me, and quickly. I whip the gun out from the back of my dress and press it against Felicity’s pale throat, heart hammering.
Almost every gun in the room aims at me, and I can practically feel the weight of the target hanging over me. Felicity stills, and swivels to face me slowly. She is no longer smiling.
“What do you think you’re doing, my dear?” she asks.
“Let them go,” I say, digging the muzzle of the gun into her skin.
“Or what?” she asks.
“Is it not obvious?” I growl. “Or I fucking shoot you!”
Her lips part into a wide grin. “I think that would make things terribly interesting. Go right ahead.”
“Are you crazy?”
Felicity nods, eyes bright. “Oh yes, I rather think I am,” she says in a delighted voice. “I am not going to order my men to release the Italians, angel. So either you shoot me, or you put that gun down and go sit with your boyfriend while I decide what to do with you.”
I’m certainly not going to put the gun down, but I hadn’t considered that the crazy bitch would actually dare me to shoot her. I swallow a lump of frustration. What am I going to do?
I glance back at Gabriel, and he is no longer struggling against the ropes. He has gotten free, I realize. And so have at least a few of the others. Gabriel’s eyes lock on mine, and he nods.
“Your funeral,” I mutter, and my finger hovers over the trigger.
The Colombians are all watching the scene intently. Gabriel and the others take advantage of their distraction and charge at them.
All hell breaks loose. Bullets fire blindly through the air, including the one I meant for Felicity. She knocks my hand up a second before I shoot, and the bullet lodges in the ceiling. I barely have time to process the fact that I actually pulled the trigger before she’s on me, trying to wrestle the gun out of my grip.
I try to yank the gun away, but the sudden movement sends me teetering off balance. I fall, and the hand holding the gun smacks painfully against the ground. My grip releases, and the gun goes skittering over the hardwood. Felicity and I lock eyes for one fraction of a second before we both dive after it.
34
Gabriel
Felicity is going to get the gun. Both Alexis and Felicity are reaching for it, but Felicity is closer, and I know Alexis won’t make it in time.
I can see the dreadful scene playing out in my mind—Felicity’s hand closing over it a second before Alexis. Felicity aiming at Alexis’ head, and firing. Alexis going limp on the floor.
The ballroom is in chaos, and there are at least six Cartel members standing between my woman and me. There could be a whole army and it wouldn’t be enough.
“Felicity!” I roar, charging across the room.
I’m an easy target, and a bullet rips through my arm before she even turns to look. I hiss in pain but push forward, not caring how many guns are pointing in my direction and how slim my chances of surviving this gauntlet of fire are. I need to save Alexis. Harry needs his mother, and I cannot live in a world without her.
Alexis’ eyes meet mine. They are wide with terror.
“Go!” I yell. “Run!”
I am nearly there. I shove past one of Felicity’s thugs, who tries to grapple me to the ground. I shake him off, but I haven’t made it two steps before blinding pain shoots through my thigh. I grit my teeth and keep going, even though every step is agony.
Felicity’s features knit in surprise when she sees that I haven’t gone down. I use this to my advantage and tackle her to the ground, grabbing the gun she’d been just about to pick up and holding it to her head.
It’s going to be over soon. One more second and Felicity Huffman will be dead. Alexis will be safe.
My finger closes over the trigger, but before I can shoot, someone kicks the gun out of my hand. I look up just as the Cartel member lands the next kick on my face, sending me sprawling onto my side and freeing Felicity.
It feels like every inch of my skin is on fire. I try to lift my arm to halt my fall, but the bullet has ripped through the muscles and made it all but useless. I land hard on my shoulder, the wind knocked out of me.
I open my eyes, head pulsing. The sounds of the battle seem distant, like I’m hearing it all through layers of cotton. The gun is lying on the floor a few feet ahead of me, and I propel myself toward it.
A hand reaches down and closes over the handle of the gun. My gaze tracks up the person’s arm, and I realize that it’s Alexis. Her features are honed in a dark fury, and she lifts the gun, aiming it at Felicity, who is just off to my left, struggling to get to her feet.
Alexis has never looked more beautiful. Strands of silky dark hair have pulled free of her updo, and her eyeliner has smudged a little under her eyes. With her elegant gown and the bloodied diamonds at her throat, she looks like a warrior queen. I pity any who would refuse to bow before her.
Before Alexis can aim the gun, one of the Cartel men slams his boot into her spine, and she cries out in pain but does not fall. Instead, she wheels on him.