Luca’s eyes glint in the darkness. “You don’t know that.”
“I know that if you wanted a war, you would’ve started one already.” Marcus adjusts his grip on his weapon. “You wouldn’t have played this elaborate fucking game. You wanted us to suffer. You wanted other parents to lose their children. Well, you’ve done that. Do you want more innocent people to die in a war you could prevent? Is that what Genevieve would want?”
The older man’s body jerks as if Marcus hit him with a physical blow. “Do not say her name.”
Marcus dips his head, the only sign of respect I’ve seen him give the man since he arrived. Maybe it’s because he has some inkling of the pain raging in Luca’s chest. “All right. But my question stands. If every criminal organization in Halston comes for you, you won’t survive it. None of them may be as powerful as you, but if they all decide you’re the common enemy, how do you think that will go? You could fight that fight. Or you could walk away and live. Step down like you promised you would, name me the winner, and transfer your power peacefully.”
“You?” Luca’s eyes narrow, then he glances at the rest of us. “You’ve all agreed to that?”
“Yes.”
It’s Victoria who speaks for us, and the conviction in her voice surprises me, considering how she reacted when Theo nominated Marcus. Then again, that’s not the actual plan. No one has mentioned to Luca that we’ll all be dividing up his empire if he agrees to step down, and I see no reason to.
He probably wouldn’t believe us anyway. His entire game was based on the idea of pitting people against each other with one winner to lord over all the rest—if any of the others were even left alive.
Luca’s expression grows thoughtful. “You know, I have enjoyed watching the game unfold much more than I thought I would. I found myself getting reports from my men after the battle or watching you all at one of my parties and contemplating which one of you would do the best job in my stead.” He laughs softly. “I actually found myself believing my own lie. Imagining what would happen if I did step down and allow one of you to take my place.”
A small flicker of hope dances in my chest, like a candle flame in the wind.
Is he actually thinking about accepting our offer?
I hoped that the threat of an uprising might convince him, but I’m not even sure that’s what’s got him thinking. He sounds almost wistful as he talks, and I believe what he said about falling for his own lie.
Whether he meant to or not, and regardless of how sick and twisted his reasons for starting the game were, he’s become invested in the players. And knowing what the five people standing beside me have been through—having witnessed some of it myself—it’s easy to see that all of them have the strength and courage to lead an empire.
Luca opens his mouth again, and I pray he’s about to tell Marcus he’ll name him the winner. My body tenses in anticipation, but before he can speak, something catches my eye.
Ryland is standing to my left, and a little red dot travels across his shoulder, sliding over onto his chest.
My stomach drops.
I catch his arm and yank him downward, throwing myself to the ground and dragging him with me as a chunk of the marble statue above Genevieve’s grave explodes outward.
“Sniper!” I scream.
Chapter 21
“Motherfucker!”
“You son of a bitch!”
Theo and Marcus drop to the ground too, cursing at Luca.
My first thought is that the criminal kingpin must’ve brought a team with him to take us out. But as another bullet hits the gravestone behind me, I catch a glimpse of the older man’s face.
He wasn’t expecting this.
It’s not his men.
“Gabriel and Michael!” I shout, army crawling awkwardly across the cool grass as a quick series of shots pings off the stone.
“Fuck.” Marcus curses, ducking behind the base of the angel statue and dragging me into cover with him.
“Those cocksuckers,” Ryland grunts. “They’re still trying to win the game.”
He’s right. They’re shooting at us, but it seems like they’re shooting at each other too, probably trying to pick each other off before they kill us and claim their “prize.”
My heart slams against my ribs as I yank the gun from my thigh holster. Maybe we should’ve told them what we knew, but if we had, they would’ve gone after Luca tooth and nail, and we’d still be caught in the crossfire.
So much for ending this peacefully.
Luca ducks to the side as more bullets fly through the air. I don’t think either of the mafia men are shooting at him, but he’s still in danger of getting hit by the crossfire.
“We need to take those fucking snipers out,” Marcus grunts, his back pressed against the base of the looming angel statue as he peers around the edge of it.
The darkness is both a blessing and a curse, and I squint and duck as another shot rings out. A flare of light in the trees to my right catches my eye, and I nudge Marcus in the ribs, jerking my head. “There.”
He glances in the direction I’m indicating, and I can just make out a whisper of movement in the darkness. Someone is out there. I don’t know if it’s Michael or Gabriel, but it doesn’t really matter.
Marcus presses a hard kiss to my lips. His lips taste like violence and chaos, and they’re gone far too quickly.
“Stay here,” he murmurs. “Don’t move. We’ll take them out.”
“Ry and I will take those motherfuckers.” Theo points in another direction, where the second group of attackers hides among the trees and gravestones. “We’ll flank them.”
“I’m going with you,” Victoria tells Marcus, drawing a second weapon and shifting into a crouch.
He looks like he’s about to object, but before he can open his mouth, a bullet hits the statue, sending bits of marble and dust spraying. He nods once, sharply, then shoots a look at Dominic. “Don’t go any-fucking-where.”
I know what he’s telling the man, can hear the warning beneath his words. Don’t leave Ayla.
It’s a mark of how fucked we are that he’s even willing to consider leaving me with Dom. But if those snipers aren’t stopped, they’ll close in on us soon and kill us all.
Still, as Ryland and Theo dart away from the base of the statue, using gravestones for cover, I can’t help but remember the last time we all split up. An awful feeling of dread twists in my stomach as I remember the standoff Marcus and I had with Carson. I remember not knowing if Ryland and Theo were even still alive, waking up covered in Marcus’s blood.
I can’t let that happen again.
I know they want to protect me, but I have to protect them too.
Marcus and Victoria sprint across the grass, firing into the darkness of the graveyard as they go. Another shot hits the angel statue, and I peer around the base, scanning the area near Genevieve’s grave.
I catch sight of Luca, still taking cover behind a headstone, and a second later, new gunshots ring out with a pop, pop, pop sound. They’re coming from the direction of the small road where he left his car.
So he did bring some backup after all.