“They’re coming,” Zeus shouts at her.
“Let them,” she screams, looking completely insane.
Zeus leaves the study, and then it’s just my mother and me. I scramble to my feet and knowing it’s either me or her, I run for her. Plowing into her body, we tumble to the floor. My breath explodes from me, strands of my hair sticking to my face as I try to reach for the gun.
She pushes hard against me with her whole body, flipping us over so she’s on top. I grab hold of her arms, the knife in her right hand and the gun in her left, my eyes darting between the two.
Our strained breaths mix with the gunfire outside. My heart thunders harder than it ever has.
Fight Elena.
For Lucian.
For yourself.
I let out a snarl, and using every drop of strength I have, I let go of her right arm, and pushing myself up, I grab hold of the gun and try to pry it out of her grip.
Her right arm comes down, and she plunges the knife into me. Then there’s a deafening bang as she pulls the trigger.
Chapter 28
LUCIAN
(Ten minutes earlier…)
Nearing Valentino’s villa, I order into the mic, “Blow the gates.”
Seconds later, there’s an explosion up ahead as the rocket hits the target.
Thank God for rocket launchers.
“Franco, you stay with me.”
“Always,” he bites the words out, and then he steers the G Wagon through smoke and debris.
Instantly we take fire, and halfway to the house, the tires are blown out, bringing us to a halt.
“Go!” Alexei orders, and we move.
As I throw the door open, my heart slows to hard beats. I only have one goal – getting to Elena.
The second I’m out of the vehicle, Franco falls in behind me, and we start to return fire as we make our way to the back so we can get the grenades.
Alexei and Demitri come from the left side of the car as my men pour onto the villa's grounds. They provide us with cover while Franco and I pull the pins and throw grenades at the fuckers shooting at us.
It’s hell, fire, and death as we begin to move forward.
A bullet slams into my back, making me stagger, but I catch my balance, despite the pain spreading through my upper body from the impact to the armored vest.
My arms don’t lower, and I don’t stop firing, taking down one man after the other.
I’m vengeance.
I’m rage.
I’m fucking death.
I load another clip, slamming it into the Glock.
Then my eyes land on the Greek coming out of the front door.
The fucker.
He opens fire, and I return the fucking favor, hitting him in the side of his neck and lower abdomen. He ducks behind a pillar.
Letting out a growl, I run for him, letting one bullet after the other hit the pillar. I reload the clip in my Glock while Franco targets the Greek, and not having enough time to aim, I take a bullet to the chest, and then I slam the hilt of my gun into his face. Pain vibrates through my chest, the bulletproof vest having taken the bullet, but I ignore it as I begin to beat the shit out of the fucker.
I see the last time my father smiled at me. His body on that cold slab of steel. His funeral.
I keep crushing the hilt of my gun against his face, his head, any fucking piece of flesh I can find. Merciless and seeking only one thing – death.
My breaths are roars. My blood demanding revenge.
A gunshot rings from inside the house, grabbing my attention, and it gives the Greek a split second to punch me in the side of my neck. The blow jars me for a moment and needing to get to Elena, I bring my gun to his head. He grabs hold of my forearm, and our strengths clash – his will to survive and my will to end him.
A deep growl rips from me as I use everything I have, forcing the barrel of the Glock closer to his head, and then I take the shot.
The Greek slumps back against the ground, his eyes lifeless. I’m filled with immense satisfaction, but not having time to savor the kill, I dart up and run into the house.
“No!” I hear Elena scream, her voice filled with the same anger pulsing through me. It propels me up the stairs, and when I storm into the study, all sanity drains from my mind.
My heart stops.
My breathing falters.
My whole fucking world comes to a standstill.
Umbria has an arm around Elena’s neck and a gun pressed to her head. A Ka-bar has been plunged into Elena’s left shoulder.
Raising my arm, I train the barrel of my Glock on the woman. My eyes snap between Umbria and Elena, and the uncanny similarities I see make my lips part with shock. They’re identical, Umbria’s just older.