Chapter 9 - THE BULLET AND THE BETRAYAL
*Bang!*
The deafening crack of the rifle shot tore through the howling wind.
Luca spun around, dodging the fatal blow by inches, but a red bloom blossomed on his left shoulder.
He stumbled back against the metal railing.
Vanessa grinned wickedly, chambering another round.
“Die, Luca!” she shrieked over the roar of the helicopter blades.
I raised the Glock with both hands, tears blurring my vision.
I closed my eyes, remembered my father teaching me how to shoot in the backyard years ago, and squeezed the trigger.
*Crack!*
The bullet struck the metal frame of the helicopter door inches from Vanessa's head.
She screamed in absolute terror, dropping the rifle.
The pilot panicked, lifting the aircraft off the ground before the Bellini enforcer could climb back inside.
The enforcer fell backward onto the concrete as the helicopter surged upward into the stormy night sky, leaving Vanessa stranded on the roof with us.
Luca pressed a hand against his bleeding shoulder, wincing in pain.
I dropped the gun and ran to him, throwing my arms around his waist.
“Are you crazy?” I cried out. “You could have been killed!”
“I'm fine, Emily,” Luca breathed, resting his heavy chin on top of my head.
He looked over at Vanessa, who was now backing away toward the edge of the helipad, shivering in her ruined red dress.
“It's over, Vanessa,” Luca said, his voice echoing with absolute authority.
“The police have intercepted your family's accounts. Your father has been arrested in Rome.”
Vanessa shook her head frantically.
“You can't do this to me, Luca! We were going to rule Chicago together!”
“You killed my wife,” Luca whispered, stepping toward her like an apex predator.
“And you tried to kill my son.”
“I was only—!”
“Save it for a federal judge,” Luca interrupted.
Two of Luca's loyal bodyguards stepped out from the stairwell access, grabbing Vanessa by the arms.
She thrashed and screamed bloody murder as they dragged her away from the edge.
Luca exhaled a long, shaky breath, leaning his weight against me.
May you like
“Let's go back inside,” he murmured.
“Oliver is waiting.”
