Total pages in book: 89
Estimated words: 84442 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 422(@200wpm)___ 338(@250wpm)___ 281(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 84442 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 422(@200wpm)___ 338(@250wpm)___ 281(@300wpm)
“Riley,” I whisper, hoarse and still too worked up to keep my voice steady. “Fuck, Princess, you’re okay. I’ve got you; you’re safe. I’m so fucking glad you’re safe.”
Tears burn behind my eyelids as she clings to me weakly, and I wrap my arms around her, burying my face in her hair and holding her close.
“Nick,” she sobs, trembling in my arms. “I was so scared; he just showed up and took me. He’s—oh my God, Nick, he’s—you—”
“Don’t look,” I urge, holding her head still to prevent her from turning.
She’s already gotten far closer to this than I ever wanted her to. I don’t want her to have to live with the sight of it seared into her memory either. Broken sobs fall from her lips as she buries her face in my shoulder, and I clutch her tight, trying to get my heart to settle back into a normal rhythm.
“I’m so sorry,” I whisper, closing my eyes as my throat tightens with emotion. “I shouldn’t have let this happen. I should have kept you safe. I’m so fucking sorry, Riley. I love you.”
The words spill out like a flood, the terror finally abating when they escape.
Riley hiccups her way through her tears, leaning back to slide her shaking hand up to cup my cheek. She sucks in a weak breath, but before she can say anything, her eyes roll back in her head, and she goes limp in my arms.
“Riley? Riley!”
I shake her, panic surging through me again until I realize I can still see her pulse fluttering in her throat.
She could have passed out from stress or injury, but at least she’s still alive. I push up from the floor with her in my arms, my mind racing to figure out how quickly I can get her to a hospital from here, when I hear a sharp, broken gasp from behind me.
I whirl on my heel, holding Riley protectively against my chest, and my heart shatters at the sight I’m greeted with.
“Ma…”
Her hand is up over her mouth, wide blue eyes fixed on Bruno’s body.
“Bruce,” she whispers, agony festering in the single syllable. “Oh, God. I heard the shot… Nicky, what happened?”
My throat closes up, guilt sitting like lead in my gut. I don’t feel bad for what I did, but hurting Ma is never something I’ll forgive myself for.
“I’m sorry.” My voice is ragged and weak around the edges, more honest than I’ve let myself be in years. “Ma, I’m so sorry. He kidnapped Riley, he was going to kill her. I… I’m sorry.”
It’s the only thing I can say.
Riley’s unconscious form is cradled in my arms and my brother’s lifeless body is going cold on the floor behind me. I can’t take it back. I can’t make it better.
I didn’t want it to end up this way.
Tears litter her eyes, slipping down over the curves of her cheeks as she quietly sobs, her hand grasping the edge of the doorframe as she tries to hold herself up. Regardless of the life we live, he was still her son.
“You stupid boy—” she mutters under her breath, eyes on my brother’s body as she shakes her head. “You just couldn’t let your brother be happy…”
I know she isn’t talking to me, but the words still sting nonetheless.
“Ma—”
I try to reason with her, but as her eyes meet mine, they turn from anger to pity. “He knew the rules, Nicky. This isn’t on you. I warned him; I tried to tell him to leave you be but he wouldn’t listen. This—this is on me.”
Standing a little straighter, she takes a shaky breath, wiping the tears from under her eyes as her bottom lip quivers. “Is she alright?”
“I think so.” I look down at the blood on her face, hate filling me over the notion that I didn’t keep her safe. “I need to get her to the hospital.”
“Get her in the car. I’ll call Clark at Mercy. We’ll get her taken care of.” She spares Bruno one last glance, her eyes glistening painfully, before she turns on her heel and steps back out of the shed. “I’ll take care of your brother.”
“You don’t have to do it on your own—”
She lifts a hand, cutting me off as she casts a glance at me from over her shoulder. “This is the life we live, Nicky. No matter how much it hurts, we know the risks going in and we prepare ourselves accordingly. Now, go. We don’t need to lose anyone else.”
CHAPTER 26
RILEY
“Miss VanHorn is being held without bail, and she’ll be going to trial for hiring a hitman,” the officer tells me, his voice droning on along with the beeping of the monitors around me. “I have no doubt Mr. D’Amico’s lawyers will ensure she gets put away, ma’am.”
It should probably be a relief, but I never really had any doubt that Sloane would pay for what she did. Nick wouldn’t let her walk away without a scratch, no matter what connections she’s managed to scrounge up.