Athena
The silence was killing. For a long while, I was disoriented as hell. Everything seemed to move in slow motion. I could hear screams all around me. I wasn’t sure where I was, all I knew was I was holding on to something and I never wanted to let go.
“Raven,” A voice called over the noise. I couldn’t place it so I just held on tighter and closed my eyes. “I’m okay! Raven!”
Luciano!
My eyes flew open to see him look down at me, a tinge of worry in his dark eyes. We both sat on the floor, holding each other against the chaos that erupted. He was furious, the clenching of his jaw told me that, but not at me. I didn’t think he was furious at me.
“Are you-” I swallowed. “Hurt? He shot at you. I saw him.”
Luciano shook his head and placed a palm on my face. “Breathe Cara. I’m okay. I’m fine. You saved me just in time. I’m okay. The bastard’s getting away!”
That kicked my senses into place. I glanced at the dome head building to see the assassin dismantling his gun. He chose the perfect spot it seemed, but I suppose he hadn’t factored that Luciano had a crazy personal assistant.
Relieved that he was okay, I patted Luciano’s shoulders one last time, yanked my dress to my waist, toss aside my heels. I needed leverage to throw me out of the high windows. Above me were long wiry decorative ropes. They looked thin, but considering one of them was holding a chandelier in the middle of the ballroom, I figured it could hold my weight.
Mentally choosing one close to the window that faced the dome-shaped building, I climbed the gallery in the hall, stood on the banister, and jumped reaching for it.
“Cara!” Luciano barked beneath me, rising to his feet.
I didn’t look at him. Whoever had tried to assassinate him deserved death. No one was going to rob me of my revenge. If Luciano was ever to die, it would be by my hands! The rope stripped off the ceiling and swung me straight out of the window.
Beneath me was a parapet. Not so far from my feet. Taking a deep breath to steady the silly nerves that shook and trembled, I yanked at my hair clip and sliced the rope with its hidden blade, braced myself for landing on the parapet.
When I was balanced, I stared down at the space between the hall and the dome building. A hooded man was running in between, carrying a large ass bag behind him. Swiftly, I tied the rope with me to the balcony of the parapet and slid down as far as it could take me, then jumped the remaining meters.
A sharp pain exploded in my feet when it hit the ground but I simply could not care. I had to get that bastard before he ran off.
“Cara!” I could hear Luciano’s voice from afar, he was most likely still in the ballroom. Well, that was good. I didn’t want him to see me like this anyways.
As if he hasn’t already, my mind taunted.
Ignoring the jab, I raced after the assassin. The teeming people on the scene made it harder to close the gap between us. I suppose I looked crazy to them. My pretty dress was ripped slightly when I forced it up my waist, I was dressed rather elegantly, and yet I ran through the streets of New York as my life depended on it. Yeah, I looked crazy.
The hooded man turned a sharp corner and I turned as well. The chase continued until we came to a quiet back alley and he stopped running. He turned around then, waiting for me to approach him.
I halted a few steps before him and took a fighting stance. “Who the hell are you?”
He cocked his head and I could only see his jaw beneath the hood, the rest of his face was covered.
“I didn’t think Moretti’s assistant was a feisty one.” He joked. “Woman you are relentless-”
I launched at him before he could finish his sentences. He dodged a few of my blows and groaned when one finally hit him in the face.
“Dammit!” He spat, stepping away from me and assuming a fighting stance as well. “You’re good!”
“Come here, you bitch!” I fumed.
“Bitch? Girl, that applies to you way more than it applies to-”
I tossed a handful of stones I had taken from the ground into his mouth and while he spat them out and I threw a kick into his face.
He groaned but grabbed my leg before I could withdraw and slammed me down into the ground. My efforts to fight back were contained by him and soon I found that I was pinned to the ground by the jackass!
“Let go of me!” I snapped, fighting his hold on me.
“No way bozo. Next thing we know, you’ll be aiming for my balls. My priceless treasure. Can’t risk that shit. Now who the hell are you?!”
“I should be asking you that!” I yelled. “Stay away from Luciano!”
“Aww does pretty pretty love her boss?” The bastard taunted.
“He’s mine to kill,” I seethed, trying to get his hands off me. “Mine you hear that! I won’t have some pathetic assassination get in the way of my revenge!”
“Revenge?” My opponent sounded very interested. “Why would you want to take revenge on Moretti?”
I remained quiet, trying to steady my breathing so I could find a way to break the hold he had on me.
“Answer me, sweetheart. You don’t know this but your ass is almost out of that dress and dear God, it’s looking juicy.”
“Pervert!” I snapped. “I’ll kill you if you touch me,”
The hooded man chuckled. “I might as well do so eh? But I am quite magnanimous. If you tell me why you’d want to kill your sweetheart, then I would keep my hands to myself.”
“You wouldn’t dare!”
I felt my gown shift upwards and panicked. It was a quiet alleyway. No one would know if I got molested or shit like that. I had to break away from his hold but dammit it was a fucking gridlock. I couldn’t move my neck!
“Stop!” I yelled when I felt cool air whip against the lower part of my cheeks. “He killed my father!”
The hooded guy stopped and sighed. He stepped away, releasing me.
“See that wasn’t so hard was it- Ah come on!” He yelled when I flicked a stone to his forehead. “Woman quit attacking me! We have the same goal!”
“Prove it!” I hissed through my teeth, watching him warily. I could not and would not allow myself to be put into gridlock again!
“I also want revenge okay? That bastard killed my family. If you hadn’t gotten in the way, he’d have lead in his forehead currently. But you just had to play heroine, didn’t you?!”
I held my stance, narrowing my eyes at him. “I don’t trust you. Take off that hood.”
He chuckled and took it off. “Why? Would you trust me more if you saw my hot-as-hell face?”
Good lord he was conceited. But he wasn’t wrong. The hood guy had a hot-as-hell face. He had blonde hair and electric blue eyes that shone rather brightly in the alleyway. On his lips was a playful grin. He looked like your typical boy next door and not one you would see battling for revenge.
“Oooh,” he grinned. “You’re mesmerized, aren’t you?”
“Fuck off!” I snapped.
“Gladly,” he chuckled and turned to go.
“Move and I’ll gladly pummel you to bits.” I threatened. “Who the hell are you?”
He sighed. “I’m Damian. D for short. Shall I tell you my middle name, where I live, and place of birth?”
“I detest talkative. The only thing saving you right now is my lack of a gun.” I spat.
Damian sighed again and walked towards me, stopping a few meters away from outstretched fists. “If you’re serious about taking down Luciano, why haven’t you done that since?”
“Because I intend to take down the whole mafia. I just need proof that he’s in the fucking Mafia first!” I fumed.
He nodded as if considering my words. “And if I said I could help you?”
I laughed, shaking my head. “I’m not stupid.”
“I believe that is true. But if you decide to take a chance with me, come to Carlington dinner on Crosby’s Street, at six pm tomorrow. Your absence would mean you’re not interested in a fair deal.”
“And what would that fair deal be?” I demanded.
He gave me a weird look but whatever he wanted to say was cut off by footsteps approaching.
I glanced behind me to see Marcus and a group of Luciano’s bodyguards racing toward us. When I looked back at Damian. He was gone.