Nicola froze once more, his entire body trembling with bottled-up rage.
Samule welcomed him inside with open arms. “Your grandfather is waiting for you.”
Nicola said, “You don’t work for my father. You are employed by Ferra. ”
Before slamming back into my ribs with full force, the gun’s pressure let up a little. My cries of pain were caught by his hand, and Nicola’s face contorted in anger.
“Go in, “Samule said again, his voice smooth with resentment. “We’ll be following close behind. ”
Nicola reached for the doorknob behind him without breaking eye contact with me. His attention was fixed on the weapon at my side.
Since his attention was fixed on me, he failed to notice the man standing outside the door. When the knife slammed into his lower back, he didn’t even see the blade come out of nowhere. His pupils dilated and his jaw dropped. There was a moment when he was silent.
The man then yanked the knife free, and a yelping Nicola dropped to his knees.
As I struggled to free myself from Samule’s grasp, I let out a scream and twisted violently in an effort to reach the man I loved. By some miracle, I was able to free my mouth from under his hand, and I promptly sank my teeth into his fingers. He let me go with an expletive, but the gun hit me in the side of the head before I could move.
A sharp ache pierced my skull, and I heard Nicola call out my name.
In an effort to make the world stop spinning, I blinked rapidly.
My eyes opened to find myself lying on the ground, my face touching the tile. Something warm and damp was dripping through my hair, but I couldn’t pay attention to it.
Nicola’s beautiful features were drawn tight with pain and panic, and all I could think about was how pale his face was. Nicola tried to get to his feet, but Samule shoved him back down with a hard shoulder and pointed his gun at the back of Nicola’s head.
I tried to stand up, to go to Nicola, but the pain in my head was so intense that I could barely stand.
Before I could even get to my knees, a man’s hand caught in my hair and yanked me upright.
“Let the girl go, Gabriel.”
For a while, I had trouble finding my footing. At the head of the table, Nicola’s dad sat calmly, but a man stood behind him, gun to the side of his head.
“I don’t think so,” the man holding me, Gabriel, replied. “The plan all along, Castin, was to end your life. If word got out that your son was gay, your entire family would be at risk. It’s clear that you lack the strength to succeed. But now I’m starting to think that killing you isn’t necessary. Have you decided to cry yet, Castin? ”
Castin was staring at Nicola with bright, shining eyes. Castin loved his son, Nicola, regardless of how he felt about the rumors that he was gay.
Gabriel went on, “I won’t have to kill you.” No need for me to risk my life and draw first blood. It doesn’t matter that you have a faggot son. But you can’t take it if you watch him die. You’ll be exposed as unfit to lead our family and everyone will know it.
Every fiber of my being rebelled at his words. The death of Nicola was not in the cards. I couldn’t let him die.
I twisted in his hold, ignoring the pain as some of my hair was ripped out of my scalp. I was able to sink my elbow deep into his bloated midsection. Wheezing, he doubled over as the air left his lungs.
I sprinted over to Nicola and threw myself at Samule with a rebellious cry. His mouth dropped open in shock and he was unable to respond quickly enough.
Although I was defenseless in a physical confrontation, I was adept at inflicting pain on a man. I slammed into him with enough momentum to shove him and his gun away from Nicola. After that, I drove my knee up into his groin area.
He got down on his hands and knees, holding his crotch and gasping for breath.
I cried out, “Nicola,” as I fought to get my shoulders under his arm and help him stand up.
He tried to steady himself by placing one foot on the ground, but his boot slid in a puddle of his own blood, and he fell back.
“You stupid b****.” I screamed as Gabriel’s fingers sank into my upper arm and he yanked me away from Nicola.
I was turned around and flung onto the table as he separated from me. My gut turned and my head throbbed where it had cracked the wood. The pressure of his hand pinned me to the table so tightly that my breasts hurt.
I thought I detected the sounds of a zipper being unzipped and a belt buckle being undone.
After Nicola’s growl, I felt a solid pressure on my ass.
Gabriel warned Castin that his kid may see him f*ck the whore as he bled to death.
I yelled and pounded my clammy fists on the smooth wood, trying to release myself. Gabriel, though, had me cornered, what with his hand pinning me and his hips trapping mine against the edge of the table.