She didn't move. There was a strange, almost creepy, calm about her, a determination to prevent two worlds from colliding and blasting each other apart forever. My hand twitched on the rifle, but fuck me if I could lift it up again.
Not while she was standing there, putting herself in harm's way.
This is bullshit! I wanted to scream. Nothing but pure, mad, absolute bullshit when we were a dick hair away from finishing this shit for good.
Anna swallowed hard, a thick knot sliding down her pretty throat. If it wasn't for the confusion, my dick would've jerked, imagining my mouth kissing its way down her neck, calming her the best way I knew how.
Shit, what I wouldn't have given to make that work here. I had to speak to her instead, coax it out of her.
“What's going on, Anna? Give it to me straight. Why're you protecting this sonofabitch?”
“Because you didn't tell me how deep this shitty blood war goes!” She spat. “Your Uncle raped and killed my mother. Why? Why didn't you tell me the fucking truth?”
Fuck! She had every right to be pissed. I knew about the killing many years ago, one of the most brutal hit jobs Uncle Igantiev had ever done. Hadn't known it was Rossini's old lady, or that he'd had his way with her.
I had no illusions, family or not. My Uncle was a cruel motherfucker, but the ice cold blood usually served him well. Too bad I never imagined I'd be paying for his fuckup like this.
For the first time in a long damned while, I hung my fucking head, ashamed of the dead patriarch.
“Babe, I didn't have all the details. I heard about what happened, but I didn't know it was your Ma. You gotta believe me.” I gently released the rifle, let it clatter on the floor. “Fine. You have it your way. I'm not gonna light this room up like I planned. I won't put a bullet through this asshole's head if you don't want me to.”
There. It was out, and my whole mouth tasted like a desert.
Tears filled her eyes. Her rosy cheeks were bright red with rage and confusion. She stepped backward when I approached, right into her old man's arms.
Bastard. You've got her all twisted around, loving your evil old ass when there's no good reason. You better count your lucky fucking stars this girl's got me by the balls, or you'd have half your blood emptied out on the floor by now.
His hands squeezed her shoulders. Asshole had a cocky expression on his face I wanted to knock right off so bad. I made sure not to look at the rifle at my feet, the only thing I could do to fight the temptation to break my promise.#p#分页标题#e#
“You heard my very wise Annaliza, Strelkov,” Rossini said. “Leave this ship in peace and call off your men. You let us go and we can forget this whole awful business. It's not too late. We've had enough casualties for one evening.”
No fucking way. I raised my fists, feeling the same tomato hue on my girl burning up my skin. The raw power throttling my veins made me feel like a walking bomb.
“No. This ends here one way or another. One of us isn't coming out of here alive. All this fucked up history's put us right where we are now, but it can't keep going, motherfucker.” I took a step forward.
Rossini shrugged his shoulders and stepped out from behind his daughter. I didn't stop or take a step back, even when I saw the gun in his hands, pointed at my heart.
Fucker was about to fire, and I was ready to take it. If Anna had made her choice, then she'd watch me die, watch my heart pour blood all over this tile, dying like the love we were supposed to have.
“Do it, asshole,” I growled. “Put it right here.”
I pulled on the tight fabric clinging to my chest. A few straps tore beneath my fingers, and the kevlar vest clattered to the ground. I was bare, exposed, ready to let hot lead rip through my ribs.
My hateful eyes softened, turning to my girl. “Love you, Anna. Love you more than this fucked up life itself.”
Rossini smiled. I could practically hear my heartbeat ticking like a clock as his finger tightened on the trigger.
“Dad! No!” Anna saw it just in time.
She threw herself at him and knocked the gun to the floor with a nano-second to spare. His shot went off wild, hit the ceiling, scattering shrapnel across the room. She hit the floor, chasing the gun, and snatched it up before he realized what happened.
I watched her turn it on him, flailing as she took a long step back toward the chairs screwed into the floor by the suite's fireplace.
“Annaliza?” Genuine shock filled Rossini's voice. “What the hell are you doing?”
I took a step forward, only a few feet from the asshole. Anna's eyes were wild. She spun again, turning the gun back on me for a second, then back on her old man, where she held it.
“Don't fucking move! Both of you!”