Page 47 of Dangerous Games of Trust
We do a sweep of the street, still aiming our guns up and down, searching for signs of any more movement. But it appears that they’re all down. Ricky clutches his arm as he limps back toward us. He’s a little beat up, but considering the size of the ambush, he doesn’t look too bad. My stomach drops when I realize I can’t find Maddox. “Where is he?” I cry, panicked, toward Alessandro, searching the street again.
Maddox’s large frame emerges from the shadows, a knife to his throat. The masked man shoves him forward. My hands tremble, trying to get a clear shot, but I can’t. “Alex,” I cry, wanting him to do something, to shoot.
“I can’t get a shot on him without getting Maddox,” he mutters, sounding just as stressed.
Ricky rushes toward me, shielding my body with his. And Geovani backs toward the car, joining us. I’m filled with panic knowing there is nothing any of us can do.
A second man appears, creeping from the shadows, gun drawn. I peer under Ricky’s arm and take aim, but the bullet does nothing, even though I know I hit him in the chest.
The man removes his mask, smirking at us all like the crazy motherfucker he is. “Well played, kids.” Carlo chuckles, his psychotic excitement reverberating off the brick walls of the alley. “Well played.”
Chapter 23
With my heart pounding,I steady my trembling hands, aiming my gun directly at Carlo. The deafening silence is broken only by the sound of our shallow breaths. Standing shoulder to shoulder with Alessandro, I can feel the weight of his presence, his strength by my side, our weapons locked on the masked figure who holds Maddox hostage. The sight of his body, slumped, sends a chill down my spine. I know, deep down, that Maddox must already be suffering, or they wouldn’t have been able to overpower him. “Ricky,” I whisper, “Maddox is hurt.”
“He’ll be okay, baby doll,” he tries to assure me, but I don’t believe him.
My blood pressure rises with each deliberate step Carlo takes toward us, heightening the tension in the air. The boys are doing everything they can to shield me from him, but I’m trapped against Alessandro with these damn handcuffs. “Now it’s time for you to put down your weapon, Nephew, we’re all family here, no one else needs to get hurt tonight. Hand over the girl and I will be on my way.”
I inhale in a shallow breath, knowing they should just hand me over; all their troubles will disappear if they do. But the way I feel Alessandro’s bicep stiffen against me, I know he never would. “Not a chance in hell I’m letting you leave with Harley,” Alessandro growls. “You’re outnumbered, Uncle,” he sneers. “Surrender Maddox and perhaps you’ll escape with your life.”
The dark alley is filled with a sinister cackling as the masked man and Carlo move closer to us. His eyes bore into me, sending an icy shiver down my spine. Carlo embodies pure evil, emanating an aura of malevolence. “See, I know I have the upper hand.” His smile turns psychotic. “You have a tough decision to make, your girl or your brother? What’s it going to be, Nephew?”
“Don’t fucking do it, Alex,” Maddox growls fiercely, his teeth clenched tightly. His voice is filled with anguish, each word dripping with agony. I want to run to him and take away his pain. He will risk everything, even his own life, to ensure my safety. I refuse to let them harm him, even if it means putting myself at risk.
“She doesn’t have what you think she does.” Geovani’s voice comes from beside me, breaking the silence. Each word oozes with a venomous resentment toward Carlo.
Carlo’s eyes flick to his son, his grin morphing into a cruel scowl. The absence of a once-cherished family bond hangs heavy in the air. The sheer intensity of their mutual disdain is tangible and frightening. How could a father hate his son so much?
Alessandro holds my hand tightly, our chained hands empowering me with a hidden strength I never knew I possessed. I push past Ricky’s protection and take a step forward. “It’s okay, Geo. I will fix this mess.” My voice comes out clearer than I expected and with more confidence. I straighten my shoulders and look directly at Carlo, the fucker. “Let Maddox go, and I will help you get what you want,” I say, knowing it’s already way too late for that. He wants what he thinks is in thesafety deposit box. Geovani and I both know that’s long gone. I caused this mess by running from them, and now it’s time for me to fix it. If I go with him, I’ll save Maddox, and I have to try.
“Fuck off, Harley,” Maddox’s voice trembles as he pleads with me not to negotiate with Carlo, his eyes filled with anguish. The sight of blood seeping through his shirt sends a surge of worry through my veins, a metallic scent hanging in the air.
Alessandro’s mouth leans closer to my ear, his voice barely a whisper. “What are you doing?”
“Trust me, please,” I breathe, praying to anyone that will listen this will all work out. It has to or I’m a dead girl.
As Carlo shakes his head, his frustration is evident. “You first, darling. Unlock her and hand her over to me and you get your brother back.”
Alessandro and I take a few steps closer to them, and I show our hands. “Maddox has the key, you see, so you need to let him go first,” I explain. “Once he’s free to unlock me, I’m all yours.” I get another subtle squeeze of the hand from Alessandro, but it’s too late to back out now. I’m doing this.
Carlo thinks on it for a beat, his eyes running over the pair of us as he assesses his options. Despite putting on a confident act, he knows he’s outnumbered and running out of options. As I approach him, I notice the glistening sweat beading on his forehead. He’s like a repulsive rodent, wriggling in his own disgusting mess. I can sense that he’s on the verge of surrendering. “Drop your guns and I will release him,” Carlo demands, a tremble to his voice that gives away his anguish. He knows there are five of us and only two of them, and if Maddox weren’t so injured, we all know Carlo and his pal would already be dead.
We drop our weapons, and he gives his friend the go-ahead, and the masked man shoves Maddox in our direction. He stumbles toward us clutching his side, blood seeping over hisfingers. With his free hand, he shakily takes the key from his pocket and hands it to Ricky who undoes the handcuffs. “What the fuck are you playing at, temptress?” he whispers, his voice strained.
Ricky’s eyes are filled with a warning, and as I look between them, I see all of their faces are. They don’t believe I can do this. “Please trust me,” I whisper, knowing we have no choice. “Knife,” I mutter to Alessandro as our hands come apart. Behind my back, he passes me the knife from his pocket.
His eyes plead with me to reconsider, but I know what I’m doing.
I straighten my shoulders and stare Carlo down as I move toward him. “Carlo. This is all very simple. A business transaction, isn’t it? You want something my papa promised you. I can see why you’re so upset. A deal is a deal, after all.”
He nods, agreeing with me.
“And my papa signed on the dotted line.” I take another step closer to him, and the man in the mask glances from me to him, also wondering what I’m doing. I hold the knife up.
“Red, don’t you fucking dare!” Geovani growls out from behind us like he has read my mind. The thought makes me smile, and I finally get it. I see what we’re all up against. These assholes will stop at nothing to get what they want. Maybe I am becoming one of them, even if I don’t want to.
I move one step closer and press the knife to my thumb. “How about I give you what you want. You don’t want me.” I tilt my head to the side. “You want this, don’t you?”
