Blood in the Water | 18+

𝘊𝘩𝘢𝘱𝘵𝘦𝘳 𝘛𝘸𝘦𝘯𝘵𝘺

𝘚𝘵𝘦𝘷𝘦

⋅•⋅⊰∙∘☽༓☾∘∙⊱⋅•⋅

Angelo Coppola really thought he was the big man in the game.

And maybe he was at one point, but the second I walked onto the battlefield he lost his power, credit, and edge. He also lost his wits because I would never put myself in a position I didn't want to be in. And as I sit tied, rather loosely might I add, to a chair in his basement, I couldn't be less surprised by anything. Angelo was predictable, he saw me alone, which was planned, and thought he could ambush me, which he was dumb if he believed I didn't let them take me, I hardly fought back, and now he's standing in front of me with a gun to my head.

It was all too predictable, too cliche.

What I was surprised to see was Aurora kicking and screaming as Enzo and Dante carried her down the stairs, her tears rolling down her cheeks as they threw her to the floor, and those big gray eyes looked up at me with so much fear I felt my heart plummet. Of course, they knew Aurora was my weakness, and they knew the only way to hurt me was to hurt her, which meant I was about to play a deadly game—one where I was about to die to save her.

"Figlia," Angelo smiled, a sickening smile, "How lovely it is to join us finally. You were always one to be late."

Aurora bit her lip so hard blood spilled down her chin, and Angelo smirked. "You were always never the wisest, did you think I wouldn't be able to read my precious daughter's emotions, Steve?"

He was speaking to me but his eyes were never leaving Aurora. "Leave her alone Angelo," I grunted, dodging the hand that tried to shove the barrel of the gun further into my temple, "This is a matter between you and me."

"Oh the matter has been resolved," Aurora looked at me with a new type of fear and I tried to give her a gentle smile, one that would calm the anxiety resting on her face. "She's being married to Timothy," the man appeared from the shadows and Aurora scrambled away, crashing into Dante's legs and trembling, "And you get to watch the woman you love be ripped from your grasp, just like I had to."

And fuck, I knew I was about to crush her, "I don't love Aurora."

I barely glanced at her, but I watched how she crumbled, all hope of survival dying in her eyes, and I wanted to scream, to tell her it wasn't true, but it was going to keep her alive. "Did you really think my sweet child," Angelo turned toward his only daughter, and I saw Aurora collapse against Dante, "That a man who has never been shown an ounce of love in his life could love you?"

Dante kneeled down behind his sister, and for the first time, I saw the protective older brother come out, wrapping his arms around Aurora as she screamed her sobs, "Dad, enough, you've proved your point."

"Shut up son, the only reason you're here is because it'll hurt her more knowing you selected Timothy."

Aurora didn't shake, she didn't try and run from her brother, instead, she just let out sobs, so gut-punching that I felt nauseous. "Okay, I'm tired of the dramatics," Angelo turned toward me, raising his gun, "New York is about to be a lot more peaceful without you, you'll join your mother in the grave at the bottom of the Hudson."

"Stop!" Aurora screamed, her nose was bright red when she ripped her arms free from Dante, pushing off the concrete floor to stand in front of me, "Kill me, I don't care, I deserve closure. Let me have it and I'll marry Timothy without a fight."

Angelo sighed, dropping the gun to his side before gesturing for his men to step away from me.

Aurora spun on her heel to face me, her face so devastatingly beautiful but so sad. "Is it true?"