I blinked, groaning loudly, the sound echoing in my ears. My body felt like it’d been through a meat grinder. My chest ached and my head pounded. Turning to the side, I found Rory slumped over the steering wheel, his seatbelt digging into his shoulder.
“Ror…” I choked out. “Ror, wake up.”
I could see his chest rising and falling but he didn’t respond. I coughed and unclipped my belt, reaching over to him even as my chest burnt with the effort. I shook him gently.
“Rory, please, wake up.”
That’s when I remembered someone had done this to us. Someone had driven us off the road. And if that was the case, wouldn’t they want to check they’d done the job?
Fuck.
I fumbled in front of me, ripping the glove compartment open even as it hurt to move. They kept a gun in here for emergencies. I knew since Rory had told me about it yesterday. My hand wrapped around metal and I tugged it out just in time to find someone looking in the window on my side. I raised it and stared at them. They weren’t fucking getting me or Rory. That was my man passed out right there and I would damn well protect him with my life even though I was in pain.
The person fumbled with the door and ripped it open. I don’t think he was counting on me having a gun pointed at his chest when he took me in. And I couldn’t believe my eyes as I stared at my oldest cousin, Carlo, my Uncle Gianni’s son. Except he wasn’t my cousin and Gianni wasn’t my uncle.
“What the fuck are you doing?” I hacked out.
Anger blazed in my veins, overtaking everything. How fucking dare he ram our car off the road. How dare he.
“Well, hello Ash.”
“No fucking time for pleasantries, Carlo.”
I took the safety off and pointed it directly at his chest. I might never have shot someone before, but I knew how to handle a gun. Frank had made sure of it.
“Back the fuck off.”
He put his hands up and took a step backwards thankfully. He was stupid enough to come over to the car without a weapon. Probably thought I wouldn’t have anything here to fight him with. Idiot. Then again, Carlo had never been the smart one. He was all brawn and no brains.
“Okay, okay.”
Gingerly, I stumbled out of the car. My vision blurred for a moment as I held onto the side of the car to steady myself, but I kept the gun pointed at him. At least my legs weren’t injured. Just my chest and my head still pounded. I must’ve whacked it against something when we spun out of control.
“What the hell are you doing here? How did you find us and why the hell did you ram our fucking car?”
He laughed. He had the fucking audacity to laugh.
“Oh, Ash, don’t you know? Gianni sent me to hunt you down and end you. Looks like we’ve scored a bonus by catching you with one of them, doesn’t it? Kill two birds with one stone.”
My heart lurched. Rory had still been breathing when I checked on him. He had to be alive. He just fucking well had to be. I couldn’t survive it otherwise. He’d be okay. I’d get him help as soon as I got rid of fucking Carlo.
“Gianni send you?”
“You think your father is the only one looking for you? Oh no, we don’t want you coming back to the fold. You’re weak and pathetic. No one wants you leading our family.”
I almost laughed but it would hurt too much. Keeping myself upright as I leant against the car, I glared at him.
“Don’t you know I already disowned your fucking family? Don’t you realise I don’t want to be the fucking heir? You’re an idiot, Carlo. You and Gianni have old fucking news. I’m done with Frank Russo and his bullshit. He means nothing to me. So you can fuck off back to where you came from.”
Carlo blinked and frowned.
“You’re talking like this isn’t your family too. What’s gotten into you?”
Then I did laugh until I dissolved into a hacking cough, pain ripping through my chest. I hoped I wasn’t seriously injured, but I didn’t have time to focus on that.
“What’s gotten into me? Only that I opened my eyes to the truth after all these years. Frank doesn’t care about any of us. He’s a psychotic cunt who can’t stand the thought of any one of his toys getting out of line. Make no mistake, we’re all toys to him. You included.” I shifted, pushing myself upright as I tried to keep a steady aim on him. “I suggest you run back to Daddy and tell him I’m coming for him. I’m coming for all of you.”
Never before had I been so certain. The whole Russo clan deserved to be put down like the dogs they were. It wasn’t going to end with Frank. I had to destroy them all. Everyone who thought I was weak. Everyone who’d sneered at and belittled me. Everyone.
“Oh yeah, you and what fucking army?”
That’s when the hold I had left on my temper snapped. I shifted the gun to the right and pulled the trigger. The shot rang out, the bullet lodging itself in a tree behind him. The kickback had me almost dropping the weapon, but I stayed steady. Carlo’s eyes widened and his mouth dropped open. I aimed the gun back at his chest. If he thought for a second I wouldn’t shoot him, he was stupider than I’d imagined. My protective instincts were on high alert. I’d do anything to keep my Rory safe from this dickhead.
“I don’t need an army. I have me and my
