Page 133 of Power & Punishment

The room goes still.

And tension is high.

But the only thing on my mind is getting Mia out of this house alive.

And I guess that involves her partner, who is the human equivalent of a dried-up sponge, standing next to her.

I couldn’t care less what happens to him.

Adrian could use him as his own personal chew toy, and I wouldn’t bat an eye. But he’s important to my girl, so now I guess I have to keep him alive too.

Lucky bastard.

Adrian laughs, rolling his shoulders. He’s acting like he doesn’t care, but I know better, so I press harder. “You’re not in control. You’re desperate.”

His smile cracks enough for him to try to cover it up by turning and heading for his discarded drink from earlier. He takes a sip of the watered-down liquor, frantically searching for his response.

“I’m glad you still have your arrogance. It’s exactly why I picked you.”

I blink once, my mouth wrinkling into a half smile. “You didn’t pick me, Adrian. You needed me because you’re too much of a coward to stand up to Enzo yourself.”

He parts his lips to respond, tripping over his words just long enough for me to continue my assault.

“You spent decades hiding behind a fake name, cops and politicians. You call yourself powerful, but you’re just a leech needing other people to survive off.”

That cuts deep enough to expose the blue vein pulsing on the side of his neck. He grips his gun tighter.

I don’t look at Mia, but I can see her out of the corner of my eye. I need to focus his anger on me.

“You ungrateful little⁠—”

“And you know what the funniest part is?” I ask, smoothing my hands down my jacket. “After years of hiding in plain sight, one small fuck up, and you ruined everything. Your perfect little plan collapsed because you got too cocky and thought you could evade the law. Too bad Vince figured you out. And killing him didn’t work because then Mia figured you out too.”

Pride gleams in my chest as I fight the urge to look over at her. But that feeling is short-lived as Adrian smashes his glass against the fireplace and raises his gun.

I feel relieved when he points it at me rather than at her.

Mia takes a step forward, lifting her hand. I crane my neck just enough to make eye contact, hoping it’s enough to telepathically tell her to stop. Thankfully, Adrian is too engulfed in his anger to realize it when I turn my attention back to him.

“You think you’ve won?” he asks, his voice uneven as he tries to pull off his signature casual laugh.

The composed man I used to go to for advice and seek refuge in is gone.

Now all I see is Marco Bellini. Enzo Caruso’s ex-enforcer who’d do anything to survive. Even fake his own death and take orders from the one man he’s hated for years.

“No,” I reply calmly, letting my arms swing at my sides. “I think you’re terrified. Scared to lose everything you think you deserve.” I know that feeling a little too well. And I was blinded by it too.

Adrian clamps his mouth shut and the room goes silent. All except for some distant shouting I swear I can register from outside. Maybe Michael and Dante are finally doing their damn job.

I refocus on Adrian, watching the way his finger dances over the trigger. “You have no idea what I sacrificed. How long I’ve waited to finally get what’s mine.”

A humorless laugh slips from my lips. “You don’t deserve anything. You’ve been living off Enzo’s scraps, and now you think you’re owed more? That’s pathetic. Everything you have came from someone else. Hell, even your identity belonged to another man first.”

Adrian’s face darkens, the room shifts, and it becomes more difficult to predict his next move.

All I need to do is hold him off for a little longer. Michael and Dante should burst through that door at any moment.

“You think you know me?” Adrian snaps. “You’re just an arrogant child pretending to be dangerous. You think Enzo doesn’t know about your little plan? He figured you out the second I started bringing you around. Even if you walk out of here, your days are numbered.”