2

I didn’t feel the bullet enter my shoulder, just the jerk of my body at the momentum. My shoulder jutted back and my body shifted because the force was much stronger than my own velocity. Smoke burned from the tip of his gun. The smell was suffocating—along with that of my own blood. It was the first time I’d ever been shot, and the shock that washed over my body protected me from the pain.

I stayed on my two feet—refusing to fall.

I held his gaze, my eyes narrowing with a promise of death.

Damien dropped his smile, and against his will, he showed a slight look of respect. “Damn, you’re stubborn.”

“Damn, you’re a bad shot.” He’d hit me in the shoulder, missing the main arteries and organs.

“No. I hit my mark perfectly.” He kept the gun trained on me, this time aiming it between my eyes. “Drop the sword. Or die.” The barrel didn’t shake as it stared me down. “What’s it gonna be, sweetheart?”

I wanted nothing to do with this life. While I loved my father, I’d told him I wanted nothing to do with his business. By putting some distance between us, I’d thought I could have my own life, a reputation untarnished by the criminal underworld.

It looked like it had followed me anyway. “What do you want from me?”

“Drop the sword.”

“What do you want from me?” I hissed. Blood was ruining my clothes and dripped down my arm. Dizziness settled in my brain. My strength was slowly starting to drift away, but I kept myself upright, like I had something to prove.

“What does it matter?” He tilted his head, his eyes narrowing in irritation.

“Because I need to know if it’s worth dying for.” I wasn’t the kind of person who could be a willing prisoner. Instead of surrendering, I’d much rather die. Maybe it was my family bloodline or my Italian roots, but I was the most stubborn woman on the planet. I’d rather die for what I believed in than submit to anyone.

He shook his head slightly. “You’ve always been a crazy bitch.”

“I take that as a compliment.”

The corner of his mouth rose again. “We have your father. If you want to save him, drop the sword.”

I continued to hold my pose, my heart beating harder in my chest. My father was being held captive, and if I died then and there, I wouldn’t be able to help him. Damien had me cornered, and he knew it.

“Continue this suicide mission and die,” he said simply. “Or come with us—and we’ll work out a deal.”

“Work out a deal?” I hissed. “You’ll just take me and kill me too.”

“Normally, yes. But I have another use for you. Drop the sword.”

My hand wanted to keep gripping the handle, but there was doubt planted in my mind. Even if there was nothing I could do to save my father, letting myself die now wasn’t an option. We fell apart a long time ago, but my loyalty had never waned.

I dropped the sword.

He grinned wide. “Good girl.”