Chapter 11

By the time Marcus and his men rushed over, I already had Caterina's gun hand pinned under my boot.He scanned the scene, crouched beside Salvatore, and checked the wound. Quick. Efficient."Bullet went clean through. Didn't hit the artery. But he's lost a lot of blood." He looked up at me. "You okay?""I'm fine."I said.Marcus didn't give Salvatore on the ground a second glance. He just called for his men to drag Caterina up and haul her to the camp's holding cell.Then he re-dressed Salvatore's bandage himself, firm but measured, the way he would handle any ordinary casualty."Thank you," Salvatore rasped.Marcus grunted, stood up, and brushed the dust off his hands. Then he turned to me."Mess hall's got beef stew tonight. Coming?"I nodded.He left.Just me and Salvatore.I looked down at him.He was propped against the wall, white as paper, sweat sliding down his forehead, but his eyes hadn't left me."Why did you do that?"I asked, my voice quiet.He opened his mouth. Blood seep

Chapter 12

He handed me a black folder bearing the seals of all five Families.The first page formally cleared my parents. The second stripped Caterina of every protection and inheritance right she had ever claimed.After the child was born, she would spend the rest of her life in a maximum-security prison controlled by the Commission."I'm sorry," Salvatore said. "For believing her. For judging your father. For making you carry the truth alone. For choosing her until it cost you our child."I closed the folder."Clearing my parents' names is justice. It is not forgiveness."A silence settled between us."Marcus is a good guy."He said it suddenly. His voice was low, as if the words had been dragged from deep in his throat.I glanced at him."Yeah," I said. "He wouldn't rush off to protect someone else while I was bleeding out. He wouldn't lock me out when I needed him most. He wouldn't accuse me of terrorizing another woman out of jealousy."Salvatore's lip trembled."I know I can't go back to h

Chapter 13

His voice cracked, like sandpaper grinding over rusted iron.I didn't stop. I pulled the zipper all the way shut."Just hear me out..."He rushed in, shut the door behind him, and pressed his back against it, as if afraid I'd bolt."Julia, what am I supposed to do?"You've never given me a straight answer," he said, his voice shaking. "How could I not worry? That's why I monitored your calls... What if you disappeared again?"I stopped and looked at him."That's exactly why I'm leaving."He went still."Salvatore, you've never seen me as a real person." My voice was quiet. "This is just your possessiveness talking. You're not afraid of losing me. You just can't stand that I don't want you anymore."His mouth opened. His throat worked.I didn't wait for him to argue.I pulled my father's old revolver from the hidden compartment of my suitcase."Let's make another bet." I set the gun on the table, my fingers resting on the cold metal. "One bullet. Same as before."He stared at the gun, h

All Chapters of Five Shots and I Was Done with the Don: Chapter 11 - Chapter 13

Chapter 11

Chapter 12

Chapter 13