“I don’t owe you anything,” I hissed.
He cocked his head, his brow furrowing with discontent. I took a step back. I knew he tended to be violent. I’d seen him slap my mother around when I was a child. She’d done her best to keep me away from him all my life.
“You were supposed to play the part of a good kingpin’s daughter and marry who you were told. Instead, you made a fool of my alliance and put the entire family at risk,” he spat.
“You killed my mother. Let’s call it even,” I snarled.
A devious grin broke out over his face.
“She’d outlived her usefulness. She raised you to a marriageable age. What more would she be useful for?”
I hated him more than anything.
“I’ll kill you,” I warned.
“No. You are your mother’s daughter, sweet and submissive like a good obedient daughter should be,” he assessed.
He didn’t know me. He didn’t know what I was capable of.
I looked down the barrel of the gun and pulled the trigger. I aimed for the meat of his arm. He didn’t duck because I really think he thought I wouldn’t do it.
I might have been a woman, but I was more than capable of killing a man.
His eyes opened wide as he clutched at his shoulder.
“You little bitch,” he spat, and I grinned.
“You have no idea what I can do,” I snarled. I held the weapon up as he strode purposefully toward me. He grunted as blood dripped over his fingers, but he was trying his best to hide his pain.
I held out the gun as my other hand wrapped around the hilt of my knife.
He was only feet from me when the deafening sound of gunfire echoed below. He gritted his teeth, his vicious gaze catching mine.
“I told you to come alone,” he grumbled.
“I did.” I pulled the trigger again, this time catching him in the thigh. He shouted, barreling toward me with a heavy limp. Blood poured out from the leg wound and stained his jeans.
I took a step back and threw myself up onto him. I wrapped my right arm around his throat and used the strength in my core to toss my right leg up onto his back. I threw my body weight backwards, pulling him down to the floor with me. My back slammed down onto the floor, but he flew over my head and landed in a heap beside me.
The back of his head cracked against the desk, stunning him momentarily, and I took advantage of it. I pulled my knife free and slammed it into his throat. The sharp blade sank in with ease.
He stared at me in shock.
I pulled the knife free, scooting back as blood started to pour from his wound. I glanced up to the window I’d jumped through, but it was too high up. I could possibly move the desk, jump up and pull myself up, but I doubted that I had the strength.
I was strong, but I’d never been able to do a pull-up to save my life.
I turned to the desk and dove under that. I closed my eyes and pressed my head back against the metal.
Several floors below, all hell was breaking loose.
I just needed a moment.
CHAPTER16
James
Someone pounded on my door, and I jolted awake, knowing immediately that Kasia wasn’t there with me.