But regardless of the state of her heart, Mia isn’t going anywhere, because she already has her next protector lined up. What if she focuses her rage and sense of betrayal on me and seduces Rafe into killing me anyway?
No, Mia won’t think of that. Right?
A ruckus with the men drags my gaze from the softcore porn scene unfolding on the bed. It’s hard to keep track of how many people might want me dead, but since Mateo is the one being wrestled to the floor, that’s the one I focus on now.
“Any last words, brother?” Dante asks, his tone droll.
Mateo laughs. It looks dark (and okay, a little sexy) with that bloody, split lip. “Fuck you.”
Alec flicks a glance at Rafe and Mia on the bed, then nods at Dante to prompt him. “Come on, do it.”
“You know what?” Dante says, suddenly inspired. “Let’s let Meg do it.”
“Huh?” I ask, dumbly, as Dante suddenly holds his gun in the air for me to take it. “Oh, no, I’m good.”
“Don’t be a pussy,” he challenges. “Take the goddamn gun. Shoot the fucker who wasted your time.”
“Oh, I wouldn’t say that’s… I’m okay, you can do it.”
Flicking a glance at Alec, Dante says, “Remind me why I want to keep her again?”
“Hey now.” I take a nervous step forward. He holds the gun up again.
Fuck.
Mateo glares at me. Of course he fucking glares. He can’t even turn a little apologetic when I have a gun within reach and I’m literally being directed to shoot him in the face.
“Well, I guess he has been a dick,” I state.
“There you go.” Dante doesn’t sound like he cares one way or the other, but he moves the gun toward me and this time I take it. My hands are unsteady. Flashes of memories run through my mind of the last time I held a gun—it was pointed at Mateo then, too. In his dungeon. I was there wrongfully that time. He aimed it at his heart and handed it to me.
“If you still want to kill me, do it now.”
I didn’t then, and I don’t now.
My stomach twists. I take a couple of steps forward and lift the gun. Its weight is so light, for all the destruction it is capable of.
“Meg!”
Mia screams at me, her eyes wild. She twists like she’s going to move to come after me, but she can’t since Rafe still has her trapped beneath his weight.
“Don’t you dare!” Her voice shakes, but there’s force behind it. Fire. Her voice doesn’t hold up under the weight of her emotions, but that utterance comes from somewhere deep within her. Hatred I’ve never seen before gleams in those blue orbs, and my stomach sinks.
I look away.
She cries out again, warning me one last time.
I ignore her. I steady the gun. I look at Mateo and my legs threaten to give out on me. He jerks and snarls at me, but Alec keeps his shoulders down.
“Hurry the fuck up,” Alec barks.
“I’m sorry,” I tell Mateo, my own voice wavering. “I’m sorry for everything. I never wanted it to be like this.”
He watches wordlessly as I fit my finger against the trigger.
“I’m Meg.”
“I heard. And you’re my surprise?”
“And here I thought you were mine.”
Tears sting behind my eyes. I feel betrayed when they well up, when I know he can see the telling glint.
“I’m gonna buy this place. Watch. I’ll name it after you.”
“Meg’s Place?”
A tear slips over the rim of my eyelid and tracks down my right cheek.
This is humiliating.
Before I have time to change my mind, I swing the gun and fire at Dante’s head.
The whole room goes silent.
Nothing happened.
Alec’s jaw drops open and Dante turns his head, still with all his brains on the inside, and says, “Huh.”
My hand shakes again. I squeeze the trigger again, more desperately this time.
Why isn’t it…?
Alec eases off Mateo’s shoulders, sits back on his heels, and does the strangest thing. He pulls out his wallet. Yanks out a fifty dollar bill. I’m still standing here with shaky hands and a useless gun, Dante is still sitting on Mateo’s hips.
Alec gets up, walks over, and tosses a fifty dollar bill at Rafe. “I think you interfered.”
My gaze jumps to Mia, who is as openly confused as I am.
Now Dante rises. I take a step back, since I just tried to shoot him. Twice.
He pulls his wallet out, too. “Didn’t see that one coming.” He walks over and also tosses Rafe a fifty.
“What the fuck is going on?” Mia demands, since fifty dollar bills are raining down on her.
The closet door opens and Adrian steps out. I expect him to grab his wallet too, since that seems to be the thing to do, but he looks surly. He approaches Rafe, but not to give him money—to glare at him until he gathers his winnings and gets off Mia.