Capo di tutti Capi Chapter 6

BPOV

I was on edge as I unlocked the hidden compartment in the closet using the palm scanner, my mind going back to the look on Black's face as he stared at me in the living room. I pulled two handguns from their hiding place, tucking one into a thigh holster that I would put on after my shower and stowing the other under my bed pillow. My usual weapon was laid on the counter in the bathroom, just outside the shower stall.

I was jittery as I double checked the bedroom locks and headed back into the bathroom to turn on the shower. Thoughts of my husband and what I'd done crowded my head, and I turned the water to scalding to soothe my muscles and try to focus. When I was finished, the mirror was fogged over, and I cursed myself for not remembering to turn the exhaust fan on sooner. I took my time drying my hair, trying to decide if I should call Edward and at least tell him I was fine. I figured Eli had spoken to him by now, and he would know that I'd released his prisoners. Would he know that I was with them, or would he think I'd simply cut them loose and sent them on their way to find new jobs?

When I was finished with myself in the bathroom, I put on fresh clothes, not bothering with anything resembling pajamas. I strapped my thigh holster securely under my pants, adding the holster that clipped inside my waistband. I put on a t-shirt and a leather jacket, heavy socks and boots. I knew in my gut that something was coming, so I sat in the armchair by the window to wait out the night. My intuition was buzzing, and I kept thinking that my husband's men were going to find us, killing Black and Newton and punishing me. I had to be alert, to be prepared for any outcome. Even from the Cullen family.

Against my better judgement, I had just started to doze when I heard something. The exhaust fan was still running in the bathroom, masking whatever it was. A clicking? I stood next to the window, glancing carefully out the curtain into the inky blackness of the back yard. I saw nothing, but the buzzing at the base of my skull intensified, and I spun to face the room in time to see a broad figure lunging at me.

“Fuck!” I heard him shout as my boot connected with his face. I got him twice before he backed up enough to be out of my range. My fists were up in front of me as he came at me again, and I deflected a blow to the face that felt like he'd shattered my wrist.

I screamed at the pain, remembering my gun and grabbing it from my waist as he threw another punch. It connected with my jaw, sending me flying into the floor next to the bed. I emptied my clip into his torso as he lowered to grab me again, and his suffocating weight landed on top of me, unmoving.

I whimpered as I pushed and shoved his body off mine, and I was covered in his blood when I managed to make it to my hands and knees. Gasping for breath, I crawled to the bathroom, using the counter to pull myself up and dropping my empty Glock on top of it with a clatter. Running the water, I washed my hands before cupping them under the faucet to drink from. My wrist ached, my jaw and the back of my head throbbed, and I was wet with the blood of whomever I'd killed that flowed out of him and all over me. I couldn't tell in the dark who he was, and I needed to figure out how he'd gotten in here. I had to check on Newton and Black. Too many things to think about right now.

The exhaust fan turned off, and in the sudden silence I turned slowly with dread in my gut at the realization that I was not alone as I'd thought. My gun was right by my hand, mocking me with its empty clip. I clutched my hand around it regardless, waiting for the man to come closer. I could barely make out his silhouette in the pitch dark, but he obviously was tall. My brain worked in overdrive, planning out my moves before he came toward me. Gun to the temple, kick to the groin. Run like hell.

“It's useless, cigno.” I'd recognize that voice anywhere, even without his childhood nickname for me.

“Jake? What the fuck?” My breathing hadn't slowed with the comfort of an old friend's voice; no, it accelerated in panic, because I'd been right to distrust him yet still hadn't called for reinforcements when I had the chance.

“Just come with me,” his voice was pitched to soothe, to lull me into trusting him. “I'll take you out of here, and you won't have to worry about a thing.”

“Yeah, I don't think so.” I tried to keep him talking so I could gauge his proximity. He was still blocking the entrance to the bathroom.

“I need you to come check on Newton. He's hyperventilating over whoever just broke in here.”

I was tempted, so tempted to believe him. “How did they get in, Black? The same way those men got in the Meyer Street warehouse? This place is locked down tighter than a nun’s cooch, unless you let them in.”

He chuckled, and I felt fear. Just simple terror at the fact that I was right. “You're coming with me, principessa.”

“The fuck I am.”

I feinted to the left, and he dove for me just as I moved to the right. He caught my ankle and I kicked him to release it from his grasp. He grunted in pain but kept coming for me as I scrambled to get past the door. He jumped at me, landing the both of us in the floor, and my mouth smacked the tiles.

I screamed again, this time at the top of my lungs for help. He had his hands around my waist, so I levered my arm to bring the gun down on his head. He groaned loudly before stilling completely, his breath hot and disgusting on my back where my jacket rode up. I screamed, unintelligible wails in hopes that Mike would hear me and wasn't working for Jacob.

I tried to roll him off me, tried to wriggle my hand into my pants to grab my second gun, but he wasn't budging. I dropped my head to the floor and sobbed, trying to come up with my next move.

And then another figure appeared in the bedroom doorway.

“Che cazzo è questo pasticcio? I am expected to do everything for myself, it seems. The cigno puts up more of a fight than I could have anticipated.”

He bent, holding a cloth over my mouth and nose, and I succumbed to the darkness.

Che cazzo è questo pasticcio~ What the fuck is this mess?

Principessa~ princess