Page 116 of Humility

I was not in the mood to play fair and dropped my lips to hers and kissed her until she moaned and relaxed in my arms.

“Say yes,” I mumbled against her lips.

Jasmine opened her mouth just as the door opened, and Dario stood in the doorway.

“Kind of busy here.”

“We have a problem,” he said, and my muscles flexed as I braced for whatever he said next.

“And?”

Dario looked at me and then Jasmine.

“It’s best if we speak out here.”

I groaned and kissed Jasmine’s cheek. “I’m so sorry. I’ll be right back.”

Stepping out into the hall, I closed the office door, and Dario walked us further away.

“This had better be good.”

“Three cars just arrived,” he said, and I immediately grabbed my gun. “Ciro is here, and he’s not alone.”

“I’m going to fucking kill him,” I growled and marched for the door.

Chapter Fifty-One

JASMINE

Ugh, I despised being cut out of conversations. I really should’ve been born a boy. Walking over to the wall of monitors in the corner, I turned them on, surprised to see the main house and not my little rental. Several screens showed people moving around, but I spotted Dario and Angelo right away.

My ability to read lips was poor, but whatever Dario said made Angelo pull his gun and storm off. Fear raced down my spine. What danger were we in now? I followed him through the hallways as he headed for the front door, and I gasped when I saw who was standing outside.

“No, no, no.”

Dashing to the door, I whipped it open and shocked the guard as I sprinted past him. Pulling up the front of my dress, I ran as fast as I could. Angelo would kill Ciro. There was no doubt in my mind. I had no idea how he found me, but I wouldn’t let Angelo kill him.

“Stop! You can’t go down there,” the guard chasing me said, his fingers brushing my arm, but I jerked away and ran faster.

“Angelo, don’t,” I yelled, hoping he would hear me as I made the final turn.

“Stop. I said stop.” The guard reached for me again and grabbed my arm, but I turned and jerked to a stop. Momentum was not on his side, and he ran right into my fist. I regretted the decision when the bones in my hand crunched. “Fuck.”

I took off as the guard stumbled back from the blow. When I reached the foyer, I screamed for Angelo. His gun was up and touching Ciro’s forehead. While Dario and Enzo had their weapons raised along with every guard, and Ciro looked terrified.

“Stop, all of you, stop this.” I ran forward, not caring that I was dashing between the loaded weapons, and stepped beside Ciro. Angelo’s face was a mask of darkness. He was a completely different person from the man begging me to marry him. I didn’t dare touch him. Any little flinch might cause him to pull the trigger. “Angelo, stop this, please.”

His eyes flicked to mine, but his arm remained steady. Ciro hadn’t blinked or said a word like he knew he was on the lip of a dangerous ledge. I was used to the men back home pulling their guns, but it was rare that anyone truly meant harm. The tension in the air tonight was different. I stared into Angelo’s eyes, pleading with him.

“I can’t marry you if you do this,” I said, and his jaw twitched.

“I’m not letting him take you from me.” Those few words held so much emotion. No one else would pick up on the panic, but I did.

“He won’t, Angelo. Lower the gun.”

“You don’t know that,” he argued.

“I do. Ciro doesn’t want me, not like you think.”