Chapter 3~ Little Mouse

Chapter 3

Stacy

°° °° °° °°

It didn’t take up to a second for Vincenzo to react, snatching his gun even though the car was running at a speed he could barely control, and with a burst tire, we were likely to roll off a cliff or end up in an anthill—but that didn’t stop him.

Without taking his eyes off me, he kept his pistol accurately aimed at my chest, his eyes a silent dare for me to do anything stupid with the rifle.

“You’re going to drive us into a fucking ditch if you don’t control this damn piece of junk!” I hissed.

“You have a knack for stating the obvious, I see.” Then his voice turned serious, “But around here, you don’t take unless I give, understood?”

Something in the way he said that made my ovaries jump in excitement. Fucking idiots, I thought miserably, as if one Mancini wasn’t enough.

Another loud bang outside and the little control Vincenzo had over it went flying out the window. It veered straight into the thick bush, making us both bounce uncontrollably in our seats.

“Those fucking bastards will keep shooting at us until this fucking car is nothing but smoke and fumes!” I snapped.

As soon as I said it, I cocked the rifle, but Vincenzo must have mistaken it for a threat because he fired his gun immediately. The bang and the flash of the gunfire paralyzed me in a split second.

He shot at me! The fucking bastard shot me!

“You idiot!”

I made to return the favor, but he slapped the gun right out of my hand. I lunged at him, sending all the frustration and anger into a single kick, which I sent straight to his chest, momentarily blocking the air from his lungs.

He froze for a second; a force like that does that to a man, even a macho like him.

Taking advantage of his daze, I snatched the rifle back out of his grip before he could recover, and by the time he reached for my hand, the muzzle was directly in his face.

“I’m not going to let you kill me with your recklessness,” I stated. “So I’ll shoot you if I have to.”

“You’ll still die, either by the Barrucianos, Aurelio’s hand or worse, my brothers’ hands.”

“At least I’ll have a second to think that through.”

Just then, the car hit something, most likely a tree, and came to an abrupt halt, but not before almost jerking us out of the seats. I think I lost consciousness for a minute because by the time I opened my eyes, the air was thick with smoke.

There’s no smoke without fire.

Heavy footsteps echoed in the distance, and my eyes snapped in my captor’s direction. He was bleeding from the head; the impact got him good. The fool hadn’t bothered with seatbelts, it’s a pity we were still breathing the same air.

“Make sure they don’t get out!” a man barked just outside the car. “This piece of junk is almost scrapped. Pretty sure that bitch is long dead.”

By bitch, did they mean me?

I lifted a brow at Vincenzo, his response was a wink— and a satisfied smirk.

Was this just a game? Did he send his men to chase us simply to scare me, or was this the way he planned to kill me? He did say we were going for a show tonight, where I happen to be the main character.

“Was this the show?”

He shrugged. “Maybe we can call this the opening scene.” At the same time he said it, he was loading bullets into another rifle. “Do you know how to fire that thing?” He nodded to the gun now sprawled across my lap.

“I wouldn’t have asked if I didn’t!”

“Good, because you’re going to need it.”

I lifted a questioning brow. “So now you’re handing me a gun and giving me permission to shoot. Right.”

His eyes glared intently at me. “Your life depends on it, little mouse, not mine.”

He kicked open the door, and before I could ask what tactics he was playing at, he stepped out of the SUV.

Me, little mouse. Was he insane?

The gunshots just outside the car answered my questions loud and clear.

Oh my God, that blue-eyed devil is about to get himself killed!

It was supposed to make me happy and free, but instead, it left me with the glaring reminder that I was now the target of some uncouth criminals who were out for my head.

The gunshots outside ceased, which was a sign that Vincenzo Mancini is dead and gone for good. May his soul rest in pieces, just like his body, which I assume is punctured by a thousand bullets right now.

Taking my dead captor’s advice, I snatched the rifle from my hip and held it out in readiness, counting the seconds before it happens.

Weird, I could have sworn Vincenzo shot me a while ago; it’s a miracle I’m not dead yet.

I’m not in the mood to see my own blood, so I’m not going to check how bad the bullet got me—obviously not enough to kill me, which is good— for now..

The door was forcefully yanked open, but the unlucky dude didn’t know what got him, so I did the only thing I could. Without hesitation, I squeezed the trigger, and the gun kicked against my shoulder.

The man staggered back, a look of surprise frozen on his face as he crumpled to the ground. He clearly wasn’t expecting that.

“Say hello to my father in hell, motherfucker!” I hissed.

Another unlucky guy appeared at the door, and he was met with the same sweet fate. This time, I didn’t stop squeezing the trigger until three lifeless bodies lay sprawled in front of me, their stomachs gurgling as bullets danced in their intestines.

I waited for five minutes, then I slowly crawled out of the car, the rifle hanging protectively in my hands. The cool night air, mixed with gunpowder, was all too familiar; it was the taste of freedom. Standing between the bodies I just dropped, I closed my eyes and inhaled deeply.

But before I could savor it well, an annoyingly familiar voice rang out, “Get down, Eustacia!”

I dropped low, adrenaline pounding through me as more gunfire erupted just a few feet from where I stood. I crawled over the wreckage of the car, my eyes watering from the smoke.

My captor—no, my unexpected ally—was using the bush for cover, methodically picking off the Barrucianos. Apparently, this unlucky fellow was the last one. The foolish idiot could have hidden and run off with his life intact, but he decided to play hero.

A man dropped to the floor just behind me before Vincenzo emerged from behind a tree, his rifle swinging dangerously in his hand.

My heart jumped in my throat, and something stirred in the pit of my stomach—most likely disappointment from the fact that he was still very much alive, not even missing a limb.

“How the hell did you know my real name?”

His answer to that was a chuckle he didn’t try to hide. “You okay?” he asked—not out of concern but definitely disappointment. He glanced at me cautiously, his gun still aimed squarely at my chest.

Well, I didn’t lower mine too.

We can both shoot each other dead for all I care, but I would die before I let him cuff my hands and lock me in one of those disgusting cells again.

“I was really hoping you were dead,” I replied sincerely, gritting my teeth against the pain from where the seat belt had bitten into my skin.

Vincenzo smirked. “We share the same sentiments on that.” Then he nodded to his left. “We’re going to take that truck, so when I give the signal, you run for it.”

I scoffed. “Back to the captor-captive bullshit, are we?”

“There’s no other way that this could go.”

My grip on the rifle tightened. The first light of dawn was slowly taking over the night, reflecting colors on his pretty face. Too bad I’ll have to dig a hole between those pretty blue eyes.

I clutched the rifle tightly, my heart hammering in my chest, and despite the circumstances, I couldn’t help but feel a thrill. This was madness—pure, unadulterated insanity—but I liked it. It’s the most I’ve felt alive in the last three months, and I’m not going to let this arrogant prick take that freedom from me again.

“Damn you to hell!” I hissed, squeezing the trigger.

A single shot rang out, but Vincenzo dodged it effortlessly, his movements a blur of practiced ease. I kept pulling the trigger, desperation fueling my actions, but the gun clicked uselessly.

The useless toy was fucking empty!

Vincenzo’s grin widened, a maddening blend of confidence and amusement that annoyed the shit out of me. “I knew you’d try something stupid like this.”

He could end me right here, but instead, he watched me with a mix of amusement and calculation.

Seizing the precious seconds, I spun on my heel and bolted towards the thick bush, my heart pounding in my chest. But my legs, weakened by exhaustion and adrenaline, failed me.

Vincenzo’s long legs came in handy, closing the distance in an instant, he grabbed my arm and yanked me back towards him, his grip was as fierce as a lion on a prey.

“Let me go!” I spat, trying to wrench free, but he pressed one meaty finger to my lips, silencing my protest. Despite my helplessness, I fantasized nibbling on that for a moment, maybe even biting it off, who knows?

“Nice shooting back there,” he said, a grudging note of admiration— or maybe hatred in his voice.

I glared at him, suspicion flaring. “If you’re going to kill me, just do it. I’d rather die than go back with you.”

He tilted his head, his eyes glinting with something unreadable. “If I wanted you dead, I wouldn’t have risked my life to save yours. You said it yourself, I wouldn’t go through all this trouble to end you in such a boring manner.”

“I’m not going back with you,” I insisted, my voice trembling with defiance.

“You don’t have much choice, little mouse.” he replied, glaring down at me with half-lidded eyes. “Right now, I’m your best chance at survival.”

Confusion clouded my mind. “What are you talking about?”

“I had a nice chat with one of those bastards,” He gestured to the bodies. “Turns out you’ve got more enemies hunting you than flies on a pile of shit. You could leave, but trust me, the world is a cold place for a bitch like you.”

His words hit me like a blow. “Well, not as cold as your fucking cell.”

“Your father,” he continued like I didn’t even interrupt him, his voice low and serious, “left quite an impact. There are people who want you dead for reasons you might not even know.”

“I’ll rather—“

“That’s enough for one night.” He hissed impatiently, his nails biting into my skin as he dragged me to my feet. “You, little mouse, are mine to do with as I please. And you’ll die when I decide.”