The Mafia's Grave Mistake

Chapter Eleven

Ree,

“The voice, dark and dripping with venom, cut through the shadows. “Who are you?”

The air stilled around me, solidifying the hatred I felt for this man, the one I had only ever seen in my dreams. I stood frozen, unable to speak, as I stared into the darkness. Enzo's face was shrouded in the shadows, his features hidden behind the rumors of a mask that never left his face.

The booming voice of Matteo Enzo’s Beta reverberated throughout the air. “Who the heck are you?”

I was sure it was the Beta, the man who had deceived my mate into joining Enzo’s ranks years ago. Joining this mafia had been the furthest thing from our peaceful aspirations, but Terry had been swayed by the Beta’s promises of wealth and power. Now, the Beta’s words dripped with greed, the same greed that had taken my mate away from me.

The truth was, our lives had taken a dark turn the moment Terry started working for this bastard. It had all been short-lived, as Enzo had brutally taken my fated mate’s life, leaving me alone and without a mate.

“Why the silence?” Matteo growled, c*****g his gun and aiming it squarely at me. Enzo’s cool hand on his arm stayed his trigger finger, and his voice was strangely calm as he questioned me.

“What are you doing here, beautiful lady?”

"I have come with a peace offering,” I replied, mustering up the courage to slowly lower the bag I had been carrying.

The pair watched me with curiosity and suspicion, Matteo still poised to strike at any moment. “And what, pray tell, would that be?” Enzo inquired.

I steeled myself, determined to end this once and for all, as I revealed the gruesome contents of the bag at Enzo's feet.

“ I have come to deliver the head of the man who was sent to kill you,” I said, removing the severed head of Bran from the bag.

I had hired Bran to take out Enzo, but the attempt had been a failure, leaving a trail for Enzo to follow. In order to save myself from being captured and killed by the man who had turned me into a monster, I had been forced to take Bran's life.

My stomach churned at the sight of the gruesome offering, but I steeled myself and tossed the head at Enzo's feet.

I watched as shock and surprise registered on the faces of Enzo and his Beta. I had known they wouldn't expect this.

“How can you be sure?” Enzo asked, his face twisted in confusion.

I responded coolly, “I was a witness to Alpha Ray of the Blue Dragon Pack ordering Bran to carry out the assassination. I was a slave to the Alpha, and he had been abusing me for some time. When the assassination attempt failed, the Alpha knew it would lead back to him, and he told Bran to lay low. Bran sought refuge with me, and I took action accordingly.”

My heart raced as I spun the lie, but my face remained stoic.

Enzo’s face darkened with rage at my words. “That bastard Alpha Ray sent this nobody to kill me?” he bellowed. His hands clenched into fists, his knuckles white with the effort.

The air in the room seemed to grow heavier as Enzo's rage threatened to spill over. The Beta shifted uncomfortably beside him, unsure of what to do next.

I took satisfaction in the sight of Enzo's rage, his eyes gleaming with a fire that I knew would lead to the downfall of Alpha Ray, one of Enzo's closest allies and my former abuser.

I had come for revenge and I would stop at nothing to achieve it. Matteo, Enzo's Beta, was next on my list. I would pit him against his Alpha and watch them both burn, just as they had done to me.

“My gut tells me this woman can't be trusted,” Matteo growled, eyeing me with distrust.

Enzo's fury was palpable as he roared, “She wouldn’t dare cross me! Even the dead have heard of my wrath!” But I had passed the point of fearing him, my thirst for revenge outweighing any apprehension.

Matteo, seemingly undeterred, continued, “Perhaps Victor saw the assassin’s face. We should call him to confirm her story.” Enzo nodded in agreement, and the plan was set in motion.

I steeled myself against the possibility that this might all fall apart, knowing that my vengeance depended on it.

“Now the only thing that will save you from the wrath of lieing to me, is you being vindicated and found not guilty.” Enzo said facing me. “If my men confirm this is the head of the assasin he failed to kill, then you’re free and if this is the head of a wrong person, I’ll make sure your head join his,” he roared.

“I thought they said you don’t kill women?” I questioned wanting him to feel I was loyal enough to know so much about him. I was ready to do anything to get into his life.

“He doesn’t but I do,” Matteo declared. “ I kill lying tongues on his behalf, not minding their gender!” Matteo said his eyes filled with rage.

Enzo's gaze bore into mine, his words dripping with menace. "Your fate hangs by a thread, and only the truth can set you free. If my men verify the head belongs to the would-be assassin, you're cleared. But if it's a mistake...your head will be the one to roll alongside his." His voice thundered, making my heart tremble.

I tried to deflect, playing on my knowledge of his supposed leniency towards women.

"I thought you spared women?" I said, feigning loyalty to gauge his reaction. Enzo's expression darkened, and Matteo stepped forward, eyes blazing.

"He may show mercy, but I don't – especially to liars." His cold tone sent shivers down my spine as he added, "I'll silence deceitful lips, no matter who they belong to."

Just then, Enzo's phone buzzed. He answered, his face twisting in a mixture of shock and fury. "What do you mean she's escaped?"