Venom's Alliance: Loyalty's Fracture

Chapter 13

Kalia's POV

As Monti, the bad host from that dinner, demanded to know where Easton kept the stock of the new guns by pointing his gun directly at my temple, everything froze in a chilling moment of dread.

Surrounded by Monti and his ten henchmen, their eyes hungry and predatory, panic surged through me like a flood. I knew I couldn't afford to falter now. I couldn't let this man take control, dictate my fate. I had to find a way out of this deadly situation. Desperation clawed at my mind as I searched for a sign that Easton was nearby.

I had asked Tony to call him before I came down to see what was happening. As I stepped into the kitchen, all ten men closed in around me, their guns making me feel suffocated. Cornered and helpless, with no weapon in reach, I was terrified, but I didn't show it. I could feel Monti's cold gaze piercing through me, his intentions clear and deadly.

The thought of Arch coming down into this scene filled me with primal terror. He was hiding in my room as part of a game I invented to keep him out of danger. Unlucky for me, Lili had left a while ago due to a friend's emergency, and I wished she had taken Arch with her. Away from this mess.

"One more time, you slut. Where's the safe for the guns? Tell me, or you'll die," Monti hissed menacingly, his gold tooth flashing. I wished I had a weapon, even just a hairpin, to show him I wouldn't be a victim and the only slut here is him.

"Fine," I lied, desperation pushing me to find a way out of the restricted kitchen. "Follow me," I said, briskly walking past him. But then, deafening gunshots rang out, echoing through the kitchen, and chaos erupted. The armed men around me tensed, their weapons swinging in all directions as they tried to locate the source of the shots. In that moment of confusion, the older, slick-haired man leveled his gun at my temple, the cold metal pressing hard against my skin. I took a deep breath, realizing this man wouldn't hesitate to pull the trigger.

Then, the door burst open, and a group of at least twenty men stormed in, led by Easton, Jake, James, and Jay. They brandished their weapons, aiming them at Monti's henchmen, shifting the balance of power instantly.

Easton's voice cut through the tension like a blade. "Take your gun off her, Monti. This is between you and me. Leave her out of this," he growled, his emerald eyes fuming with anger.

Monti, however, remained headstrong. "But this is all because of her. If she had been a good, obedient wife, she would have stayed out of this, not barged in and ruined my trade and killed my right-hand men. We Italians care about family, and you killed one of my brothers. It's only fair I take someone from you. And since you seem to care so much for this wife of yours..." His words dripped with poison as the metal pressed hard into my skin, causing a searing pain. His hand closed around my neck, sending a wave of terror that clenched my heart, made my skin crawl, and forced a gasp from my lips. The idea of someone touching my neck triggered an instinctual fear that paralyzed me.

"She's just a woman, Monti. She means nothing to me. This situation doesn't need to start a war between us," Easton replied callously, his words cutting deep. It became painfully clear that to him, I was just an image, a trophy he desired.

"You want guns? I'll give you the guns. Just leave her alone, and we can settle this," Easton continued.

Monti's grip tightened around my neck, and I struggled to breathe. Desperation propelled me to take a desperate, instinctive gasp for air, anything to resist succumbing to his control. "If she means nothing to you, then don't mind if I take a bite and take the guns. Your wife looks so..." His vile words trailed off as his face came inches from mine, his rotten aftershave assaulting my senses. I had to remind myself that any reaction I showed would only fuel his enjoyment, so I fought to remain calm and control my emotions, even as the degrading words and the physical pain collided, threatening to shatter the facade of composure I desperately clung to.