My hand moves before my brain fully catches up. My fingers wrap around the textured grip of the gun.
It's heavier than I expected and cold against my palm.
Adrian doesn't notice. He's too focused on Nicolae, too consumed by the rage radiating off him in waves.
I slip the gun free smoothly as I step out from behind Adrian's protective shadow.
The room shifts. Faces turn toward me. Lucian's eyes widen slightly, Victor's jaw tightens, Matei's expression hardens.
But I don't linger on them.
I only look at Nicolae.
He notices me now, his dark eyes flicking down to the weapon in my hands. For a split second, it's as if he doesn't realize what I'm holding.
I raise the gun, both hands gripping it tightly the way I've seen in movies, the way I've seen Adrian hold it when he's tried to teach me. My arms tremble slightly, but I lock my elbows, steadying myself.
I don't know how well I can aim, so I aim for the widest part of him and point the barrel directly at Nicolae's chest.
His mouth opens, maybe to speak, maybe to laugh at me, but I don't give him the chance.
I pull the trigger.
BANG.
The sound is so loud I feel it vibrate through my body as the recoil jerks my arms upward.
In slow motion, I feel as if I can actually see the bullet hit Nicolae square in the chest.
His body jerks backward, his eyes going wide for the first time since he walked into this room.
His shock is real and unfiltered.
His knees buckle, and he stumbles backward, his hand clutching at his chest where dark blood starts spreading across his expensive shirt.
He hits the edge of the mahogany desk, his weight toppling him backward. He slides down the wood, leaving a smear of red, and falls to the floor.
The office goes silent, and I stand there, the gun still raised, my chest heaving. Smoke curls up from the barrel, twisting upward into the air.
My ears ring, a high-pitched whine that drowns out everything else.
I just shot Nicolae Ionescu. The head of the Romanian Mafia.
Adrian's father.
Oh God. What have?—
The silence shatters.
"NO!"
One of Nicolae's bodyguards yells as all three of them explode into motion, their hands flying to their holsters and bringing up their weapons.
They're going to kill me.
Time slows, and I see the closest guard's finger tightening on the trigger, his face twisted in rage. I see the barrel of his gun swinging toward me.
Adrian moves.