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“Why the hell are you back in Chicago? I thought the auction was going down tonight?” I already know the answer, but I want to hear the words.
“I got a call from someone on the inside I flipped. They told me the Finely brothers are raving mad and talking about Chicago. Nyx’s name was mentioned right after mine. I dropped everything and the men and I hauled ass overnight to get here.”
I reach out and thump his chest with the side of my fist. “And none of you fucking thought to call?”
“We did. No answer.”
I turn to look at Marco who seems to be thinking what I am thinking. We all forgot to turn our phones back on. “We get through this shit. There are going to be some new rules.”
“Copy that, boss. This is Ares and Dragon.”
“Men. You help me save the woman we love, and you’ll have our undying gratitude.” In our world, that means endless favors. All they will have to do is ask.
“We will get her back safely. Then we talk.” The one I think is Ares has a Russian accent and ice-cold eyes when I turn and reach out to shake his hand.
“Blagodaryu vas,” I say, letting my gratitude feed into my words.
“Da. You’re welcome, new friend.”
With that out of the way, I push and lock the first magazine full of rounds back into one gun and set to checking the second.
Ares and Marco each lean out a window and pop off rounds at the driver, expertly missing the sides where they have Nyx.
When I see the van take a hard left and then right, I know shit is about to go down. Our girl is a fighter.
I signal for Wolfe to bring our SUV closer. There’s only one way to keep the fucking machine from crossing the median and heading straight for all the oncoming traffic.
I lean out the window and pop off one round and another. Both hit their targets and the front and back wheels on the right drag the van back to the right to scrap along the sides of idle cars waiting at a stoplight. It slows it down.
Metal grinds. Glass shatters and it’s madness in central Chicago. Forget fucking traffic laws. The next time I try to play hero to save some fucking kid… I slam the door shut on that thought. I’ll do it every time. But this time it might cost me the woman I love.
I move back inside the speeding SUV and reload. “Another hundred yards and we are out of our territory. Stop the fucking van, before then.”
Alaric maneuvers us to the left of the van and Wolfe is already climbing out the back window to jump on the running board. But I beat him to it. No one saves our girl but us.
Nyx is fighting with the man and then I see through the window he’s gone lax. Nyx struggles to control the car until she finally manages to slam on the brakes.
The van stops and I’m pounding the pavement before Alaric brings us to a full stop in the middle of the main drag.
“Finely brothers,” Nyx screams the second I throw the door open. She jumps into my waiting arms. I tuck her into my chest as the men storm in. Metal grinds as they throw the doors open and Nyx tries to fight to get free of my hold. But no. She doesn’t need to see what is about to happen.
I take her face between my palms and block her view with my body. She barely reaches my chin, so it’s easy to keep death from seeing her. Because once the blackness looks you in the eye, he remembers you and always comes calling sooner than you expect.
But the reaper isn’t here for Nyx. Not today. He’s here for the plague in that van.
Wet lashes look up at me and I fall into her soul. “This mayhem is all my fault. They found my brother’s phone. They saw the video. I’m so sorry.”
I pull her into me. “Never apologize for doing what you thought was right.” My heart rips in two at the torment in her voice. I cup the back of her head and hold her to me.
Behind us, the sound of four rounds firing off tells me the threat to her life has ended.
Alaric and Marco join us, and she falls into their arms, tears streaming down her face.
“Come here, sweet thing. Fuck, you scared us.”
“Stop hogging her. Come to me, baby.” Fear and relief swirl in my friends’ eyes that mirror the same mashed-up emotions raging inside me.
I look on as Wolfe watches his baby sister nuzzle into Alaric’s neck seeking comfort and support from his bosses.
