Not when I felt myself splintering like an axe struck through a brittle piece of wood.
A dominating wave of possession sweeping through me that had no place, one that had been coming on ever since she’d run my sister and baby brother to safety.
A possession I had no right to feel.
But it was there.
Suffocating.
As thick as the fear that saturated my spirit.
I told her I’d protect her. I couldn’t fucking fail her the way I’d failed everyone else.
I gripped the butt of the gun in both hands, finger trembling on the trigger.
Sweat dripped down my back.
I cut my attention to the right. To where I knew Styx would be in position, in the line of sight between us and the guys at the front.
Our eyes and ears for both teams.
I watched as five Crows came hustling up from out of nowhere, three parting to the front door and two coming up behind me and Trevan.
I gave the count.
Three ticks of my chin.
Then Styx gave the signal to the guys at the front as soon as I did.
We all busted in at the same time, my crew piling into the office and poised for a fight.
My heart sank to the pit of my stomach when I took in the scene.
That motherfucker was in the middle of the room on this side of the counter.
Brinley’s back pinned to his chest and a knife to her throat.
My ribs squeezed around my hemorrhaging heart.
“Stay the fuck away or she’s done,” he snarled, spinning a fraction as he hauled her back in the direction of the door.
Every eye in the place flashed toward me, my crew looking to me for the next move.
Wondering how I wanted them to handle this.
Safe.
I just wanted her safe.
If it was only us, this would be a bloodbath.
But not when an innocent’s life was on the line.
An innocent whose face was so full of terror it knocked my fucking knees.
Bile climbed my throat as that protectiveness bound up my insides in a ball of aggression.
I wouldn’t allow anyone to hurt her.
