Page 126 of Vow Of Fire

My chest heaved as adrenaline flooded my bloodstream. I turned, looking for Evelyn. She stood behind the Mercedes, exactly where I’d left her, trembling but alive.

Thank Christ.

I crossed the distance in three strides and grabbed her face between my hands, checking frantically for blood, injuries, anything.

“Are you hit?” I demanded.

She shook her head shakily. “No.”

The relief that hit me was so intense it almost brought me to my knees. For one terrible moment, I’d imagined finding her bleeding out on the concrete because of me. Because I’d dragged her into my sordid world.

As I stared down at her pale face and wide green eyes, a cold truth settled on me. I couldn’t let her go. Not until Los Santos Rotos were annihilated.

I was pretty damn sure this was them. They’d already gone after her at her apartment. Tonight, they’d escalated, attacking her on my turf.

A dangerous mistake.

My arm wrapped around Evelyn, pulling her against my chest as I lifted my gaze toward the ramp where the SUV had disappeared.

There would be consequences for this. Bloody ones.

Nobody fired on my woman and got away with it. Because that was the truth I could no longer deny. Evelyn wasn’t just under my protection anymore.

She was mine.

And I would bury every last cartel bastard before I let them take her from me.

34

A MESSAGE IN BLOOD

Evelyn

“Nice watch,” Chloe said, when I got to work the next morning.

I flushed but twisted my wrist around in the studio lighting to admire it. “It is, isn’t it?”

She smiled, but it was fleeting, her brown eyes filled with concern.

“I know he’s absolutely gorgeous, but you are being careful, aren’t you, Evie?”

I frowned. Nope. I wasn’t. Not really. Not at all. I was already head over heels, and while I knew he wasn’t good for me, that there was no future for us, I couldn’t seem to get off the rollercoaster.

Except I didn’t say as much to my friend. It would only make her worry more.

“I’m doing what I have to,” I told her firmly. “To get my gallery back.”

She didn’t know the full story, only that the cartel was trying to take over the Agora and I was working with the Marcellis to stop them.

She put a hand on my arm. “I’d just hate to see you get hurt.”

I appreciated the sentiment. I didn’t even disagree. On paper, it was a ludicrous thing to do. To get involved with a crime lord, even one as good looking as Dante.

“I won’t get hurt,” I told her, forcing a smile.

She nodded, then her eyes lit up. “Talking of gorgeous men, a guy came in last night after you’d left. Russian, I think. Said he’d met you at the Guggenheim gala and wanted to take a look at the pieces we had on display.”

Alexei.