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Because he deserved it.
In every way possible.
And even though I should feel nothing but hate for this man, as I stare down at his corpse I can’t help but hope that somewhere out there, his wife’s soul is waiting for him. That he’ll find the peace he tore the world apart trying to obtain.
My legs can barely support my weight, but I finally force myself to step away from his body, turning and heading back the way I came. I try to run, but after my flat-out sprint earlier and the numbness creeping through me, all I can manage is an uneven half-walk, half-jog.
It feels like it takes forever, much longer than I remember running before, and I shove down the panicked voice in my head that whispers that I’ve gotten turned around, that I’ll never find my way back.
I have to. So I fucking will.
“Ayla!”
The voice rings out through the darkness ahead of me, and my heart jolts at the sound. Ryland.
I pick up my pace, and when I hear Marcus’s voice calling out as well, I almost sob with relief. I don’t hear any gunshots, and although I should probably still be cautious, I can’t stop myself from running toward the sound of their raised voices.
“I’m here!” I rasp. “I’m here!”
A body barrels into me, and panic flashes for a heartbeat until I recognize the familiar scent of Theo. He wraps his arms around me in a bear hug, his chest rising and falling beneath my cheek as he holds me to him.
“Jesus fucking Christ, Rose. We couldn’t find you. We thought you were fucking dead.”
&nbs
p; “Is it over?” My voice is muffled against his thick arm, but I don’t care. And he doesn’t ease up on his grip as he answers, nearly lifting me off my feet in an effort to drag me closer.
“Yeah. It’s over. It was Gabriel and Michael, each with a small team. We took them out.”
“I killed Luca,” I murmur, the words sounding strange on my tongue.
That makes Theo loosen his grip, his hands coming up to grasp my shoulders as he presses me away from him to look down at my face. “You—”
“—killed him. He’s gone.”
Theo blinks, looking shocked and impressed and worried all at once. Then he shakes his head and pulls me into his embrace again as Marcus and Ryland reach us. They surround me, all three of their bodies pressing in around me, enclosing me between them. I can feel Marcus’s rough hand on my hair, his fingers sliding through the strands. Ryland’s forehead presses against mine as I rest my cheek on Theo’s chest again.
When Theo releases me again, his blue-green eyes glitter in the darkness. “We need to get the fuck out of here. This is gonna be a fucking field day for the cops, and we don’t want to be anywhere near this place when they get here.”
“Dominic!” I blurt, wheeling suddenly toward the statue of the angel. She’s pockmarked now, her beautiful white facade gouged by bullet holes.
“He’s already in the car,” Ryland says gruffly. “Alive. Or he was a few minutes ago.”
“I’ve got Doctor Brenson meeting us at my house,” Victoria comments from a few yards away. When I glance over at her, I notice she’s limping pretty badly. She jerks her head toward the car. “We need to go. Now.”
No one has to tell me twice. The grass around the grave is trampled, and the bodies of Luca’s guards lie where they fell. I’m sick of being surrounded by death, and I can’t shut down the rising fear that we’ll end up with another dead body in the car if we don’t get Dominic back to Victoria’s place fast enough.
We make our way to her car as fast as we can. As we walk, I cast a look at my men. Ryland looks like he’s got a black eye, although it’s hard to tell in the darkness. Theo has a smear of blood across his cheek, and I can’t tell if it’s his or someone else’s.
But they’re all alive.
I’m so fucking grateful for that.
We pile into the car, Victoria behind the wheel and Theo and Ryland in the back with Dom. This time, I end up on Marcus’s lap in the front seat, not wanting to jostle Dominic or take up any more space in the back. He’s slumped against the passenger door, his head lolling against the glass. Someone wrapped his suit jacket tightly around his torso, and I can tell it’s soaked with blood.
Fuck. How much has he lost?
As if sensing my thoughts, Marcus tightens his hold on me, securing me against his body and burying his face in my hair as Victoria peels out.
