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After taking gasping breaths, I lifted my head. Then the driver jumped inside, not wasting a second before gunning the engine.
“I think so. What happened?” I asked, lifting my head by another few inches.
“Don’t. Just do as they say,” she told me. “The men will get us to safety.”
While her words were encouraging, they didn’t make me feel any better.
“What the fuck?” Jonas snarled as he jumped into the front passenger seat. “Get us out of here. Now!” He peered into the back, shaking his head. “What were you doing?”
His demand was directed toward me, his entire face full of fury.
“Just… It doesn’t matter.”
“You almost got yourself taken. Jesus Christ.”
The driver lurched into the crowd, and I could still hear screams even through the thick metal of the SUV.
“She doesn’t understand our world, Jonas,” Elena defended me.
“She was told not to venture off. How the fuck much clearer can that be made to be?” he retorted.
“She didn’t cause this. They were going to try and kill us whether or not she’d followed the rules.” Elena was livid, her passion undeniable.
“Are you both okay?” His voice had softened.
“Yes,” we said in unison, and I was thankful she wasn’t hurt.
I remained crouched low as the driver made a series of turns. Then I heard Jonas making a call and gritted my teeth.
“Phoenix. There’s been an incident. You need to send a team to the Demarcus Bistro on third.”
The silence during the next few seconds was almost as horrific as the incident.
“Yeah, they’re fine. Rattled but fine,” he said in a low voice. “No, we didn’t lose anyone, but they did.” He ended the call seconds later, throwing a look over his shoulder. “You can sit up now.”
When I did, I was still holding my breath, shaking all over.
“Hey. Everything is fine,” Elena said, obviously trying to comfort me.
“How can anything be fine? This is the life you’ve chosen to live? How can you stand it? Always on guard, always requiring a soldier to protect you. That’s insane!”
She exchanged a look with Jonas then shifted in her seat. “Why do you think I wanted no part of the family business? But here’s the thing, Whitney. I didn’t choose my parents or my brothers. I didn’t know who or what they were until I was almost twelve. They protected me. My brothers protected me and continue to do so. They mean the world to me just like Phoenix does to you and you can’t tell me that you don’t care about him. I see it in your eyes.”
I looked away briefly, half laughing. “But what happens when love isn’t enough?”
“Is there danger in the Diamondis world? Absolutely. But it doesn’t happen every day. This is rare, two enemies fighting for control. I know it seems horrible, but I promise you that I’ve lived a wonderful life. My parents taught me respect and honor just like any family should. They also taught me the importance of family and I almost allowed myself to forget that. If you don’t love my brother, then tell him. But do it quickly because he doesn’t deserve to live through what he did before. He’ll die in order to protect you. That’s the kind of man he is.”
Her deep love for her brother was admirable. And I did love him. There was no denying it no matter how many shades of black and white I tried to drive through the heart of it. “I understand.”
“I hope you do because I won’t allow him to get hurt a second time.”
Seeing the conviction in her eyes brought a smile to my face. “Neither will I.”
She studied my eyes for a few seconds then smiled. “You’re perfect for him.”
Perfect. Maybe someone would need to explain the word in the lifestyle of the brutal and damned.
CHAPTER20
