AllFreeNovel
Share Us
ChapterThirty-One
Ariana hesitated, not knowing what to say to Javier.
His stance tensed. “You two know.”
“Yeah,” she said, and at the same time Damon nodded.
Javier ran. Because why wouldn’t he?
Damon and Ari bolted after him.
The ground beneath her felt like jelly. She didn’t want to think about how long she’d been awake. She hadn’t checked a clock in hours and the storm outside made it impossible to tell what time it might be. All she knew was she hadn’t gotten a blink of sleep.
Javier ran like he’d had a full night’s rest and a double-shot espresso.
Ariana thought of her pregnant friend — Javier’s next intended victim if what she’d been told about the threatening letters was true. And she had no reason to doubt what Rita and Bella had said.
She and Damon needed to keep the bride safe.
Javier bolted down a staircase.
“Stop!” Damon called.
He didn’t.
Damon pulled ahead of Ariana. He took the stairs two at a time.
Ari leaned against a wall to catch her breath. “Pull yourself together. You can sleep after we stop Javier.”
She hurried after them. When she got to the bottom of the stairs, they were gone. She’d rested too long and yet, despite all the excitement, her eyelids grew heavier by the moment. Exhaustion pressed on her like two hands attempting to massage her to sleep.
Crash!
That had to be them. She dashed toward the noise, eager to back up Damon in whatever situation he was in. If only she had a weapon. At least she had her self-defense training. In many ways, that was better. A knife or other object could be taken from her then used against her. The moves she’d learned were hers alone.
If only she wasn’t so sleepy.
Adrenaline would kick in soon. It had to. That was its job. Women have lifted cars off their children because of the hormone. She could shake off fatigue to protect her best friend.
Shewould.
Damon and Javier were in the room set up for the wedding ceremony.
Ari’s stomach sank. Javier was planning on destroying it so Rita couldn’t marry Grayson.
She hurried inside.
Javier and Damon faced off in front of the altar.
“Stop!” Ariana ran toward them.
“Youstop!” Javier held a lit lighter up to the arch full of flowers.
Ari skidded and nearly crashed into a row of folding chairs. “Don’t!”
“Looks like I have the upper hand.” Javier’s eyebrows furrowed, and he turned to Damon. “Back away from me. Now.”
Damon didn’t budge.
