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He rocked as he spoke, rocking and soothing. I tried to pull away but he had me around the waist, his other hand clutching mine against his chest, like we were dancing. But we weren’t dancing…were we?
The vodka was hitting me hard, blurring the lights overhead. It wasn’t until the elevator doors closed that I realized how much trouble I was in.By then, it was too late…
27
Lazarus
“Laz!”
I came to with a roar, only to find Freddy’s face far too fucking close.
Harsh, consuming breaths plunged cold right through the burn in the middle of my chest. I lashed out, driving my fist into something hard, and screamed.
“Easy, buddy!”Freddy yanked me forward and up, pulling me to my feet.
The savage sound of my own rage rang in my ears as I stumbled forward, slapping Freddy’s hold away. Still, I fucking wobbled, lightheaded and strange.What the fuck had hit me?
The room pulsed bright, and then blurred. I shook my head, trying to dislodge the haze and remember where I was…and what had happened?
Logan was a beast, grabbing someone up from the floor, ready to inflect grievous bodily harm. I blinked, dislodging the tears pouring from my damn eyes, to find Alexi’s shirt bunched in Logan’s fists as he lifted him.
“I’ll fuckingkill you!”the brother roared.
“Log—” my word was nothing more than a harsh hiss.
I swallowed, feeling an ache bloom in the back of my throat, and turned my head as footsteps thundered and the room was filled with suits.
“Logan,” I croaked, drawing his gaze. His lips were curled in a savage sneer of violence. I glanced at Alexi, to see his eyes wide. One word, and my brother would tear the bastard apart, and Alexi knew it.
“The Code,” Matteo snapped as he strode closer, tearing his gaze from Logan to me. “Forbids violence.”
Still Logan didn’t let go, that dangerous stare finding mine. Waitingfor me to give the command.
“Lazarus,” the Commander urged.
One shake of my head, and Logan let the bastard drop to the floor—hard. Alexi’s head hit the floor with athud.And as my eyes stopped fucking tearing, I saw the truth. We were in a classroom, one I couldn’t quite place. A gas mask was discarded where Alexi lay, and there was another tossed near the door, separate from the tiny blond female who lay curled into a ball, moaning. I scanned the rest of the room, finding another asshole sitting slumped against a cupboard and groaning with his head in his hands.But I was missing someone.The thought rose, and the sharper it became the more I started to remember.Finley…Finley Salvatore and his woman.I sucked in the bitter-tainted air, remembering the screams and the terror, as I jerked my gaze to Alexi…Tell me the truth, Rossi!His howls came rushing back to me now.Who ordered the hit on Cian Salvatore?
The men in suits were covering their mouths. But hate flooded my veins, forcing me to stumble forward until I stood over Alexi Kilpatrick. “All this because you still can’t trust a Stidda?”
He lifted his head, hate raging in his eyes as he sneered. “Never.”
I saw him for the piece of shit he was. But worse than that,I saw myself.
“Lazarus,” the Commander started as I turned and strode past him. “Wait, you need to see a doctor.”
I left them behind, slamming my hand against the hallway wall as it swam. I needed to get out of there, need to get far away from these fucking Cosa Nostra assholes. Freddy’s words were nothing more than a deep rumble behind me.
“Easy, brother,” Logan growled, catching me as I stumbled.
He pulled my arm across his shoulders. One glance his way, and I nodded. “Shouldn’t have come here.”
“I know,” he murmured.
“Don’t fucking belong.” I turned back to the hallway, carefully placing one foot in front of the other.
“We have that in common,” Logan answered, then turned back to check the hallway as we stumbled into the foyer. “Right now, let’s get you back to the apartment, how’s that sound?”
I just nodded and tried to ignore the edge of rage in his tone. We made it out into the merciless gusts and slowly, step by agonizing step, made our way back to the building and up to my suite.
