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“Well, hello, sweetheart. Nice of you to join us.”
Ariana struggles against the grip of the handcuffs as she squirms, taking in her surroundings. Her chest rises and falls as the adrenaline speeds up her breaths. Finally, her eyes meet mine. I’m not sure what she sees in them, in me. Whatever it is, it slows her breathing and movements, as if she’s gone numb. It’s as if she knows what will happen next.
“There, there,” Avery coos, rolling her from her side to her back. She cries out as her hands press into the wooden floor beneath her, taking the full weight of her body. Once he’s on top of her, her wrists will be crushed. “I know you missed my little conversation with Alister, so here’s the gist of it. You’re going to suffer for your boyfriend’s stupidity. Don’t worry. I have no plans to kill you or him. Though, I suspect you may wish for death by the time you’ve taken all three of us.” Avery glances toward his men, who now share in his wicked glee.
“I swear to God, Avery. You will pay for this in kind. And then you will die at my hand.”
“Careful, Alister,” Avery warns. “Things could get a lot worse for youandher.”
“Do it,” Ariana says. Her voice so quiet I can barely hear her yet her words draw both mine and Avery’s attention. “Do it,” she repeats. “You think you can hurt me?” Her lips lift into a sad smile as tears fill her eyes. “Whatever you think you’re going to do to me, it’s already been done.”
As the words cross her lips, my heart breaks. I knew she’d faced demons before. The scars on her body tell me so. But her admission now reveals her past trauma is greater than I thought. I don’t know who or how or why, but she’s been hurt in this way before. And like Avery, I will make them pay for what they’ve done to her, and then I will put them down like the animals they are.
“Yeah? Well, we’ll see about that.”
As Avery moves his hand to the lace of her underwear, I break free.God bless you, Cassio.I lunge at Avery, tackling him to the floor much like I did before. Only this time, I don’t hold back. Instead of using my fists to end him, I opt for the quicker method since I still have two others to fend off. I position the strap of my watch against Avery’s neck and press a button. A single silver shank shoots from the strap of my watch into Avery’s neck, severing his carotid artery. Blood sprays from his flesh like a sprinkler, wetting my face and shirt, though I don’t have time to revel in it before I’m ripped off him by his two goons.
Ariana rolls out of the way as Avery’s men nearly trample her in their assault against me. I quickly regain my balance and move toward them, making sure their attention stays on me. As I throw my punches, the reinforced steel of the handcuffs still attached to my wrist flies with my fist, adding to their suffering. Their faces split open under the metal’s pressure, and I lean forward, snatching the holstered gun from one of them. They haven’t fired, which means they’re either new and don’t know that my killing Avery justifies them killing meorJosephine has no idea what her men have been up to or the lengths they’re willing to go to keep her reign intact. If they kill me, they’ll be forced to explain what Avery almost did, what they were giddy to take part in. If they can subdue me and get me back to New Orleans without Josephine finding out, then there’s nothing to explain, nothing to pay for. Oh, but I’ll make them pay.
When the one to my left lunges toward me, I fire the gun. The bullet crashes into his head, burning the flesh surrounding the entry point due to our proximity. The second man stands still in surprise. I don’t give him a moment to react. As the image of his sick face, smiling down at a restrained, half-naked Ariana, flashes through my mind, I pull the trigger, ending him like I have the others. His body falls to the now blood-soaked floor, and silence befalls the room as the weight of my actions settles on my shoulders.
As I take in the beaten and bloody bodies before me, I know I’ve royally fucked up. And yet, as my eyes find Ariana, crouched in a corner across the room, I know I’d do it again. My only regret is that their deaths were too quick.
I slip the gun into my waistband and grab my suit jacket from where it lies as I approach Ariana. Tears drench her face as she sits, motionless at the foot of the stairwell leading to, undoubtedly, more men I will have to slaughter if we hope to survive. When I reach her, I drop to my knees, drape my jacket over her shoulders, and work to remove her handcuffs. She doesn’t say anything nor look at me. Instead, she slowly takes in her surroundings—the bodies, the blood, the bullets. This is exactly what I was afraid of. I never wanted her to see this side of me, the predator, the bloodthirsty monster within. And yet, I know I had no choice. Still, how will she ever see me as anything more now that she’s officially met him—the Blood King?
Maybe it’s for the best. She and I aren’t even together and still Avery used her against me. Of course, he wouldn’t have been able to if I didn’t care for her. But I do. I really do. And yet, how can I be with her? How can I show her my true feelings when I know that doing so only puts her at a greater risk than she already is? No. She must see me as a monster if she is to remain safe. And yet, just like before, when I allowed her to accompany me, I can’t bring myself to push her away, even though I know it’s for the best.
Once she is free of the cuffs, I bring my hand to her cheek so I can get her to look at me. “Hey. Are you okay? Did they hurt you?” Ariana’s glossy eyes meet mine as she pulls her tender wrists to her chest. She parts her lips, but no words come out. Instead, she slings her arms around me and buries her face in the crook of my neck. I pinch my eyes closed as I return her embrace. Our bodies press together so perfectly it’s as if we’re one person or, at a minimum, two halves of one whole.
“Thank you,” she whispers. The quiet brokenness in her voice makes me hold her tighter. What just happened was traumatic, and yet something tells me her sadness is grounded in the past, the time, or times, when no one protected her from the man or men who sought to have their way with her. I pull back so that she may see the sincerity in my eyes as I make her this vow.
“Ariana, I can’t promise you much, but what I can promise you is that no one will ever hurt you again. For as long as I live, I will protect you. I just…hope you can forgive the actions I must take to do so.”
“Forgive?” Confusion washes over her. “Alister, there is nothing to forgive.” Ariana takes a deep breath, tugging my jacket tighter around her. When she returns her gaze to me, I find her strength and determination has returned to her. “You saved me, in a way that, years ago, I could only dream of. You may think that isn’t much, but believe me when I tell you it’s everything.”
Ariana’s words uncoil the deepest parts of me, flooding my veins with relief. And yet, she’s wrong. What I’m offering her isn’teverything.It’s only a fraction of what my heart wants to give her. But I don’t argue with her. I allow her to feel what she needs to get through this moment. Though, as the sound of footsteps echoes down the stairwell, I find our moment of horror continues.
“That’s a hefty promise, Mr. Amato. One I’m afraid will be short-lived.” As Josephine Cullen, flanked by two guards, comes into view above us, I reach for my gun. “Uh-uh,” she says, waving a warning finger at me. “After the mess you’ve made, I plan to take my time with you. If my men are forced to shoot you, it’ll ruin my perfect canvas.”
“Josephine,” I say, standing with my arms raised in surrender. After what Avery and his men tried to do to Ariana, it goes against my better judgment to try talking rather than fighting. But, from what I hear, Josephine is a fair leader, one I pray believes my killings of her men are justified once she learns of their intentions. “I can explain.”
“Explain?” She laughs, stopping just a few steps above us. “How can you explain coming into my city and killing my men? I thought you were smarter than this, Alister. You know, if the circumstances were different, I’d be inclined to pardon you given the tragic news of your sister’s death. But…” She shakes her head, directing her gaze over the railing to take in my handiwork. “Your actions today have forced my hand.”
“Please. They tried to rape my…Ariana.” Unsure of what to call her, I simply use her name.
Ariana stands and turns to face Josephine.
“It’s true,” she says. “If nothing more, my appearance is proof of their intentions.”
As Josephine examines Ariana, something about her demeanor changes. She takes a step closer, prompting me to move in front of Ariana.
“Relax, Alister,” Josephine says. “I have no plans to make your girl pay for your sins. Though, there is something about her that is eerily familiar.” At that, my brows crinkle, as do Josephine’s as she reaches out to run her fingers through Ariana’s curls. Ariana looks between me and Josephine, clearly just as confused as I am. “What did you say your name was?”
“Ariana—Ariana Valentine,” she tells her. Josephine’s eyes widen as if she’s seen a ghost. She removes her hand from Ariana, letting it fall to her side.
“Valentine,” she mumbles, more so to herself than us. “That’s, um…very close to Valentina.” She returns her gaze to Ariana. No. How could it be? “You look just like her.”
“Wait. You…you knew my mom?”
