Page 66 of His Eternal Claim

Before I can adjust my aim, Vane moves and reaches down into the pew, tearing Selene out of her Mother’s grip, and yanks her violently in front of him. His arm wraps around her throat, forcing her back against his chest as he raises his gun, pressing it directly against her temple.

“Drop it,” Vane commands softly. “Or her blood coats the floor next.”

“Vane!” Her Father and Mother rush, but Vane’s men just hold them down.

My chest tightens, but I force my face to harden into a mask of indifference. I can’t let him see the terror clawing at my throat. I can’t let him know he has me cornered.

I tilt my head, forcing a cold, detached chuckle. “Do you really think she matters enough to stop me today, Vane? You think a single girl changes what I came here to do?” The lie tastes like ash in my mouth.

Except Selene doesn’t know it’s a game. At my words, the last bit of fight drains from her. She breaks down completely, a sob tearing from her throat as her tear-filled eyes lock onto mine, shattered by my apparent coldness. She believes I’m letting her go.

“Let go of my daughter, you bastard!” It’s her Father. And to be honest, I respect that man, except he doesn’t have any idea how cunning his wife is.

Now, the line is drawn. The church is split into two warring factions. Behind me, my men hold the line, weapons raised. Opposite us stand Vane, Adrian, Hannah, and the remaining Cosa Nostra guards, using the pews as barricades.

If my timing is correct, it will happen in exactly… five, four.

“Well, then, you wouldn’t mind if I kill her.” He slams the gun against her skull.

Three, two…

“Let go of her,” I growl, taking a dangerous step forward, abandoning the feigned indifference. “You won’t make it out of this building alive.”

“Neither will she,” Adrian sneers, stepping up beside Vane, his own weapon aimed straight at my chest.

“I’m only going to say it one more time,” I hiss. “Let. Her. Go.”

One.

Crack.

The bullet tears through the air, striking Vane directly in the shoulder.

He winces, his grip faltering as blood spurts from the wound. That split second is all Selene needs. She twists out of his loosened grasp, stumbling away from him onto the cold stone floor.

Chaos takes the room.

Gunfire explodes from every direction. Adrian lunges forward, his face twisted in rage as he charges directly at me, raising his weapon to take me down.

He’s fast, but I am fueled by adrenaline. I duck beneath his swinging arm, sidestepping his line. I catch him by the wrist, twisting it until the bone snaps, forcing him to drop his gun. Before he can even scream, I drive my knee hard into his chest, throwing my weight into him and slamming him violently into the marble floor. He gasps for air, completely overpowered and pinned beneath my boot.

But my victory is cut short.

Through the crossfire, I look past Adrian and see a rogue Cosa Nostra gunman breaking through the fray. His weapon is raised, his eyes locked onto Selene as she tries to crawl to safety. He’s going to clear his shot and kill her.

“Selene!” I roar.

I lift my gun, aiming past the chaotic crowd, tracing the line directly to her assailant’s chest. My finger squeezes the trigger just as the gunman moves.

But another body stumbles into the line of fire.

The bullet catches her Father instead.

He takes the hit squarely in the torso. He gasps, his eyes wide with shock as he collapses heavily to the ground, the life draining out of his eyes.

Selene freezes, staring at her Father’s lifeless body, and the scream that leaves her mouth tears right through my soul.

And I realize I’ve lost the game.