Page 14 of Vows of Blood

Sienna frowns and lets her hands hang by her sides, the ends of the sleeves dangling down past her fingertips.

I resist the ridiculous urge to turn them up for her.

“I can talk to them now. Honestly, I’m fine,” she insists.

She’s fine.

I grit my teeth. “You’re in shock and drenched in someone else’s blood. You’re anything but fine. Bruno will take you home. They can wait.”

Her lips purse, giving me a flash of that delicious anger I know she’s capable of. She wants to tell me to go fuck myself. I can see it.

“Please. It’s not safe to stay here…” I glance around, into the dark shadows and the crowd of faceless bystanders pressing forward, just outside the police tape fluttering in the breeze.

Without a gun, I feel exposed. The best thing for all of us is to get out of here fast.

“Take the ride home. Get a shower and some sleep. Gather your thoughts.”

Cameras flash in the periphery of my vision as more and more TV vans arrive at the scene, ready to document the carnage. This will be front-page news tomorrow.

“Fine,” she says flatly, wrapping my jacket around her slim body.

“Sienna!”

Before Bruno can guide her away, another waitress rushes over, a mass of curly dark hair bouncing around her face, mascara streaking down her cheeks. She pulls Sienna into a fierce hug before holding her out at arm’s length.

“Oh my God, are you okay? Shit. You’re bleeding—” Immediately, she waves toward some paramedics, attempting to call them over.

“Shh. Stop.” Sienna grabs her friend’s forearms and forces her to meet Sienna’s eye instead of spiraling. “Listen to me, Bec, it’s not mine.”

The friend, who gives me a wide-eyed once-over, clocks Sienna wearing my jacket, and this seems to send her deeper into a panic.

“Sienna, oh my God, what the hell just happened?”

That’s my cue to leave.

“Take her friend too,” I say. “Make sure they both get home safely.”

Bruno glances at me over her head, eyebrows raised. He knows there’s more to this than chivalry, much more. I wouldn’t be standing here, instead of at Kate’s hospital bedside where I should be, if there wasn’t.

The horn blares again.

“Let’s go.” Nico’s getting impatient. We’re probably on the verge of getting pulled in for an interview by the cops if we hang around much longer. God knows how much money he had to pay someone to get his car out of, what is very obviously now, a crime scene.

“Go, I’ll take care of them,” Bruno says.

With a tip of his head, my attorney gently steers my ex toward his vehicle that’s parked along the curb, shielding them from the detective’s irritated glare. Before the man can say anything, Bruno heads him off.

“These ladies are in shock, Detective. And need to be checked over. They’re innocent bystanders and will provide statements in due course.”

Both the furious detective and I stand here and watch Sienna walk away.

She doesn’t look back.

Bruno hands over a business card and turns to follow her.

“Bruno?”

He pauses, hanging back, until Sienna is definitely out of earshot.