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They were boxed in. No way forward…and no way back. The sudden realization dawned on me. Blood drained from my face. “You bastard.” I turned my gaze to those unflinching eyes. “You cold,ruthless, fucking bastard.You meant for me to see this all along? You dragged me up here forwhat? To watch her brothers die and her to be taken back THERE?”
He didn’t look away, just stared down my fear and murmured. “If you want Ryth and her brothers to survive this, then you will tell The Order what they need to know to sign you over to me. Youwillnot cause me problems, do you hear me?”
He turned toward me and took a step closer. Seamless. Smooth. Sliding close like a snake in the water. He moved against me, that punishing stare seized mine as thecrack…crack...crackof gunfire sounded. “Youwillobey my commands. Youwillbelong to me, in any way I see fit. You do that, and I’ll get them out.”
Sawing breaths cut me to the core.
“You do that, and I’ll save her. Youdo that,and I’ll allow her to live. But youwillobey me, Vivienne. I will have no more disobedience. Do I make myself clear?”
I didn’t think, I just acted, lifted my hand, cocked it backwards, and lashed out.
SLAP!
His head jerked to the side as I felt the sting in the palm of my hand. “Youbastard…you fucking…bastard.”
He slowly turned his gaze back to me, rage glinting in that pitiless stare as his phone started to ring. Jaw muscles clenched, nostrils flared, he wanted to hurt me in that moment. I could see that. As he swiped the icon and answered the call, I realized that he could…with just one command.
Dread moved through me as he answered. “Are you in position?” His voice was husky, his question raw.
I shook my head, unable to speak. Fists clenched at my sides, I held onto that sting in my palm as my entire body started to shake. Not once did he look away, not to the attack below, nor to the stars sparkling in the sky above. All he looked at was me.
“Wait,” I whispered, shaking my head. “Please don’t do this.”
Something moved between us. A chilling clarity.
He stopped speaking, his gaze fixed as I lowered my head.Defiant just enough to keep things interesting and yet aching to be submissive.My fate foretold. He knew with one look…he knew he’d won. In a low, careful tone, he gave the command. “Engage.”
THIRTY-EIGHT
Ryth
We weren’t goingto make it…I knew that with one look in Nick’s eyes as he unleashed a savage roar and kept shooting.Crack…crack…crackcrackcrack…
I didn’t flinch at the sounds, just kept pulling the trigger until a resounding emptyclickcame.Tobias jerked his gaze to mine and handed me another magazine…
I lowered my gaze to his belt, to the last magazine tucked in the waistband of his pants, and shook my head. “Save it.” I looked at him. “You’ll hit more.”
Crack!
Crack.
He kept firing…
Click.
Desperation gleamed in his eyes as he replaced his own spent clip, tossing the empty magazine to the ground. My ears were ringing so loud I didn’t even hear the steel hit the asphalt.
“I’m almost out, T,” Caleb groaned.Crack! Crack! Crack…click.
Caleb stepped backwards as three of The Order’s men hiding behind the corner of the building returned fire.
Crack!
Shots came behind us. I stumbled to the side and pressed my spine against the side of an empty building. I scanned the others, searching, desperately thinking. If we went in there, we’d be cornered in an instant. But if we stayed here, we’d be dead in the street—not me, though, right?Not me.
I turned to Nick as he snarled and trained his sight on movement before he pulled the trigger.
All The Order had to do was wait.
