“Something’s wrong.” This comes from Kahn just as my phone rings.
I answer, “Darius.”
“Get out of there, brother,” the urgency in his voice has me already moving, tugging Kahn and signaling to Alex. I hit the speaker on my phone as we make our way through the courtyard, back into the church. “Howler picked up some weird vibration from underground. There are bombs planted beneath the church and fountain, they’ll be detonated because of the raid.”
I hang up before he can continue and shout to everyone, “Move out! Now!” Men race along with us as we head for the gates. “Move! Get the fuck out now!” We’re nearing the gate when an explosion that sends us flying, hits the air, the smoke rising, filling my lungs as I go down, hitting the ground hard. Debris falls around me as I cover my head with my hands. In an attempt to crawl away, I scrape my hands and knees on the ground as more pieces of the building comes crashing down around us.
Panic settles in my gut, twisting and turning. I promised Scarlett I would come home to her and I’m not about to fucking break it. I focus on the men in front of me, on the gate, and that’s when Darius steps in my view.
He holds out his hands and drags me up as I wrap an arm around his neck. This is the closest we’ve been to loving or affectionate since we were about sixteen. All the years after, have been filled with arguments and fighting.
“You saved my life,” I tell him. “If I didn’t know any better, I would think you loved me.” Even in the darkness of what’s just happened, I can’t help but grin.
“Only saved you so you could gift me a night with your wife,” he taunts as he drags my bleeding ass to the car, where I fall into the backseat. Pain shoots through every part of me, and my legs and arms feel like lead is weighing them down.
“Fuck you,” I bite out, responding to his taunt about Scarlett. She’s going to kill me when I walk into our room, broken and bleeding.
Alex and Kahn join us then. “Fucking bastard knew we would come,” Kahn says, his teeth gritted, his hands fisting. There’s a vein throbbing in his neck, and his throat works hard as he swallows. His frustration is at boiling point. Thankfully, none of us were hurt. At least, I fucking hope so. I don’t know about the rest of the men.
Glancing between the two of them, I realize Kahn is angry, but first things first. “Were any others hurt in the explosion?”
“No,” Alex is the one to respond. “They got out around the back, those who came with us are fine.” He leans back, blood dripping from his forehead, and we all need to get checked out. Just in case.
“Hospital?” Darius asks, and I nod in response. He takes it upon himself to order the drivers around, telling some to take the girls to safety. The drive to the hospital is bumpy, at least it feels like that because I’m in agony. Perhaps I should’ve listened to Scarlett and stayed home, but then my men would’ve been hurt.
The bright lights of the emergency room burn my eyes as we’re wheeled toward the waiting doctors. I hate these fuckers. It’s their job to probe and prod, but right now, the only thing I want is my wife. To hold her, to tell her how much I love her. And to tell her that if she truly does want one night with Darius and me, she can have it.
There is one thing I need to talk to my brother about, and that’s coming home. He needs to be back in Crimson Falls for our plan to take down Grace Bardot to work. The folder falls from my clutches when the doctor tells me to unzip my hoodie to check my breathing, and when I pick it up, I find a photo of Grace, along with an application form, this one is different to those of the girls they were selling.
This one it titled differently.
Sponsor.
17
Scarlett
The moment he walks in, I see the scars. There are scrapes on his handsome face, and my gaze drinks in every inch of him within seconds of the door shutting. He sets something down on the desk which is positioned against the wall near the entrance, before he looks at me.
“Oh my god. Are you okay?” I rush toward Lycan, careful as I gently wrap my arms around his torso, ensuring my hold on him isn’t tight enough to hurt. Even though he is bruised and battered, he seems to be okay because he’s smiling at me. Relief washes over me like a tidal wave. Emotions hit me right in the chest and tears spring to my eyes. The burn on my lashes is enough to have me blinking and allowing them to fall.