A bullet whizzes past my head as I run toward Diamond’s room. I take the shooter out with a single swipe of my blade. He drops to his knees as I surge into the bedroom he’d been guarding.
“Stop!” A big, burly motherfucker has Diamond around the throat. Both of them are facing me, and she has tears in her eyes.
“Devlin,” she cries.
“I’m here now, doll face. Don’t worry.”
“Don’t worry?” The asshole laughs. “I could snap her neck right now if I wanted to.”
“My father—”
“Doesn’t give a shit about you.” The man glares at me. “So you had her? How was she? I bet that cunt was so tight, like a padded cell.” He moves his other hand down her chest.
“Stop.” I step closer.
“Don’t.” He snaps his hands back to her throat. “I’ll do it. I’ve been wanting to do this for a long time.”
“Jeremiah—”
“Shut up!” he yells. “I wasn’t talking to you, chubby. Was I? I told you before we were so rudely interrupted that you better not make a sound, didn’t I?”
“Y-yes.” A tear rolls down her cheeks.
“Because I wanted to see just what that fat pussy felt like on my cock.”
Another tear slips away. My blood already ran cold, but right now it’s ice. It’s like this whole thing is happening in slow motion. The blades in my hand, his palms at her throat, the fear in her eyes. I wait. I don’t have time to wait, but I do. Because the moment he fucks up—and he will fuck up—he’s dead.
The sound of shouting voices and pounding feet bounce off the walls. Calabrezi’s soldiers will be here soon enough.
“What, you don’t want to tell me what she’s like?” He leans over and licks up her cheek.
That’s it.
That’s the fuck up.
With a hard motion, Diamond brings the piece of glass in her hand right across his cheek. His screech is a symphony as I rush forward and bury my knife into his eye.
Diamond clings to me as I twist the blade, enjoying the surprise that flames in his other pupil before it goes still and dead.
“Devlin.” She gasps.
“I’m here.” I let the asshole drop, then take her hand and lead her to the window. “We have to go. Now. But first.” I take her mouth in a fiery kiss, once that I hope sears her soul the same way it does mine. “I love you, doll face.”
Her eyes widen. “I knew it. I love you, too!”
“Good.” I kiss her again. “Now let’s go.” I gesture toward the window.
“Out there?” Her eyes widen as I unlock the window and throw it open.
“I’ve got you.” The gunshots get louder, and I can hear the footsteps again, but this time they seem to be moving away.
“They’re inside the door!” a man yells. “We need reinforcements!”
Malone and Brenda are a fucking godsend. “Here.” I put one leg out the window and straddle it before stepping onto the lower roof. “Give me your hand.”
She takes a deep breath and does as I say. “Okay.”
“She’s mine! You aren’t taking her!” Don Calabrezi yells as he charges into the room.
“No!” Diamond yells as he reaches for her.
“I’m sorry.” I’m speaking to her, not him, as I raise my pistol and take my shot.
He falls forward, crashing to the floor as I pull her onto the roof with me.
“I’m sorry,” I say again as I turn her face away from her dying father.
“I know.” It’s all she says as I lead her to the edge of the roof. “We have to jump.” I point to the pool.
She doesn’t balk, not even when I take her hand and count to three. We jump together, landing in the water and quickly swimming to the edge and climbing out.
“Hurry.” I take her in my arms and run from the house as the gunfire finally dies down. By the time I reach the car with her, the night is eerily quiet.
“You came for me.” She fusses at my shoulder. “And you’re hurt.”
“I’m fine. All that matters is you’re mine.” I kiss her again. “Nothing will ever keep us apart.”
“Do you promise?”
“On my fucking life, doll face.” I start the car and tear away from the house.
“But my father. You killed my father. They’ll hunt you. They’ll—”
“My soldiers are on the way. They’ll level this place. Make it look like a fight broke out between Alonzo’s men and your father’s. Both of their bodies will be conveniently found inside, but the fire will erase the details.” I take her hand. “Did anyone hurt you?”
She stays silent for a long while. “Yes and no.”
My grip on her hand tightens. “Explain.”
“My father tried to hurt me. He said the same words he used to hurl at me, and his men did, too. Especially Jeremiah.” She shivers. “But … this time … they didn’t hurt me. They could call me all the names they wanted and say I was worthless, but I knew it wasn’t true. I mean, I used to not know that at all. But now…” She pulls my hand to her lips and kisses it. “Because of you, now I know they were all lies. Now I know who I am.”