Page 92 of Vicious Vows

"Don't worry, your queen will go down with you," Lionel answered before he addressed the crowd again. "Ladies and gentlemen, it's a great honor for me to invite all those who are ready to get rid of this broken-down empire to join me outside for the final extravaganza; I promise you it'll be a blast! Of course, those who are still loyal to Dominic are more than welcome to stay inside with him." He laughed before reaching back to grab Farrah, and together, they walked the back way, but not before he gave one of his men the order to tie Faye and me up.

Along with me, Yuri and two other guards are dumped at my side. Seemed like they were the only ones to make the cut as being loyal to me. Faye wiggled her way as close to me as possible as the five of us sat immobile in the middle of my large home, waiting for whatever would come next.

It didn't take long for me to figure out how Lionel intended to take me out. He wanted me to go out with my empire.

The first round of explosives went off above us, and my empire literally began to crumble all around me.

CHAPTER 37

Faye

The entire world shook violently.

It wasn't all in my mind either. I finally figured out what Farrah was putting down upstairs; they were explosive devices. She was going to blow up Dominic's house with him still in it. With me still in it as well.

I'm assuming Lionel made us wear the same dresses so no one would question her if they saw her walking around. It was a good plan. Why would they stop Dominic's wife? What I couldn't understand was how my own sister would just leave me here to die. If there was any doubt that I didn't mean anything to her before, there was none now.

I ducked my head as far as I could as another round of explosives went off, and the roof collapsed from above us. Yuri shoved me out of the way using his shoulder at the last minute, just as a heavy beam fell inches away from me.

Fire erupted around us, and I fought to keep my composure as Dominic and the rest of the men struggled to get free. The struggling didn't last long. The smoke was overbearing. I fell over to my side, hacking up the soot and dust that lined my throat, and felt my eyelids getting heavy.

"Faye. Get out, Faye." Dominic mumbled. He was nearing unconsciousness, too, and his last thoughts were for me.

I had to figure out a way to get us out of here. My eyes opened wide for a second, and I looked at the large beam sitting in front of me. There was a metal rebar sticking out the side. It'd been cut at a sharp angle in the explosion. I could use it to cut through the ropes on my wrists.

Mustering up as much energy as I could and praying that another bomb didn't go off right above my head, I scooted backward toward the beam and began to saw the binds at my wrists against the sharp metal.

"Come on! Come on!" I grunted and sipped in tight breaths as I worked my arms. It felt like it was taking forever, but soon enough I was free. "Yes!" I hissed out a breath before succumbing to another round of coughing. I didn't have time to suffocate. Another bomb went off in the far corner, sending another sheet of marble and sheetrock raining down from above.

I rushed to Dominic and untied his hands and feet before doing the same for Yuri and the other guards.

"Dominic, come on. Come back to me," I shook his shoulders, trying to get him to wake up. "Dominic!" I screamed and smacked his cheek once. His eyes popped open, and he snarled at me, trying to get away. "No, it's me. It's Faye. We have to go now." I stroked his cheek once softly so he'd know he was in good hands, right as another bomb went off above.

"Faye!" his eyes widened and he yelled for me before he threw his body over mine. His strong arms were the last thing I felt before everything went black, and the crushing weight of the ceiling was falling on us. This was it. If this was how I would go out, at least it would be in Dominic's arms.

* * *

Heat licked at my skin and I fought against the darkness that surrounded me.

If this was hell the story books did a good job describing it.

I felt like I was suffocating, I couldn't move anything and it felt like there were flames roasting me all around.

I blinked a few times but I couldn't see.

"Dominic! Call out! Dom! Faye!"

Yuri's voice cut through the silence. That was wrong. If I was in hell why could I hear him calling for me. That could only mean I wasn't dead. I was buried. I pushed at the hard object laying on top of me but instead of hard stone I felt a soft body.

"Oh god. Dominic! Wake up!" I pushed my hands up as far as I could and tapped against his face. When that didn't work I dropped them to his side and pinched as hard as I could in the awkward position. "Dominic!" I screamed for him again and this time I got him to grunt in response. "Wake up now! We have to move!"

"What, Faye, what the fuck!" He tried to push up off me but the slabs of stone above us didn't budge. "Shit!" He pushed over and over but it only seemed like the stones were getting heavier.

"Wait, Yuri is out there. We have to call for him."

Dominic stopped moving and we quieted down. Sure enough Yuri called out for us again. "Dom!"

"Here! We're here!" Dominic yelled so loud it made my ears ring. "Yuri!"

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