Page 21 of They Will Burn

Charles reaches for her, his hand grasping her around the throat and dragging her against him. “Did I stutter, Pet?” he growls, his face so close to hers I imagine his cigar-stained breath whispering against her perfect cheeks.

Camilla forces a breath out, and I watch as indecision crosses her features. She could take him down right now. She’s no innocent wallflower despite what she presents to the outside world. But something stops her, and I realize it’s that she doesn’t know where she stands with these people.

For all I know, she thinks we were all in on the plan to hand her over. There’s no way she could know Kaos worked alone to save Bishop. And although I think she may know Noah from school, the others are a wild card for her, and she can’t risk a fight if she’s not absolutely sure she can win it.

She swallows heavily and reaches behind her to unclip her bra. At the same time, I see a figure fly past me toward the stage.

I realize too late that it’s Kaos, his body leaping onto the platform without hesitation, and a snarl forming on his lips.

I move to follow him, not even a little mad that he’s blowing the entire plan, but I quickly find myself restrained against someone’s body.

“Get the fuck off me,” I growl, throwing my head back into their nose and reveling in the crunch. I look over at Bishop, who has some asshole holding him as well, and then Kovu, who is being restrained by three guys.

Charles turns, holding Camilla in front of him like a fucking human shield, and the anger boiling in my blood hits a high it’s never hit before. How fucking dare he?

Camilla looks at Kaos with confusion, her brows tugging together, but she keeps her mouth closed and looks down at the rest of us before releasing a steadying breath.

“What are you doing, Charles?” she asks, her voice clear and even despite how scared she must be.

“Proving to everyone here that the men of the Legion have been keeping you to themselves for the last month, when that directly goes against the deal I had with your father,” he tells her smugly.

“You and I both know that deal died with him. If you wanted it to go ahead, you shouldn’t have had him killed.”

“That wasn’t written anywhere. It was not a part of our contract, and therefore your hand in marriage is still mine.”

She meets my gaze, and I watch as she tries to think through her options. Which lie can she tell that won’t make this situation even worse? She wets her lips, and on a shaky exhale, she says, “That’s not your decision to make. The Syndicate of the Legion is in place to ensure deals are carried out as they are supposed to be. Your men leaving me for dead at the same time my father was killed certainly seems to void any contract you think you had. And to this day, I’m yet to see a contract.”

I’m so fucking impressed by how even her voice comes that I almost miss the moment Kaos strikes, but Charles is too quick. He ducks, dragging Camilla down with him until his body pins hers to the hard stage. Kaos is about to drag him off her when metal glints in the dim lights, and a second later, a knife presses to Camilla’s throat.

“I suggest you back off unless you want me to slit her pretty little throat.” As if to drive home the point, he presses the blade deeper until rivulets of blood drip down her slender neck.

Fear crosses Camilla’s eyes, but she keeps them locked on me, like I’m her lifeline, and the only way she can hold herself together is to keep her gaze locked with mine. Little does she know, she’s the tether that holds us all together, and watching as her life hangs in the balance makes us all pause, no longer fighting the guards who hold us back.

A sick smile crosses Davenport’s face, but I’m too focused on Camilla, on holding her together even though I can’t wrap my arms around her.

“I don’t know what you think you’re achieving here, Charles.” Bishop’s voice comes out calm and clear. “But right now you’re holding a knife to the throat of the head of the De Marco family, which is in direct breach of the contract put in place by the Syndicate.”

“She’s not the head of her family. Her uncle is. And soon, her territory will be mine.”

“Another breach,” I say, my voice void of the emotion beating down on me. “If you were to take over an additional territory, that would mean you are vastly more powerful than your counterparts, which is the sole reason those contracts were ever created to avoid such things.”

Camilla lets out a strangled cry, and I realize Davenport is digging the knife deeper into her neck. Droplets of blood drip down the side of her throat, and I track each one with bated breath.

Knox moves from the shadows, his dark gaze moving over each of us as he makes his way toward his cousin. “You kill her here, you’re as good as dead,” he says, his eyes flicking from Charles to the knife. “We should go. Take her back to the penthouse and regroup.”

My body stiffens at the idea of letting them leave with her, but what choice do I have? Right now, our options are to let her walk out of here alive or watch her bleed out in front of us, and selfishly, I’d take the former every single time. I can’t even think of living in a world where Camilla no longer breathes.

Charles looks at each of us, as if he’s trying to decide whether he’s willing to back down, but when he pulls the knife away from her throat, I let out the breath I’d been holding.

Camilla’s eyes fall closed, and I don’t miss the way her bottom lip wobbles ever so slightly as she desperately tries to hold herself together. She’s so fucking strong all the time, but I’m not surprised she’s close to breaking after all she’s been through the last week.

Just a little bit longer, Little Menace.

CHAPTER EIGHTEEN

CAMILLA

My hands are still shaking when I’m ushered out the back door of the strip club, but I don’t look back. If I meet any of their gazes, I will fall apart.

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