Page 50 of Once A Crime Lord

“Gavin, please!”

“Blade,” Gavin bit out.

Blade advanced into the room and ripped her away from Jonathan. She clutched at Jonathan with desperate hands, pulling him with her. Blade squeezed her wrists, causing her fingers to contract and release him.

“No, Gavin, don’t!” The scream came from her gut. “Please don’t! He hasn’t done anything wrong!”

“Get her out of here,” Gavin said.

Blade lifted her into the air, and she fought savagely, all to no avail. She caught a glimpse of Gavin advancing toward Jonathan who wasn’t going to raise a hand to defend himself. She couldn’t let Gavin wipe Jonathan off the face of the earth. The only crime Jonathan committed was befriending a woman who belonged to Gavin Pyre.

“Gavin, you kill him, I’ll leave you!”

Blade froze. For a moment, she wasn’t sure if Gavin heard her, and then he turned slowly. His face had been wiped of all emotion. Blood dripped from the knife that had already seen unspeakable horrors today. The room was so quiet, she swore she could hear the drops hit the carpet.

“You’re choosing him over me?” Gavin asked.

“He’s done nothing wrong,” she repeated. She shoved against Blade who dropped her. She walked up to Gavin, eyes never leaving his for a second. He was capable of taking on six men at once. One move and Jonathan would be lost to her forever. “Don’t do it.”

His stillness scared the shit out of her. She stopped a foot away and tentatively reached out. Her fingertips wrapped around the hand that held the knife. His skin felt like warm iron beneath her fingertips.

“Please,” she whispered, “don’t.”

Gold eyes bored into hers. His energy pulsed in the air, raising the hair on the nape of her neck. The promise of violence swirled around him.

“He’ll leave, and we’ll never see him again,” she promised. “I’m not going to run away with him.”

“You promised you would never leave me,” he said.

“I can’t let you kill him.”

“Because you love him?”

“No, because this isn’t right.”

His hand flashed out and gripped her chin. “He wants you. He loves you. I can’t allow him to live.”

“You can,” she insisted as terrified tears coursed down her cheeks. “You have to.”

Her hand trembled as she cupped his face. When he didn’t move, she stroked. She was very aware of their audience and how precarious the situation was. Anything could incite him to attack.

“Please.” She took a risk and moved in closer. The breast of his suit was stiff with blood, but she didn’t care. She wrapped herself around him, silently pleading with him not to do this.

He touched her hair and a moment later, he picked her up. She collapsed against him and shuddered in relief.

“Thank you,” she whispered.

He carried her out of the room. Over his shoulder, she saw Jonathan sag to his hands and knees. Now, he knew all his suspicions about her husband were correct. Gavin wasn’t civilized or rational. He was a crime lord who did whatever he pleased. Jonathan was lucky to be breathing. She lost sight of him as Gavin strode down the corridor. Blade and two guards followed.

“You won’t kill him?” she whispered.

When he didn’t answer, she stiffened. He would come back and finish the job later.

“Promise me!”

No response.

She shoved against his shoulders. “Gavin, you can’t—”

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