Page 125 of Relentless Sinner

“Get her to safety and send backup.”

I’m shaking my head before he can finish. “No, I’m not leaving you.”

“Gabriella, I need to get you somewhere safe. Your father sent these bastards to take you.”

“I can’t leave you.” I grip on to his arm.

“You have to go.”

“But—”

“I love you.”

His words seize the air in my lungs, grip my heart, and reach down deep into my soul.

That’s the first time he’s ever said those three words to me, yet I’ve felt his love a million times over. He never needed to tell me for me to know. But hearing him say it does something different to me. Something magical I never want to forget.

“I love you, too.”

In this state of chaos, his eyes brighten for a moment, and he quickly plants a kiss on my forehead. Then he switches his gaze back to Andrieu. “Take her. Do not letanythinghappen to her.”

The warning in his tone is evident with a hidden threat Andrieu heeds instantly.

“I won’t,” Andrieu promises, then he takes my arm and is ushering me away from Jaxon.

This is exactly what Mom did for me, too. Tell me she loved me then got me away from danger. I pray tonight won’t end the same way.In death.

And again, it would be my father’s fault.

Chapter Twenty-Eight

Jaxon

“One last time, tell me what I need to know. Where is Salvatore?” I hold Salvatore’s guard by the throat and place my knife at his ear.

“I don't know any more,” the guard splutters. “I told you everything. He left earlier with his senior guards, and I haven’t seen him since.”

Fuck.This is absolute shit.

I glare down at the guard and slash his throat, accepting he couldn't tell me anything more.

His lifeless body crumples to the ground in a pool of blood.

Vladmir, who was backing me up, lowers his gun and moves closer to me. The look on his face is as hopeless as I feel.

It was pointless coming here.

After we dealt with the attackers at the beach house, I came here with my men to rain down Armageddon. I wanted to catch Salvatore before he got a heads-up that his plans to take Gabriella had failed. But that bastard was one step ahead of me.

All we got from coming here was blood and nothing.

But it won’t end here. The hunt is on for Salvatore, and I’ll make sure he lives long enough to regret this. The motherfucker thought he could come and kill me with mercenaries and take my wife.

“What should we do now, Pakhan?” Vladmir asks, glancing around at the dead guards on the floor.

“We’re leaving these guys here. It will send a message. I need you to arrange a cleanup crew for the beach house, then join the other men on the east side. Report back if you find anything.”

“Okay, but what about you? Tonight was an assassination attempt on your life. I don't think I should leave you.” He glances back at my guards who are outside the door.