Page 117 of The Art of You

So distracted by what was going down before me, I barely noticed we had company.

Constantine crouched before me, lowering his skeleton mask. “Are you two okay?” he asked us.

Distracted by my brother choking the life from Green, holding him off the ground like he had superhuman strength, I sputtered instead, “Stop him.”

Another masked man I didn’t recognize went around us to Callie as she continued to beg Alessandro to stop throttling the life from Green.

“Alessandro,” Callie implored again once freed from the chair. “Don’t.”

“Stop Alessandro,” I told Constantine as he uncuffed me.

“I can’t do that.” Constantine shook his head. “They deserve to die.”

I stole a look at Hudson mounted on top of Keith, strikinghim with severe intensity, blood covering his gloved hands. “Green tried to save us,” I let him know.

“He took a bullet for me,” Callie added, bolting to her husband.

Constantine helped me stand as Callie tugged Alessandro’s arm, urging him to look at her.

He slowly pivoted his head and whispered, “Calliope, please.”

“He doesn’t deserve to die.” Tears flew down her face. “I’m okay. Look at me. I’m—I’m okay.”

Alessandro bowed his head, finally relenting and letting go of Green to take Callie in his arms.

Green crumpled to the ground, quickly removing the chain from around his throat, gasping for air.

Constantine went over and secured his wrists with cuffs, not taking any chances, and I focused back on our last HVT, Keith.

“I need you.” I wasn’t sure who Hudson was calling for, and when I faced him, he was still on top of Keith but no longer punching him. The man was limp and lifeless beneath him. “Constantine, I need you to stop me before I kill him.” He lowered his mask below his chin. “If you don’t physically move me away, I’ll do it,” he gritted out as if it took all his energy to say that.

Constantine quickly helped Hudson up. “Go to her,” he told him, gesturing with his head toward me.

My legs were heavy from the drugs, but I refused to let them slow me down.

Hudson tossed his helmet to the ground, then hauled me against him. “I told you I’d come for you.” I felt the tears break free from him as he held me tightly, the emotional dam collapsing. “I’m sorry it took me so long to get to you, but I promise I’ll never lose you again.” He unwrapped his armsfrom my body to cup my cheeks, both of us crying. “Are you okay?”

“I am now,” I sputtered with a nod, flinching at the feel of something hitting my leg.

I peered down to find a dog’s paw on me.

“Fellow frogman,” Hudson murmured.

I swallowed the stuttery emotional breath catching in my throat. “Frog-dog, huh?” I reached down to pet him, sniffling as I met Hudson’s eyes again. “I didn’t realize that was a thing.”

“Pulled out all the stops to get to you two.” He blinked back more tears, dropping his forehead to mine, still holding my face.

“I’d expect nothing less.” I stopped petting the dog and wrapped my hand over Hudson’s arm. “You showed mercy.”

“No, that wasn’t mercy.” His brows tightened. “Keeping him alive without anyone here to love him, that’s torture. That’s hell.” His glossy blues held my eyes as he stared at me. “You saved me from the hell I’d been living in, and so help me, Bella, I never want to go back.”

Chapter 45

Isabella

It was a lot to process.Like, a lot-a lot. Because even though we were all safe and okay, I’d been on the other side of someone’s screen for months. Watched by a madman. My every movement under the scrutiny of a predator. How does one just forget that?

We’d been rescued three hours ago, but without the drugs numbing me, it was hard not to remember the exchange with Keith, and his ugly words. His despicable actions.

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