Page 82 of Brazen King

The happiness we might find together. I know I shouldn’t want it, but I do.

I want it with such a deep, aching need that it steals my breath away and brings tears to my eyes.

Then I catch sight of Tatiana. Her expression is stony as she weaves across the dance floor toward us, ignoring any man who pauses in an effort to engage her. She’s had enough—she’s seen enough, and she’s on her way to give me a harsh dose of reality.

But just as she reaches us, her lips parting to unleash a fiery lashing, the violent report of gunfire shatters the romance of the evening.

My heart stops, my body seizing as I tense instinctually. And Killian and I both duck at the same time. While I pivot, searching for the source of the horrible sound, Killian’s arm wraps around me bringing me beneath the protective cover of his body.

Then come the screams.

Bloodcurdling and filled with horror, a swelling chorus of agonized cries split the air inside the crowded ballroom.

It takes me less than a second to pinpoint the pack of armed men flooding the charity ball—Italians, led by none other than Don Lucian Agosti.

My stomach plummets as my eyes land on his face, etched from stone and focused with laser intent. He’s cutting a path straight toward my parents, who now hover near the side of the stage, waiting for the speech they were ready to give as they welcomed their guests.

Papa’s arm is wrapped protectively around my mother’s shoulders, pulling her close—just like Killian is doing for me. And my heart stops when I see the future before it unfolds.

The results of this bloody surprise attack that was clearly planned.

“No!” I scream as Lucian’s men mow down the guards standing between him and my father.

And as the bullets rip through the bodies of my father’s loyal men, making them jerk and convulse on their way to the ground…

Two bullets find their way into my father’s chest.

Horror grips me, draining the blood from my face as I watch my father’s stunned expression. His arm tightens around my mother, instinctively attempting to remove her from the danger. And his eyes track toward me and Tatiana.

For a fleeting moment, our eyes meet across the sea of screaming guests.

And my father sees it—he sees everything. Me in Killian’s arms, his nemesis using his own body to shield me from harm. Intense relief washes across his features.

Then my father falls lifeless.

My mother screams, the sound so broken and devastated that it rips a sob from my chest. And she turns to look at the love of her life lying dead at her feet, agonizing loss twisting her beautiful features.

But her pain is over in an instant as another bullet slips between her shoulder blades and exits through her chest. A crimson riot explodes from her chest as her heart quite literally shatters.

Then she collapses on top of my father. Both parents stolen from me in a matter of seconds.

“Papa!” Tatiana screams beside me, and when I turn my head toward her in a daze, I find her hand covering her mouth, her eyes wide with horror.

“Shit!” Killian snarls.

In my shell-shocked haze, I look up at his handsome face in confusion. Then I follow his blazing eyes back toward the bloody massacre where my parents lie slaughtered.

But that’s not what Killian cussed about.

It’s the fact that, with my parents dead, Don Lucian has now turned his gaze upon me and Tatiana. And he’s stalking toward us with ice-cold intent.

“Move, Natasha. Move!” Killian growls as he hauls my rigid body backward toward the exit.

My heart stops as, for a moment, I’m terrified that Tatiana might get left behind. Our father’s men are all dead, lying in bloody heaps on the ground. And while I might have momentarily frozen in shock and horror, Tatiana doesn’t have the same combat skills as I do.

She’s never been a physical fighter, choosing instead to wage war with her words. And while she’s the most effective debater and negotiator I’ve ever met, I don’t think that’s enough to save her in the midst of this bloodbath.

“Tatiana!” I call, searching frantically for her.

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