Page 94 of The Hermit

My arm moves fast, and it takes a few seconds before blood starts to seep from where I slit his throat open. With zero emotion on my face I lock eyes on Pavlov and watch as the shock registers.

No matter how brave you are, the shock always registers when the body realizes it’s dying.

He coughs, and drops of his blood hit my neck and armored vest, then he sinks down to his knees, and a grin forms on my face. “That’s right, kneel.”

I watch as he slaps his hands over the open gash in his neck while trying to climb to his feet, but his body quickly loses strength, and he slumps to his side.

Cassia walks closer and spits on him before turning around and leaving the office.

“Run!” we hear Enzo shout. “Fucking hell! Everyone out!”

The ground shudders, and I’m hit by a blast that slams me into a wall. I see the grin pulling at Pavlov’s lips right before he dies, and then another blast rocks the entire area.

Chapter 25

GRACE

Chewing the inside of my cheek, I keep glancing at the door.

Evinka coughs, and hearing a sound from her actually shocks me because since I met her, she’s been completely silent.

She signs something, and Alan translates, “She says to stop biting your cheek. Dominik will be fine.”

Suddenly, we hear an explosion in the distance, and it’s quickly followed by another one that’s much louder.

“Jesus,” I gasp as I run to the door.

We all rush out of the building and look in the direction of the factory, where smoke billows into the air.

“No!” I cry. As I dart forward, Evinka grabs hold of me.

She shakes her head hard, and Alan snaps, “Dominik will be fine. We stay here.”

“We have to go check!” I shout. “He might be hurt.”

Her hands move fast, then Alan says, “If he’s not back in thirty minutes, I’ll go check while you and Evinka stay here.”

I lift a hand and brush my hair back while I look at the plumes of black smoke billowing into the sky. “God,” I groan. “Please let him be okay.”

Evinka rubs her hand up and down my back while she stares in the direction of the factory.

I don’t know what I’ll do if something happens to Dominik. I’ve just found happiness with him. We’ve just started building a life together.

It will kill me.

The tension keeps growing in my chest until it becomes unbearable.

Suddenly, we hear the rumbling of a truck, and when it comes up the street, I start to gasp for air, my eyes glued to the vehicle.

Then I make out the person in the front seat, and only seeing Cassia behind the steering wheel, my body goes ice cold.

“No,” I whisper. “Evinka, I don’t see Dominik!”

She darts past me, and my body just reacts, running after her.

When Cassia stops the truck and jumps out, she shouts, “They’re in the back.”

I dart toward the back, and when I see Enzo sitting beside an unconscious Santiago while Leo and Ilias try to stop the bleeding on Dominik’s side, a cry rips from my soul.

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