Page 118 of The Lieutenant

“It’s okay now. Baby. I found you.” Her lip was swollen, and she had a few cuts on her arm, but it appeared otherwise she hadn’t been hurt. “I’ve got you and I’ll never let you go.”

She reached up, touching my face. Her eyes were sunken from the terror, yet she managed to smile. “I knew you’d find me. We need to get out of here. The house is wired to blow.”

“Fuck. Come on!” Dimitrios yelled. “What do you want us to do with him?”

“Let him burn in the fires of hell where he belongs. We need to get out.”

Neither of my brothers decided to listen, determined to ensure his early demise. Several shots were fired, killing the man instantly

I scooped her up in my arms, carrying her past my brothers and the soldiers. We all raced up the stairs.

“Get out!” Christo yelled as he trailed behind me.

Maybe the nightmare was finally over.

As I raced through the house, every soldier stopped and offered a nod of respect. As if I was the hero. Fuck that.

“Leave. Now!” I barked.

The rustle of activity was relentless, our men heading toward the road to seek safety. The rush of adrenaline kept me going. “Hold on, kitten. Just hold on.” She clung to me as I struggled to move as far away from the building as possible.

A roar of sound caught my attention and given we were far enough away from the house, I stopped and turned slightly, holding her head against me so she wouldn’t be forced to witness the fireworks.

The blast was significant, a fireball lighting up the sky.

“He got what he deserved,” Dimitrios hissed.

The three of us stood together, watching as the house and surrounding landscape went up in flames.

“Is he dead?” Kara asked.

“He’s dead. Come on, baby. I’m taking you home.”

“Home,” she repeated.

The night air felt good on my skin as I walked down the driveway. “No one is ever going to hurt you again. I promise you that.”

“Don’t promise something you can’t keep,” she whispered as she fisted my shirt.

“I intend on keeping it, my kitten. Forever.”

CHAPTER 34

Kara

Nightmares were real, demons always lurking in the shadows. That’s all I could think about as I stared at the man I loved.

I closed my eyes, barely aware he’d lifted his head until I heard his husky whisper. “Why did you try and leave me, kitten? Why?”

“I already told you. I’m afraid of you and what you’ll do.”

Liar. Liar.

“Don’t lie to me, Kara. I know you too well. There’s another reason you left and you are going to tell me. Please. Don’t do this. Trust me.”

I’d always told myself I could never trust him, but I did with my life.

And my heart.

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