Page 15 of Ruthless Bonds

They weren’t here about the dead body, or the house, or the missing drugs.Just keep calm.

The police officer sighed and dropped his hand. There was something off about the way he looked, but I couldn’t figure out what it was. “Very important police business, and I would appreciate your cooperation.”

OK, that sounded fake as fuck. My gaze traveled up and down his body. His uniform looked almost too big on him. “Am I under arrest for something?”

He scratched the side of his forehead and looked at the guy in the passenger seat, then back at me. “No, but I need you to come with me.”

I scoffed and walked around to the opposite side of the car. “I know my rights. Arrest me or I’m leaving.”

He held up his hands. “Just come with us, and we’ll have you back home to your sister in no time.”

My heart stopped beating in my chest. Not only at the mention of Dove, but at the tattoo I could see clearly on his forearm.

A wolf with a letter “Z” going through it.

Bratva.

What had Mira said?“You see someone with that tattoo, and you run in the opposite direction.”

He wasn’t a cop. This wasn’t a cop’s car, and I was about to be royally screwed if I got in the backseat. I had to warn Dove. If they knew she was upstairs, they could try to grab her, too. I had to get to her first.

“Yeah, OK, fine.” I took a step back and his eyes narrowed. “Let me just grab my purse from upstairs.” I walked backwards, goosebumps breaking out all over my skin.

“I’ll come with you.” He took a step toward me, and I held up my hand.

“No need, just give me a minute and I’ll be right back.” I turned and walked as normally as I could toward the lobby door. He didn’t believe me. I could tell by the look on his face. As I unlocked the door to my building, I heard another door open and slam shut. I glanced over my shoulder to see the cop and the guy in the suit having a heated discussion.

I took the steps two at a time, the muscles in my legs tight as I got to my floor. There was a tingling in mychest as fear wrapped around me.

Dove was in the same spot in the kitchen I’d left her moments ago. She looked confused for a moment, but something about the look on my face had her moving toward me. I slammed the door shut and slid the bookshelf in front of it. That wasn’t going to stop them, but it would give us an extra minute or two.

Dove’s eyes were wide, her fingers trembling as she pulled out her phone.

“We’ve got a situation.” I grabbed her phone and shoved it back into her pocket. “There’s no time.” They could be in the building already. We had to move now. I gripped her shoulders. “Listen to me. I need you to remain calm. You need to go to the bar and text Dylan. Tell him I went with our friends from the other night.”

I dragged her down the hall, then grabbed her go bag from the closet and my baseball bat. “Wait for me at the bar, Dove. Don’t go anywhere, just wait for me. I don’t know how long I’ll take, but I’ll come for you, I promise.” I ushered her into the bathroom and shut the door.

Since the bar was closed, she wouldn’t have to explain anything to Solene. She could just grab the spare key and hide inside.

The fire escape was just out the bathroom window. If she left now, those men wouldn’t get her. She would be able to get to safety and let Dylan know there was a problem. Not that I accepted needing him to save me, but if anyone was going to, it might as well be him.

Dove’s eyes were watery as she put on her backpack, her entire body shaking like a leaf. I hated that this was happening. This could mess up all the progress she’d been making. She squeezed my hands,mouthing “let me help,” over and over, but I shook my head.

“Run, and don’t come back. I’m going to be OK; I promise.” I squeezed her as tight as I could and pushed her away from me. “Go, quickly.”

She slid out the window and down the first set of steps. I slammed the window shut, just as the sound of books falling to the floor came from the living room.

Boots pounded across the floor as I raised my bat. As soon as the bathroom door opened, I swung with as much force as I could. The cop moved at the last minute, so I barely grazed the side of his head before the bat hit the wall.

“Bitch,” he snarled.

A metallic taste burst in my mouth as his fist slammed into my face, and I fell to the ground.

I wouldn’t scream. Couldn’t. I didn’t want Dove to hear and try to help me.

“You’re going to pay for that.”

Was I going to break my promise to Dove after all?

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