Page 107 of Cruel Vows

Noah flicks off the safety, leveling the gun with my forehead. “I told you the conditions, Ellie, and you chose to throw my kindness back in my face.”

Before his finger wraps around the trigger, shots echo from upstairs. Jace pulls his gun, standing in the doorway and facing the hall.

Noah hurries to Jace’s side, looking into the hall.

I drop to Ellie’s side while Noah’s distracted, but she shakes her head.

Ignoring her, I cradle her face in my hands. “How hurt are you?”

“Not going to be able to walk.” She gives me a wry smile, but it gives way to pain.

That’s when I know that she’s more injured than she’s letting on.

Right now, I can’t worry about how much she’s hiding from me. Not when I have to get us out of here and get her to a hospital as soon as possible.

With whatever is going on upstairs, this might be the only chance I have to save her.

I cast a glance over my shoulder at Aiden.

I might not be able to save them both.

Ellie has to be the priority. Aiden would kill me if he knew I had the chance to get her out of here, but I took him instead.

It would be the fight we would never recover from.

More men rush by the cell and up the stairs, their boots thudding as the shouting grows louder. Royce’s voice echoes above them all, screaming for everyone to find his family.

It looks like the guard Ellie spoke to was able to get help.

Now all we have to do is try and get out of here alive.

30

SEAN

Ellie’s breathingbecomes raspy as she looks up at me. “I don’t know what you think you’re going to do but get Aiden out of here. Please. The family needs him.”

“And I need you.” I keep my tone low as I look down at her, taking in the deep bruise on her cheek and ignoring my father’s dead body slumped against the wall.

The gray stone is stained with red and as blood seeps into the mortar, it shifts to the color of rust.

Dad should have known better than to put his hands on my wife.

With Noah’s back turned, now’s my moment.

I get to my feet and creep behind him, wrapping an arm around his neck and dragging him backward and forcing him to drop his gun.

Jace spins, the gun pointed at me. “Let him go.”

I move behind Noah, keeping him in front of me as a shield. “Not going to happen. You’re going to leave, and then I’m going to kill your boss.”

Noah laughs. “Guard the hallway, Jace.”

Jace glares at me before stepping just outside the cell and into the hallway.

The moment he does, something sharp sinks deep into the outside of my thigh.

Pain shoots up my leg, blood pooling around the black hilt of the knife and seeping through my pants, mixing with the other bloodstains that cover them. I groan, struggling to stand.

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