Page 54 of Guarding The Phoenix: Vol. 2

Axel shot me a furious glare. “The fuck she will. While you might not care about her, I do. I want a future with her. I don’t give a shit what you think. You can find another second in command for all I fucking care. She’s what matters to me in this equation. We should have told her once we knew she wasn’t part of the organization. I’m sorry about Grant. We all are, but you’ve got to take a look around and see how your determination at all costs to bring Santos to justice, might have cost us the best thing that ever happened to us.”

Then he charged out of the room. His boots thudded on the stairs as he shouted her name. Mateo and Chase were two steps behind Axel, yelling for Kylie to hold up.

Swearing beneath my breath, they were right. I had been single-minded in my determination to take Santos down out of revenge. It’s why I fucked up with the tracking devices. Because I allowed my need for vengeance to cloud my judgement.

Fuck.

Would Kylie ever forgive me? I sure as shit wouldn’t if she didn’t. Grant would be vastly disappointed in my performance as an agent and as a man.

We’d nab Santos. He wouldn’t outrun us forever. We had what we needed to lock him up in Supermax for life and toss away the key.

The thought of it didn’t hold the appeal it once had. Because without Kylie, none of it mattered.

On a muttered curse, I followed them. I swore I would make amends, because when I held her, when she looked at me with her heart in her eyes, I saw my future. And it was a future worth fighting for.

***

Kylie

Tears fell like rain coating my cheeks and blinded me on my mad dash. I had to get away from them. I sobbed, feeling like my world had ended. I thought I knew heart break. But my heart was shattered by their betrayal.

I didn’t know if my heart would ever recover. They’d given me a taste of heaven only to pull the rug out from under me. I had wanted forever with them. I rubbed at the ache in my chest. I didn’t know I could hurt like this.

How could they lie to me? If they had come to me and explained who they were, I would have gladly worked with them. But instead, they chose lies.

And once we began sleeping together, not a single one of them decided to trust me with the truth. I thought they cared about me. But I seemed to only pick men who lied. Was I cursed or something? Had I angered a primordial god with my existence?

At the pounding footsteps on the stairs behind me, I changed course from my initial destination and raced out the front door. I needed to cry and rage without them trying to fucking fix me. I didn’t want to look at them because all it did was break my heart.

I rushed outside without a coat, glancing over my shoulder. And ran smack dab into a wall of flesh.

The impact jolted me. Hands gripped my biceps and held on.

“Steady, senorita. It’s about time you came to me.”

The cultured accented voice slammed into me like a bucket of ice water. Unholy fear exploded in my chest. I lifted my gaze and bit back a whimper. Luka Santos evilly smiled at his apparent victory with a cruel light in his eyes.

I didn’t want to know what he had planned for me. This couldn’t be happening. I had to be dreaming and having a nightmare.

I jerked against his hold and opened my mouth to scream.

He yanked me against him. “I wouldn’t do that if I were you.”

“Let me go.” He was all too real. This wasn’t a nightmare. The reality of the situation shredded me. And the hope I’d clung to, that I would escape his clutches for good and get to live my life in peace, dissolved.

“Not a chance.” He glanced beyond me and smirked. “Get rid of them, boys.”

I peered over my shoulder. Axel, Chase, and Mateo were at the front door. Shock etched on their faces.

“No,” I screamed. Gunfire erupted and they dove for cover.

Luka pocketed the map. Then dragged me toward the boat dock and his larger yacht. It was easily three times the size of mine. It was moored on the opposite side of the dock. He had some of his men on board my yacht. Whatever they were doing, it wasn’t good.

I fought him, struggling against his hold. I didn’t want to get on that boat with him. Deep down I knew it would be a hell from which there would be no escape. Luka halted and shook me like a rag doll. “Stop and I will let them live.”

I glanced over my shoulder at the battle taking place. How had he found us? We’d removed the trackers from the ship. Love filled me even through the hurt. They had lied, but I didn’t want them to die. I wished I could tell them I wasn’t mad, that I still loved them and would for as long as I lived. Was this the last time I would ever see them?

If I could save them, I would. I went limp against Luka’s hold. If being docile saved them, so be it.

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