Page 44 of Fierce Vows

“Sorry about that.”

“Where is Kirrill?”his gaze roams above my head by at least a solid foot’s height.

“Not much for chatting.”I rub the back of my neck with the borrowed gun, wishing I checked it for rounds, because this bastard is going to take more than one shot to put down.

“Where isKirrill?” he roars in my face.

Both of my ears pop.I wince and work my jaw.“What are you, his brother?”

“Yes.”

“Ah, fuck.”

I draw the weapon and fire at the same time as the giant lump of a man twigs on that all is not well, and lumbers at me.Part of his ear flies off with the missed shot, blood spraying backward before he slams into me and knocks me through the wall to our side that feels like it used to be made of cement.

Used to be, because it’s not there anymore.The entire building swims before me.Dust coats the inside of my lungs and settles on my face, though no air manages to make it where it needs to go.I cough up a mouthful of blood and hope it isn’t mine.The body on top of mine stirs, a groan emitting from the behemoth that bleeds freely from more than one place.

“Did he take down the wall with his face?”Dom appears through the haze as I realize the gunfire has stopped for the moment.

“I think so.”I shove ineffectually at the mountain squashing my favorite bodily organs and cough up more blood.“Christ.Get this beast off me.”

“Gonna need a crane.”Even Dom strains to grip the man’s shoulder and heave him upward.His hands slip, and the mountain slams back into me.

“Fuck.”I groan, and I’m not the only one.

“Kirrill.”The Russian’s eyes open, and he stares into my face.“Moy mladshiy brat?”

“Your little brother was a brat, all right.”I shake my head, feeling for my liberated gun and come up empty.My gaze finds Dom.“Do the honors?”

“It’ll be my pleasure.”

A point hits my ribs none too gently.I grit my teeth, my attention forced back to the mountain pummeling my lungs into submission.So this is how I go out.Stabbed by the older brother of a sex trafficker.Makes sense.My run had to end some time.A serene smile creases my lips as I lean my head back and don’t bother to fight it, waiting for the blade to slam through my ribs and into my heart.

At this range, and with his strength, he’ll probably take the offensive, sin-filled organ straight out my back and stake me to the floor of his brother’s house.A fitting end.

A hollow breath leaves me, emptying my lungs as a sense of numbness spreads over me.

Heels click on the floor and warmth splatters my face a fraction of a second before the gunshot reaches me, and once again the man’s blood is in my mouth.I peel sticky eyes open to find Dom’s face replaced with Willow’s, though right now her gold dress is tinted red in my vision.I blink and try to swipe at my eyes but my hands are trapped.

Not my end after all.

“Thank you.”

She smiles that feral smile I love.“You’re welcome.”

“Good.”I shift, my cock hardening at the thought of her killing for me again, but getting a hard-on under this lump isn’t my idea of fun times.“Now someone get this mountainous cunt off me so I can fuck my wife.”

Dom laughs and finally manages, with Willow’s help, to roll the carcass of Kirrill Singleton’s brother off me while I spit his blood onto the floor.

“Are we burning the place?”Dom asks quietly, his hand under my elbow as he helps me rise, his brow dipped, though he says nothing as I walk away on my own two legs.

Thalia watches me from a gilded corner of the room, not having helped or said a word.Not that I expect her to take any part.Her attention is directed elsewhere and I know Willow has achieved the goal she set out to finish.

“It’s done.”I stop before her, unwilling to offer a hug in my state.

My tiny healer, my best friend’s love, doesn’t seem to care.She takes my hand and kneels before me, kissing my fingers.Tears coat her face as I stare at her in utter shock, a sight I never expected to see or wanted.

“Thank you,” she whispers.

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