Page 134 of Celestial Combat

“Who sent you!?” I screamed in his face, slamming his head into the stone ground. “What do you want!?”

His mouth twisted into something between a grin and a snarl. Then, spoke in a rough Russian accent, “The riddance of evil must be thorough.”

My blood went still.

The Bratva.

Again.

I didn’t hesitate.

I stood, pulled the gun from the strap on the inside of my thigh, and emptied it into his chest.

The sound cracked through the cold like thunder until my gun cocked empty.

Blood seeped into the snow, dark and slow, blooming red across the white like spilled ink.

The garden was quiet again. Except for the snow. And my breath.

My hand trembled slightly as I lowered the gun, for entirely the wrong reasons.

I’d just killed. And feltnothing.

I tore through the garden like a madman.

Snow blurred my vision, stinging cold against my skin. I couldn’t see her. Couldn’t hear her. Just the sound of blood in my ears and the thud of my boots through the maze of hedges and marble.

Then I saw her.

Near the old stone gazebo, standing over a body. Breathing hard. Her white dress clung to her in torn strips, soaked in red. Her hands were bloodstained, curls wild around her face like she’d walked straight out of a war.

She was alive. But I couldn’t breathe.

I grabbed her.

My hands were rough, searching her ribs, checking for wounds.

Her palms settled on my jaw, grounding me.

“I’m fine,” She spoke sternly

When I stepped back, and my palms came away red from her skin, I snapped.

“Are you out of your mind?!” My voice came out raw, straight from my throat.

“He had the snake tattoo. He was one of the ones who are trying to take out all the families.”

“I don’t give a fuck about his tattoo!” I growled. “You don’t leave my side. Ever!”

“But I’m fine!”

I shook my head, rage choking me. “You think I care about your intel when I’m supposed to be guarding your life? Not the families.You.”

She looked up at me, furious. But I could see it – the way her throat worked when she swallowed, how her lip trembled for half a second before she bit it down.

We were both breathing like we’d run miles.

“We’re done here.” I grabbed her wrist, dragging her through the snow, towards the back exit of the hotel.

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