Page 132 of Tempt Me (Dark Odyssey 4)

Chapter Thirty-Five

Vincent

“You alright?” Claudius asks me as I take off the bandage off my arm the doc put on it. I can’t deal with things like that. They get in the way.

“Jesus, Claudius, I don’t know how to answer that question. I guess I can say I’m alive.”

He laughs.

The guys are all here. My brothers and their crew. They’re outside the office. I came in here when the doctor arrived. He thinks I have a broken rib, and he’s shocked I’m not dead.

Pa is on his way here. My mother was here already. She has Timothy while Marguerite is tending to Ava

“Well, at least you finally got to do a daredevil stunt and didn’t end up in the hospital,” Claudius says, tilting his head to the side.

I won’t even think about that. The last time I tried anything like what I did with Ava—fucking jumping bikes over cars—I was nineteen. I busted my ass and ended up missing the first month of college.

I entered a dare with this devil in front of me.

“I did.”

“That’s why we’re friends. You’re the only guy outside my pack who’s as badass as me. Your brother comes close though, so watch it.” He smiles, but then seriousness enters his eyes. “What do you need, Vincent? Looks like we’re at war again.”

I blow out a ragged breath and think of all that happened in just a handful of hours.

They killed Mark, and they wanted to kill Ava too.

The whole fucking thing was set up so it would take them both out. She hasn’t stopped crying.

“I know,” I agree.

“You didn’t tell me there was a doll worth all this.”

I stare back at him, not knowing what to say. “It’s complicated.”

He smiles. “Gangsters and dolls. It’s always complicated. I look forward to hearing the details. I’m gonna go check a few things out. You call when you need me.”

He puts out his hand to shake mine, a symbol of our friendship and alliance.

“Thank you, old friend.”

He dips his head for a nod and leaves.

When he does, my brothers come in.

It was an all-star cast out on the road today. Anybody could have gotten killed.

The plan was they’d cover me while I got Ava out.

It was the secret squad who tracked her down, but they saw Mark dead in his apartment before she got there. We had a handful of minutes to concoct the plan we managed to pull off. It’s just luck that we were able to get everyone there who could help.

“You guys alright?” I ask.

“Vin, you’re asking us that? You look like shit,” Salvatore says, taking a seat in the armchair.

Gabe shakes his head at him while Nick nods.

“Vincent, you do look like shit. Why don’t you rest while we go out on the street?” Nick offers.

---