Page 48 of Fall into Savagery

Damien looked at me before turning to Maxim. “Thank you.”

Maxim nodded. “I found the traitor. He’s being detained in one of the rooms.”

Damien tensed beside me, though it was subtle, and I was sure not many people noticed.

Mikhail and Nikolay came up to us then. Nikolay pulled me from Damien, and Mikhail took my place and supported him.

Damien looked at all of us, and though his skin was still pale and bloody, he looked okay. He looked better now that we were out of danger.

I buried my face in Nikolay’s chest, and he wrapped his arms tightly around me.

“It’s okay, princess. We’ll go home soon, but I need you to be strong for me for just a little while longer, okay?”

It was something similar to what Mikhail had said to me before. I nodded against his chest.

“Bring him out,” Damien said quietly.

I watched as Maxim walked away and moments later came back out with Leo, who didn’t look any better than Damien.

I turned away from him, my heart hurting.

Nikolay tightened his arms around me.

We all waited for what Damien would say, and when he did, he surprised everyone in the room.

“Let him go.”

I pulled away from Nikolay and looked at Damien with wide eyes.

“What?” Nikolay asked.

“But Damien—”

Damien raised his hand and interrupted Mikhail.

“Let him go.” Damien turned to Leo, a look in his eyes that I didn’t understand very well. “Consider this my mercy. For Inessa.”

Leo laughed, the sound empty. “Mercy? Do you think living life without her is mercy? Can you live without Catalina?” He shook his head, his voice pained, and … I didn’t know if this pain was physical or not.

Nikolay moved forward, obviously taking that as a threat.

Damien didn’t say anything as he continued to take in the other man.

Then Leo moved so fast that I didn’t see it coming. No one had been able to stop him—or at least, wanted to stop him.

He grabbed the gun from Maxim and pointed it at his own head, pulling the trigger.

I blinked in shock as time seemed to have come to a standstill. It took one long second for my brain to comprehend what had just happened.

I tried to get in as much air into my lungs as possible, but—but—

I was struggling just to breathe as I buried my face back in Nikolay’s chest, shutting my eyes tightly.

Oh, God.

I was going to be sick.

Leo just killed himself.

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