Page 63 of Secret

I jump as a loud bang fills the silent room, and the snake man collapses to the ground. I look away quickly from the body on the floor as Sebastian pulls out a gun from his boot and shoots the other bodyguard in the leg. I’m relieved he isn’t dead as he falls to the ground screaming out in pain. Sebastian walks over to him and kicks his face as I turn my gaze away again.I should be shocked at seeing a dead guy and an unconscious one, but I’m not.

I’m actually quite happy.

I look up to see Elliot pointing a gun my way. I know it’s not at me, but at the man standing behind me. Harley and Luke appear, both holding guns and looking furious, but I feel a wash of relief at the sight of all of the King brothers standing together. I never knew before what it’s like to have a protective family, but now I always will.

I feel a cold gun press against the side of my head, washing away any happy thoughts.

“Now, now, boys. I liked those two.” Arthur pushes the gun further into my head to make a point as my head is pushed to the side.

“No sudden moves, or my sweet Elizabeth is going to suffer for it,” he threatens, stroking the side of my face with his spare hand. I can’t move due to the gun, and I start shaking in fear as I look up to my brothers. Each one of them has the same angry face as they lower their guns.

“Let her go, and we will let you leave alive,” Harley says with an impassive face; he is acting like he has already won, but I don’t know why.

“Or don't, and we will kill you,” Elliot says and turns his head to nod at something.

“And I’ll blow your brains out if you don't move away from my girlfriend, either way,” I hear a dark voice from behind me, and I sink in relief knowing it’s Blake and he’s okay.

A sob escapes my lips as I let the happy tears fall at his voice. My Blake is alive, and I want to jump in happiness. If, you know, I wasn’t tied to a chair. The tears fall down my face. I just want to shout for him to get out of here, but, at the same time, I need him to save me. I’m not sure which thought is selfish, of if they’re both just coming from a fear of death.

“Fine,” Arthur says with his voice dripping in anger. I feel the gun move from my head as my neck snaps up straight, hurting from the weird angle. I watch as Arthur walks to the side of me with his hands in the air, and his gun drops to the floor with a bang.

The boys surround me, their backs facing me as they watch Arthur. I feel Blake cutting my ropes, and even if all I want to do is pass out, I don’t because I want to see Blake so much.

“You’re okay, beauty. I'm here, and we will get you out. I’m so sorry I let them take you,” Blake mutters, his words laced with sadness. I want to tell him it’s not his fault, as I feel the ropes fall to the ground behind me.

I'm still shaking as my arms fall free, and I moan in pain as my arm falls limply to my side. I move it to my chest while biting my lip not to cry out from the pain, but I can’t help the little whimper that escape my lips, or when I sway in my seat as my vision blurs again. Blake is now in front of me cutting the ropes from my legs as my eyes open. I drink in the sight of his messy, blond hair and a small lump on the side of his head. Blake is only using one hand to cut the ropes, and the other is making him flinch as he uses it to hold the rope.

“I love you, it’s not your fault. I thought you were dead,” I say in a hushed whisper, so only he can hear me, and I feel the tears fall from my eyes as he looks up at me with a relieved face.

“I love you more than anything, Izzy, and one gunshot is never going to be enough to stop me from finding you,” he says in a voice filled with passion as the ropes fall free, and I fall into him.I’m lucky he manages to catch me with his good arm, and I breathe in his warm scent, making me feel sleepier.

Luke looks down at us as I look up. “Let me carry her. Your arm, Blake,” he says the end part in a hushed tone, and Blake nods with a frown, looking down at me like he can’t stand to be away from me for a second.

Luke picks me up out of Blake’s arms and holds me close as my head swirls. Blake pulls out a gun from his jeans and moves to stand next to Sebastian who is slightly in front of us.

“We won't fight for you anymore,” Harley says. I’m drawn back into their conversation. I must have missed a part as Harley is now arguing with Arthur.

“We have a deal. If you don’t fight, I will send someone to kill you all. Starting with her,” Arthur angrily says. I can’t see him through the wall of King men, but I’m hoping he is looking stressed.

“You’d hurt my sister, my fucking, innocent sister who had nothing to do with this life? Why wouldn’t I hurt you?” Harley replies, and then saying louder, “We were kids when we struck that deal with you. We are men now, and I don’t see why I shouldn’t just kill you. I’m not a coward like my father. I will kill you if you come near us again, Arthur.”

“You won’t kill me. How would you get rid of the bodies you’ve already killed tonight? I will clean this up for you. If you let me go, we can work something out. I’ll get rid of these guys and you can walk away,” he says, offering something which I’m not sure Harley can say no to. Can he clean up these murders without the police being involved? They all have guns, which I know they can’t have legally.

“I think I would rather kill him,” Sebastian says offhandedly to Harley, and Elliot nods his head in agreement.

“Then you won’t be able to protect her, you’ll all be in jail for this, boys. The police work for me around here, and you would lose them a lot of money if you kill me. Who do you think they would come after if I’m dead?” Arthur says, making my brothers tense, but no one replies. I look up at Luke, who is wearing a worried face much like mine. Harley’s arm slowly lifts in the air, with a gun in his hand.

“Hold on, fine. If you win the last sixteen fights in the cage, I'll promise to stay away from all of you,” Arthur offers, and my brothers glance at each other as he continues. “Let me walk away alive, and I'll stay away from Elizabeth,” Arthur finishes. I can feel the terror in his voice. He still sounds creepy and cocky, but more afraid now. To be honest, my brothers all look scary as fuck, even to me, so I’m not surprised he’s scared.

“If you come after us again, we will go after what you care about the most. You forget, you have family, too,” Harley threatens and nods at Luke.

“Fine, don’t expect a deal with me again, and the fights best be good. You don’t want to know what I’ll do if you lose any,” he warns.

I remember murmurs and voices saying my name before everything goes black.

Chapter27

BLAKE

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