Page 100 of Twisted Embrace

I pressed down on the accelerator, rolling the powerful machine through the woods. The barn was only yards away.

“Jesus Christ. How did the fuckers find them?” Mattia hissed from beside me.

“That’s what we need to find out.” My hands twisted around the steering wheel as I maneuvered the vehicle around the last curve less than fifty yards from the location of the barn. Every man jumped from the SUVs, all racing toward the sound of the gunfire.

This time, there was no slow motion, only the need to react instantly. I fired off two shots, catching one of the enemy soldiers in the back. Out of the corner of my eye, I noticed another man had his arm wrapped around Joy’s neck. She was doing her best to fight the soldier off as the bastard tried to wrench the weapon from her hand.

Her cries of fear and pain permeated my eardrums, the sound something I wouldn’t soon forget.

My men moved in formation, controlling the possible chaos. Within seconds, two other enemy soldiers were down, two others attempting to flee. That left the single man determined to follow through with his orders. When he saw me approach, he grinned and pressed the weapon to Joy’s temple.

A part of me knew that whatever move I made would be risky, but I’d run out of patience.

My father had taught me the importance of blocking everything else out but what was important. I’d never subscribed to the thought given my hatred of him. But over the course of the two difficult weeks, I’d come to terms with two important facts.

While my father had been a reprehensible man, he’d taught me well through his brutal methods.

And two, I’d come far too close to becoming just like him.

There was no other sound, no distractions whatsoever. There was just the assailant and me on the bright, sunny afternoon. Yet when he laughed, I heard the cackling sound and reacted immediately.

The single shot went straight through his brain.

As soon as the soldier started to fall, Joy fought his hold, lunging toward me. When she wrapped her arms around my neck, I lifted her into the air, holding her tightly against my chest.

“Oh, God.” Her muffled cry nearly destroyed me, but I couldn’t allow the moment to cloud reality.

This was far from being over.

Mattia rushed toward us and I pointed to the barn.

“Secure Lucia. It’s okay, baby. You’re safe.”

“Will it ever be safe?” She pressed her hand against me, easing back. “How did they find us? It wasn’t a guess.” I kissed the top of her head, the rage still simmering.

“That’s the question that needs to be answered. Where is Anthony?”

“Don’t. He didn’t do this. He took a bullet to save us.”

“There are no such things as coincidences, Joy. The Bratva have been one step ahead of us the entire time.”

“You said a tracker.”

I lowered Joy to her feet then took a deep breath. “We found nothing. The only logical place it would have come from was inside your apartment.”

“Which was trashed.”

Lucia’s voice drew our attention. Mattia walked her from the barn, both heading straight for me. “Where’s Dar? Where is he?”

I took a deep breath then took her by the arm. “Lucia. There’s been an accident.”

She jerked her arm away. “Accident? Bullshit. Tell me what happened.”

“It’s okay, Lucia,” Mattia tried to calm her. I sensed there was no easing the brutal despair.

When Joy moved toward her, Lucia finally broke down. “No! No…”

“He’s alive. A bullet to the chest that perforated his lung, but the doctor assures me he’ll be fine.”

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