Page 55 of Savage Sin

“Gun! Gun!”

“I see it.”

How does he sound so calm?

Dirt to my left lifts and flies in all directions. Another bullet sinks into the ground to my right with the same effect.

I do not want to die like this! And then we are moving, but instead of heading for the safety of the tree line, Rage is pulling us to the edge of the destroyed cabin. Half of it is in flames and the other half hangs in shambles. My God, the destruction is complete. Ten minutes ago, we were inside there. Shredded by a sheet of bullets is not how I want to go out.

Rage rolls us left and we don’t stop until our backs are up against a burning cabin. Smoke clogs the morning and I can feel the heat from the flames eating through the wall. How this is safer than getting to the tree line, I don’t know.

“Stay here.” With that, my savior slash captor slash protector disappears into a wall of rolling gray death.

A heavy hand comes down on my shoulder and I spin around to see another blue-eyed man, only this one looks like he wants to murder me.

“Get off me!” I jerk out of his reach and he lunges for me again.

“Come with me or die.”

“I’ve heard that a lot lately.” My feet move in the opposite direction, but I don’t dare take my eyes off the stranger. He has familiar facial features I can’t place. I’ve seen the same cut of a jawline before. The straight brows and the angular mouth trip mental bells, but I can’t pull up a name or a face.

“Rage!” I yell.

No answer.

Panic has my hand shaking. My knees are not faring too well either.

“Rage!” Panic grips my throat and wobbles the sound of my voice.

“He can’t help you!” Unforgiving fingers clamp around my wrist. I stagger forward when he uses his heavier weight against me. It’s then I notice the gun in his other hand. He points it at me and has the balls to say, “Mne zhal’, I’m sorry.”

I always thought I wanted to see death coming when the bastard decided it was my time, but I change my mind. Dread, guilt and sadness forces me to squeeze my eyes closed. This is not an experience I want to witness.

My last thought is I found a man I thought I could love.

And now I’m going to die.

Fourteen

Persephone

Seeing a Glock leveled at Persephone’s head gives me tunnel vision. I’m on the man and pummeling my first into his face before he realizes what hits him.

Blind fury takes over. My breathing is rough and jagged. I forget about childhood friendships and the Savage blood oath we both took. Smoke engulfs us and blocks us from the view of whoever was on that balcony. I didn’t have time to get to him and eliminate the threat before Persi’s panicked voice pulled me back.

Fires of hell explode within me. I use it as fuel, weave through the thick smoke and sink my fingers into the other man’s throat. The past fades away and at the forefront of my mind is the need to protect Persi.

“Behind me! Now, Peri!”

“Where the hell did you go?”

“To load up, baby.” I have two guns tucked into the waistband of my jeans and another in the front. I usually go for shoulder holsters and an ankle piece but that half of the cabin is in splinters and ash. I grabbed whatever I could from the downstairs armory. I’ll have to thank Seth and his friends for always being prepared.

Fists bunch into the back of my shirt. Terror comes off her in waves. She locks in close to me and I keep myself between her and the loaded weapon. None of the Savages are Heaven material. We are unholy men at best, and at worst, it will be the devil we meet when our time comes. And I’m okay with that. But between me and my Maker, I hope I can do enough good to erase the savage sins I’ve committed to ask one favor—keep Persephone from seeing the monster in me.

There’s a line between addiction and obsession. I’ve walked nearly my whole life. A good high makes life sweet. But add obsession into the mix and you get me. A man who can’t get enough of a good feeling. I did it to erase the nightmare, but I also created some. Inside those shadows, I found there’s more than one way to get a high.

My fingers find the edges of Ghost’s windpipe and I squeeze down until I hear the gasping effect I’m looking for. I put the ends of my nose to his and breathe in the fear saturating his aura and feel the rush hit my veins. Making people pay for their sins is a high I’ll never tire of. So much for Persephone not seeing me in monster mode. After today, I doubt she’ll want anything to do with me.

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