Page 39 of Tangled Vows

My ears still buzzing, I get a nasty feeling in my gut. We don’t have much time. We have to get out of here.

“Can you walk?” I whisper, barely able to hear my own voice.

Ivan gives a quick nod.

I brace myself and lift him to his feet.

My shoes splash in a puddle of gas, and I move my hand down to my brother’s arm. I grip him hard and he staggers forward. We put distance between us and that dark corner of the parking lot. I don’t look back—I know what’s going to happen.

“Run!” I cry at the top of my lungs, almost halfway across that strip of concrete.

Ivan groans in pain as he jogs closer to me. Adrenaline is shooting through my veins, my heart ready to burst from my chest. Somehow, Ivan musters all of his strength and matches my pace.

Our loud footsteps are echoing across the space, the entrance getting closer with each stride. A deafening bang rocks the lot from side to side as the roof of the Ford is blasted upwards. The closest fluorescent lights shatter as the shockwaves shoot across.

My brother and I step out and into the darkness of the street.

We move away from the strip club itself, hiding in the shadows of surrounding palm trees. Customers clamor out the front door. I watch as Ivan leans against the trunk of a tree. I look down at him and drop to my knees.

“Leo...” He croaks, blood pooling in the corner of his mouth, his gaze now fixed and glassy.

“Stay with me,” I command, pulling aside the lapel of his jacket. More blood has soaked his white shirt, its stain expanding around his chest.

He coughs, his body jerking back against the trunk. “Listen. You need to promise me something,” he says in faint voice, his focus settling on me.

“What?”

“Get him,” he whispers. “Get him for me.”

“We’ll get him together,” I promise.

Ivan’s gaze flickers before he tips his head back.

I crane my neck, my heart pounding harder. His eyes close and it’s like someone has shoved their hand into my chest and ripped my heart right out. “No!” I shout, thrusting my hand up to his face. “Don’t slip away! Wake up!”

I exhale over his chin, my breath shallow. Frustration mixes with sorrow. I slam both my fists into the tree, anger soaring through my system. Once again, we failed to do what we had set out to do. Simeone is still breathing. His head is still attached to his body. I don’t have my revenge against him. Instead, I have a bleeding Ivan, and I need to get him the hell out of here.

Chapter Nineteen

Clare

Catching some z’s just gets harder every night.

Tonight is no exception.

No matter what I do, I can’t get rid of the tension on the back of my neck. I have spent so much time staring up at the ceiling that I have located every little crease on its paint. I have tried reading online books on boring topics like decluttering. Normally, this last method should have made my eyes cross within minutes.

It didn’t.

Half an hour into that book, my eyes were still wide open.

Of course, there’s an explanation for this.

I’m worried about Leonid and Ivan.

They’re both out there, fighting their enemies. Putting their lives on the line. Worse, neither of them has bothered calling me with any updates. I know—this stuff can’t be discussed over the phone. Yet, they don’t need to go through details. Simple statements would do just fine, like, “Hey, I’m okay. Get some sleep.” The notion of me calling them is out of the question. I have no idea what they’re up to. A ringing or a buzzing phone could spell disaster, for all I know.

I toss my phone down on the bed in frustration, wondering what in the world to use next. But, just as I tap my fingers on the sheets, two consecutive noises from outside give me cause for concern. Two sets of tires screech, cars skidding across the dirt.

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