Page 80 of Cruel Vows

She gets out of the car, rounding the hood and waiting for me.

As I get out, lights shine beside the glossy black boat that would have been carrying my shipment of weapons. The lights cast harsh shadows across the bodies and the blood covering the cement.

Ellie’s wide eyes turn to me, a hand going to her mouth. “This is a bloodbath.”

My jaw ticks as I stride toward the scene, glancing around at the men still rushing around, keeping guard over the boat. Twoof them nod to me as we pass through the barricade they have formed, drawing closer to the mess.

Crimson stains the cement, vacant eyes staring straight ahead.

My stomach turns as I crouch down beside the first person, pressing my fingers to the side of his throat.

Jared’s gone.

He was only in his early twenties, but he already had a wife and three kids he was raising with a fourth on the way. He was a good kid, even if he was a little too outspoken at times.

A lump forms in my throat as Dominic approaches, his brown leather boots stained with blood.

He clears his throat. “It’s bad, boss. Final count is two dozen dead and another fifteen injured.”

Ellie shifts beside me, moving to the side of a man who groans. She assesses him quickly, taking stock of his injuries and running her hands over his body, whispering something to him.

I stand and wipe the blood from my fingers on my pants. “How many of his men are dead?”

“Twenty.”

I take a deep breath, squeezing my eyes shut.

Right now, I need to see who is still living, and then I can worry about finding out what happened here and why the men who were here with the shipment—nearly four dozen of them—weren’t enough to protect it.

Ellie looks at me as she moves on to the next man. “I need all the wounded brought out here as long as they’re able to move without getting more injured. Ones who can’t walk on their own need to be brought out on stretchers. I assume there are those with the first aid center on the ship.”

Dominic presses his lips together, annoyance flashing in his eyes. “There should be.”

“Is there a problem?” I step closer to him, blocking his view of Ellie.

“No,” Dominic says, his tone sharp as he looks at me. “But don’t you think it’s better that I stay and help keep the area secure instead of doing the work of the soldiers?”

I cross my arms, cocking an eyebrow. “No. Now, go do as she said and find men to help you. Noah isn’t going to attack again tonight.”

“You can’t be sure of that.”

“I can be. He wants to make a show of my death and play games prior to it. Killing me here tonight isn’t going to be good enough for him. Not that I need to explain myself to you.”

He takes a step back, his head dipping. “Yes, sir.”

With a spin on his heel, he takes off toward some of the others standing near the side of the boat and they board, slowly bringing out the injured men. Others help the people outside move closer to Ellie.

She comes back to me and takes the gun out of her waistband, handing it over. “Here.”

“I thought you wanted this?” I tuck the gun into the other side of the shoulder holster.

“I know you’re going to shoot anyone who even looks at me the wrong way.” She gives me a small smile and pulls her hoodie over her head before returning to the man she was just checking over.

He groans as she lifts up his head and tucks her hoodie beneath it, leaving her in nothing but a navy-blue sports bra.

She takes his hand and gives it a hard squeeze as one of the men—George—appears beside her with a first aid kit. “This is going to hurt like hell, but it’ll be over soon, okay?”

Ellie reaches into the kit and grabs alcohol wipes, cleaning off her hands before hauling out a box of gloves. She snaps them on before pulling his shirt up.

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