Page 67 of Beautiful Sinner

“But Dante will. Those hitmen will.” I nod to Aiden and Finn. “You might not, Matteo, but they will kill my brother the second they get.”

Matteo extends his hand. “I will get you out of here. This is our chance, Julia. This is our chance to be together.”

Viktor stiffens behind me. “What the fuck is he talking about?”

“Julia,” Matteo pleads.

“I can’t let any of you kill my brother. Viktor, start walking.”

“What?”

“Start walking. I’ll remain right in front of you.” I nod to Inessa under the pew. “Inessa, come here. We’re getting out of here.”

Slowly, she leaves the pew and approaches my side. No one shoots her. We clasp our arms together, acting as a shield in front of Viktor. If these men stick to their promise, they will not shoot me or Inessa. But they could easily break that promise.

“Walk,” I tell Viktor.

“I don’t run from a fight.”

“Viktor, now is not the time to be stubborn. I’m trying to save your life.”

“What about my life?” Connor asks. No one stands in front of him to protect him.

Matteo turns his gun onto Connor. “That’s because she wants you dead. And so do I.”

“Don’t shoot,” I tell Matteo. “Not yet.”

Connor’s eyes blaze with fury as he looks between me and Matteo. “Did you two have this planned? Was this your way of getting out of marrying me?”

“Julia?” Viktor asks.

“Just keep walking.” Slowly, we walk backwards to the side door of the church. We just have to make it outside. No one moves because once someone starts shooting, then everyone is dead.

Dante looks furious at losing his chance to kill Viktor.

We reach the back door. “Now!” I shout.

Right before I run outside, I see Connor dive behind the large altar right as Matteo shoots at him.

Viktor, Inessa, and I make it outside.

“What the fuck was that about?” Viktor asks me.

“No time. They’ll kill you if we don’t go now.”

He nods, knowing that we don’t have time to argue. We run away from the church but footsteps follow us. When I look behind me, I see that it’s Matteo.

The urge to run to him is strong but I’m not fully sure I can trust him. Blood is seeping down his arm. Was he shot? Was it Connor?

“Stop right there,” Viktor says, pulling out his own gun.

Matteo only looks at me. “This is our chance, Julia. Come with me.”

“Is Connor dead?” I ask.

He hesitates before shaking his head. “Not yet. But I shot him in the arm. He ran through the back of the church. Dante is hunting him down. He’ll kill him. But I had to follow you. I needed you to know that this wasn’t what I wanted.”

“What did you want?”

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