Page 78 of Deceptive Vows
I pulled my phone from my pocket with my free hand, finding no signal. “Jammer,” I reported grimly.
Thea was already checking the compartment divider, looking for weaknesses. “We need to break through.”
I examined the reinforced divider, recognizing that shooting in such a confined space would be too dangerous. The bullets could ricochet, potentially killing us both.
“Marco.” Thea’s expressionhardened. “This has to be him. Taking matters into his own hands because you didn’t kill us as promised.”
“Or the Gray Wolves.” I tucked my gun into my waistband, maintaining quick access while freeing my hands. I removed my jacket, wrapping the fabric around my fist. “Cover your face."
If I could break through the divider, perhaps I could get to the driver.
The first blow against the partition yielded nothing. Nor did the second. The glass was reinforced—another specification I’d made. Whoever this was knew my protocols down to the smallest detail.
The car veered suddenly, taking a sharp turn onto a narrow side street flanked by abandoned warehouses. We were being taken toward the industrial district, away from witnesses.
The impact came without warning—a violent collision from the passenger side that sent the limousine skidding across lanes. Metal screamed against metal as we spun, the world outside becoming a blur of motion.
Thea was thrown against me, her small cry of surprise cutting through the chaos. I wrapped my arms around her instinctively, bracing us both as the vehicle careened out of control. Her bladeclattered away, lost somewhere in the tumbling chaos.
The second impact was worse—a direct hit to the driver’s side that flipped the limousine onto its roof. We were thrown against the ceiling as the world turned upside down, the car sliding across the pavement in a shower of sparks.
When we finally came to a stop, silence fell like a physical weight. I was disoriented, my body pressed against the ceiling, pain blooming in my shoulder. Beside me, Thea lay still, her eyes closed, a thin trickle of blood running from her temple.
“Thea.” I reached for her with hands that felt oddly heavy. “Thea, wake up.”
Her eyelids fluttered, a small moan escaping her lips. She was alive, conscious, for now. Relief flooded through me, quickly replaced by renewed urgency as I heard car doors slamming nearby.
“Stay with me.” I reached for her.
If I could get us out, find my gun or her knife... The world tilted again as I shifted my weight, collapsing against the inverted roof of the car. A wave of dizziness hit me, but I shoved it aside and crawled toward Thea. She was struggling to orient herself in theupside-down wreckage. I checked her for injuries while looking for a clear path to extract us both from the twisted metal and shattered glass surrounding us.
Voices approached—harsh, urgent commands in Russian. Not Marco then. Gray Wolves.
“Nazar,” Thea whispered, her eyes clearer now as awareness returned. “Get out. Go.”
“Not without you.” I reached for her hand.
The door wrenched open behind me, hands grabbing at my shoulders and dragging me backward. I fought, landing a solid elbow strike that produced a satisfying grunt of pain from my attacker.
More hands joined the first, pulling me from the wreckage. I caught glimpses of Thea still inside, struggling now as someone reached for her from the other side.
“Let her go!” I roared, breaking free momentarily only to be met with the butt of a rifle to my temple.
Pain exploded behind my eyes, the world going briefly white. I staggered but remained upright, blood running hot down the side of my face.
Three men surrounded me—Wolves, their tattoos visible beneath coat collars. One held arifle trained on my chest, while the other two circled warily, assessing.
Beyond them, I saw Thea pulled from the wreckage, her wedding dress torn and stained, but the fight in her as strong as ever. My Dark Angel, even now.
“Take her,” came a command in Russian. “Moretti wants her unharmed.”
“And him?” asked another voice, nodding in my direction.
A pause. “Kill him. But make it look like the crash.”
I tensed, preparing for one final, desperate attack.
I knew I wouldn’t survive it, but I would take at least two of them with me.
