Page 73 of Always A Villain

The attacker's body convulses, his eyes wide with shock, his throat a shredded mess of flesh. His hand shoots out, gripping my ankle, dragging me toward him. Iscream, thrashing to get away, but before I can even react, Kane leaps. His teeth sink deep into the man's skull with a sickening crunch.

“Kane!” I cry out.

The man’s desperate, guttural gasps are cut off abruptly as his body goes limp. Kane releases his hold, panting, blood dripping from his muzzle.

I’m barely holding it together when something outside the shattered window flashes. My heart leaps into my throat. No time to think—I’m up and running before my mind can catch up. Kane, despite his injury, limps after me.

“KANE!” Axe’s voice slices through the chaos. He storms into the room, more blood streaked across his face. “Bescherm haar!” he commands, and Kane retreats to my side without hesitation.

Axe doesn’t waste a second—he fires three quick rounds through the window. The sharp crack of the shots echoes through the room before he turns his attention back to me.

“Get behind me.” I scramble behind him as he squares up to face whatever’s coming next. His body is a wall, shielding me from danger. Footsteps—heavy and fast—rush toward us.

Griffen bursts through the entryway, shirtless, sweat-soaked, and splattered with blood. “Reaper, it’s clear. We got them all.” His voice is hoarse.

“You sure?”

“I’m sure.” Griffen’s gaze flicks between Kane and me, catching on the blood-matted fur. “He’s been hit.”

“What?”

“The dog.” Griffen tilts his head toward Kane. “Lookslike he’s been shot.”

I shake my head. “He was stabbed.”

Axe's eyes dart from me to the shattered window, face hardening. “Go check the perimeter. Make sure every single one of those motherfuckers is dead.”

Griffen nods, disappearing through the door. Axe moves to the window, his silhouette tense as he stares into the darkness. He turns, eyes raking over me.

“You alright?” His voice is quieter now, but there's steel beneath it.

“I think so.” He pulls me in, kissing me hard.

“It’s gonna be alright, Rory,” he murmurs, his forehead resting against mine for the briefest second before he pulls back. His focus shifts to Kane, crouching to inspect the wound. Kane whimpers, tail wagging weakly against the floor.

“You did good, boy.” Axe’s voice drops as he strokes Kane’s head.

“Axe, who the hell were those people?”

“Hitmen. After the bounty on my head.” His eyes lock onto mine as the weight of his words settles on me. This is the reason he signed those divorce papers. “And they almost pulled it off. It was a well-coordinated attack,” he admits, his knuckles cracking as he clenches his fists. “They knew my alarm system. Knew the layout of the fucking house.”

“What does that mean?”

“Someone betrayed me.”

Fuck. Just fucking…FUCK.

I steal another glance at Rory. She’s trembling, eyes wide, raw fear carved into her face. This place—my fucking house—has never been breached, not once in all the years I’ve lived in it like a fortress. But now? Blood stains the floors, glass shattered like confetti at my feet. Someone knew exactly what they were doing—bypassed every system, slipped through every defense I built.

Someone with a fucking death wish.

Someone who’s about to learn what it really means to cross me.

Twenty-five million. That’s the bounty hanging over my head. Enough to make even the most seasoned killers come sniffing. And these weren’t just desperate men chasing a payday. They were professionals—calm, calculated,unflinching in the face of death. But they fucked up. They fucked up bad.

They came intomyhouse.

And I’m still alive.