Page 127 of Blood and Thorns

His laugh cracked in the air like glass shattering.

“But that’s fine,” he whispered, the gun rising until it pointed directly at my chest. “You’re here now. And soon… it’ll all be over. Together we can take him down, and I’ll fucking show them that I was right.”

“Gabriel…” I choked, my voice barely a whisper. “What are you doing?”

“Don’t worry, I’d never hurt you,” he said, his tone eerily calm.

“Then why bring a gun?” I inched back again, trying to place the armchair between us.

He frowned, as if confused by the question. “Because how else am I going to get you away from that monster?”

Chapter 57

Sebastian

My phone burned in my pocket, cracked from how hard I’d held it. It hadn’t been long since I received the picture of Arabella being held at gunpoint. It had been sent from a blocked number, but I didn’t need to understand the accompanied text to know where it was taken.

I’m taking back what’s mine.

I’d been too enraged to activate the text-to-speech, but Caden had been there to read it out. Along with the attached address. Even now I could barely keep myself caged, my anger perforating every single one of my cells until I only had a single thought.

“If you run in, you’ll get her killed,” Caden said calmly, sensing my intention just by the tensing of my muscles. “Wait for Lang to get into position.”

I carefully released my fingers from the door handle because my prick of a cousin was right. “She’s been in there for over thirty minutes.”

I spotted the car directly outside the garage, the driver’s side door open wide. This time I ignored my cousin, jumping out of an armoured truck to duck behind. A leg was stretched out, a growing pool of blood beneath it.

“Sir?” Chip groaned, his teeth clenched as he tried to cinch his belt tighter around his upper thigh.

“Where’s Arabella?” I asked, my gun hot in my grip.

“She’s still inside.”

“What about the twins?” Caden demanded, coming up from behind.

Chip clenched his jaw. “I haven’t seen them.”

Caden’s phone vibrated, his lips pursing as he read the message. “The twins are dead.”

Chip’s expression didn’t change, his concentration on trying to stem the blood from his bullet wound. “A few guys turned up and started taking shots at us.”

“Why the fuck is she inside alone?” I growled, reaching down to press my thumb into his wound. Chip hissed, looking up at me with dark eyes.

“Because she said she had permission,” he replied, his voice gravelly from pain. “Why wouldn’t I believe her?”

I stuck my thumb deeper, feeling the bullet wedged against bone.

“Bas…” Caden gripped my shoulder, easing me back from my rage. “Lang said the area’s secured.”

Chip barely swallowed his cry as I pulled my hand away and returned to my feet.

“I’m going in.”

“You don’t know how many men are inside,” Caden growled. “At least wait until–”

But I was already moving, my gun out as I stormed towards the stairs and up towards the flat. Caden was tight on my heels, muttering quietly beneath his breath as he took point and swept the area behind.

I spotted Langdon on the other street, moving silently as he joined us.