Page 15 of Crushed Vow

“It’s about your brother.”

My heart dropped. “What happened? Is he in danger?”

“Charlotte, if you don’t get in now, you’ll hear in an hour that he’s dead.”

That was all it took. I yanked the door open and slid inside.

He hit the gas immediately, the car leaping forward.

I crossed my arms, facing the window, angry but confused by the tug inside me—how I wasn’t repelled.

“What’s going on?” I asked. “And where are we going?”

“Your father made a deal with the Bratva that went south,” Cassian said, his voice cold. “He’s already skipped the country. Now they’re coming after Vincent to settle the debt.”

“Fucking coward,” I muttered. “Should I call Vincent?”

“He won’t listen,” Cassian said. “He’s too proud. Too reckless. His gang isn’t smart enough to protect him, but don’t worry—I’ll get him out.”

I glanced at him, his jaw clenched, bloodshot eyes focused. This would be the third time he’s saved Vincent. “Is that why you brought me?” I asked. “To buy my forgiveness?”

He didn’t look at me. “No. I brought you because it’s my duty to protect not just my wife, but everything she loves.”

His wife. The irony of it burned.

Suddenly, a car slammed into us from the side.

The impact slammed into us, throwing the vehicle sideways. Tires shrieked against the asphalt.

I screamed, my body jolting with the force. The seatbelt yanked me back—but not before I was slammed sideways, colliding into Cassian’s chest.

“Stay down,” he barked, one arm locking around me protectively while the other gripped the wheel.

We barely stabilized before a second car crashed into us—harder.

This time, the world flipped.

Metal screamed. Glass exploded. The car tumbled, over and over. The seatbelt dug into my ribs, biting through my clothes, holding me in place as gravity spun and vanished.

Then silence. Stillness. Everything hurt.

Everything was upside down. I blinked through dizziness, disoriented.

Cassian groaned beside me, blood running from his hairline.

His hand reached over, brushing the hair from my face. “I’ve got you,” he said quietly. “I won’t let anything happen to you.”

Despite the wreckage, despite the chaos, there was something steady in his voice.

He unbuckled himself and kicked open his door. Then he crawled around the wreck, yanked open my side, and carefully helped me out.

“You’re bleeding,” I said, staring at the gash across his temple.

“It’s nothing,” he replied. “Compared to what I bled in your absence? This is nothing.”

He pulled me to the side of the street and raised a phone to his ear. “We’re under attack. Meet me now.”

Then he hung up and led me through a narrow alley, away from the crash site.