Page 35 of Crushed Vow

I brushed past him.

But I heard his footsteps behind me.

Without turning, I said coolly, “Cassian’s here. And his eyes are on me. Keep following, and you’ll get the beating you’ve been asking for.”

Luca didn’t answer. Just kept trailing me like a shadow that refused to be shaken.

Ethan must’ve spotted me, because I saw him leave the group of men he was speaking with and come down the stairs quickly.

“Charlotte,” he said, his smile warm as he approached. “I’m glad you made it.”

He placed a light hand on my shoulder, steadying me, before clocking the figure behind me. His expression shifted instantly.

“Who’s this?”

“Luca Moretti,” Luca stepped forward smoothly, tone arrogant. “And you are...?”

Ethan paused. His hand on my shoulder tightened slightly, catching the look on my face.

I couldn’t speak.

The lights pulsed behind us—soft blue, red, then white.

White.

Too bright. Too sudden.

Like the overhead lights they used in the ward. Like the ones that flashed during morning drills when they made us run laps barefoot, doped out of our minds.

My breath hitched.

Not now.

The walls of the club blurred, the music became a pulse inside my skull. Too many bodies. Too much sound. My knees nearly buckled.

Ethan bent slightly. “Charlotte,” he said softly. “Is he bothering you?”

I nodded once, barely able to swallow. “Yeah,” I whispered, tasting metal in my mouth. “Please... make him go away.”

Ethan’s eyes flashed with quiet rage. He stepped in front of me, shielding me with his body.

“I think you should leave, Mr. Luca.”

Luca snorted, stepping forward to tower over him. “You want me to walk away from my brother’s wife? I’m protecting her.”

“Protecting her?” Ethan spat. “From what? Being happy?”

Luca’s gaze darkened. “Who the fuck are you to her?”

“Someone who gives a damn about her well-being,” Ethan said through clenched teeth. “Unlike the rest of you.”

His fists were clenched now. One wrong word and he’d throw the first punch.

Luca took a step closer. “Try it, boy. And you’ll be the one they drag out in pieces.”

“Big words from a man who wasn’t even invited,” Ethan fired back. “Who the hell let you in?”

Luca sneered. “Morettis don’t need invitations to crash parties. Now I’ll say it once, and only once—get out of my way.”