Page 87 of Dirty Hearts

I cowered in the corner, pressing against the brick wall, horrified and scared. Then terrified, when two more guys jumped over the fence. They fired shots at Claudius. I thought for sure that they would take him down, but he held his own. Dodging bullets and fighting like I’d never seen before.

This didn’t feel real. I watched him and saw the darkness in him unfold right before my eyes. All there as he shot the two guys in their heads, killing them instantly, and whipped out a knife from his back pocket to ram into the other guy. Claudius aimed for his heart, and he, too, dropped to the ground. Blood gushing out. There was so much blood.

So much blood everywhere and all over Claudius.

He’d killed them. Four men had just died before me, just like that, and one guy took them down.

My guy…

I didn’t even realize I was crying, or that I’d sunk to my knees in the corner.

Claudius rushed up to me and put out his hand to take mine but retracted it when he saw how much blood was on his hands. It dripped from his hands.

I was instantly reminded of that conversation we’d had years ago. The one where I’d first asked him if he killed people. He’d said in his world, it was kill or be killed to protect the people you love, and yourself.

What I’d just witnessed was that.

Those men were here to take me. Claudius just stopped them. They’d fired shots, and he’d shot back.

He was protecting me.

I knew that, but why couldn’t I stop shaking and trembling?

Why did I suddenly feel afraid? Scared of what he was?

Why couldn’t I stop shaking?

* * *

Claudius

* * *

She was scared of me…

I never wanted her to be scared of me or see me kill.

I’d never wanted any of this. But it followed me, just like I’d feared.

Being with me was dangerous for her.

I’d barely done anything, but I had Antonellas on my ass, them coming to kidnap my girl clearly because I was now looking for David Shipel.

I’d heard that first guy say I hadn’t gotten the message clear enough.

It wasn’t rocket science. They were retaliating because I hadn’t backed down, and who had I given orders to, to bring me David Shipel?

The Four.

I’d told Dante and Gio in person, and Jude and Alex on the phone last night.

It was just those four guys I’d spoken to, not even the secret squad.

So, here I was in this state of shit, and I really didn’t think my damn mind was screwing with me. The situation was just as it was. Someone was playing me, and Ava almost got taken again.

She almost got taken from me to be held as some ransom, or worse. I’d heard what that meathead said. How he spoke to her. She was terrified.

I took her home. My house. If circumstances were different, I would have taken her to her place, but she needed to stay with me until I spoke to Luc.