Page 31

Chapter thirty-one

Run

Kylie

M y body hurt. Everywhere. All my muscles ached from fighting off my attacker. My throat was the worst, though. Bruised didn’t even cut it. It hurt to swallow or turn my head.

Holding the ice pack against my neck, I knew I was lucky to be alive. They had reached me in time. Another minute and I would have been beyond saving. I knew it to the depths of my soul. And no one needed to tell me that Luka Santos sent him. I knew that the sycophant was behind it.

Watching Axel in my kitchen, I knew I had him to thank for my continued survival. It was his handsome face I saw first when I came to. I opened my eyes and found his worried jade gaze. He didn’t even know that he was my savior. And I wasn’t talking strictly about tonight. I’d looked at his face infused with concern and my heart fell over the ledge.

I wanted to shout my feelings for him to the rooftop, tell him how much he’d changed me because I never thought I would feel anything but horror in a relationship. But his care, his gentleness, and even his fierceness, had paved the way for my heart and soul to begin healing from years of abuse. Yet I knew his focus was elsewhere because of the attack and now was not the time for a discussion about my feelings for him.

My epiphany conflicted with that sentiment because I had feelings for Gideon and Chase, and Mateo too, even though we had not slept together but I knew we would get there, eventually. They all felt like they were mine. But how could I have feelings for more than one man?

The world at large would look sideways at us. But like I cared what the world thought. It had left me to fend for myself. And my four guys defended me, were even now doing what they needed to protect me. Regardless of whether I was paying them, it felt like we had moved past that into uncharted terrain. Because I wanted to be in a relationship with them all.

He looked so big and bad in my kitchen, and completely out of place. And it just made him more handsome. If my body wasn’t hurting, I’d suggest he take me to his room and love me. Instead, I would settle for him holding me all night.

Axel returned to my side with a chocolate protein shake and concern etched on his face. “Here. This should be easy on your throat.”

I nodded and mouthed, thank you . And I took the medicine before drinking the shake. I wasn’t a fan of protein shakes. One would think in this day and age they would make them taste better, but no. Because to me, they always had this unpleasant flavor and aftertaste I found yucky.

Give me actual food any day of the week over this crud.

Yet with Axel acting like I was going to break apart at any moment, to ease his mind, I dutifully drank it down. And it hurt. I winced at the pain each swallow caused, my throat swollen and achy. And I was certain bruises had formed in a ring around my neck. But I didn’t want to look in a mirror anytime soon. I probably looked dreadful.

Axel placed a palm against my knee and squeezed in support. “Now I don’t want you to worry, but when you’re done with the shake, we’re heading up to your bedroom.”

I gave him what I hoped was a saucy smile, even though I didn’t want to go anywhere near my bedroom right now. Maybe we could go to his instead.

He scowled and chastised me. “Not for that, woman. As much as I love your naughty ways, you’re injured, Angel. You need rest. And I won’t be touching you until you’ve healed a bit. The reason we’re heading to your room is we need you to pack a bag. Anything you can fit in the black duffel bag that Mateo put in your room.”

I stopped drinking long enough to mouth. Why?

Axel stared for a minute, gaging how much to divulge, and then said, “Because Gideon is worried—we all are—that Santos isn’t done with his attacks on you. He’s fixated on you. And we’re taking you to a safe house. But you need to trust us and do exactly as we say. Can you do that for me?”

Since their advent into my life, I had periods of time where I forgot about Santos. Forgot that I had a mafia kingpin after me. Forgot that my life was in danger.

Because they made me feel safe. Because when I was with them, everything else went away.

But Axel waited patiently for my response.

Nodding my head, I mouthed, yes .

And then I slurped down the rest of the shake and laid the empty glass on the coffee table. When I went to stand, Axel stopped me.

“Put your arms around my neck, Angel. And no arguing. We need to move fast. I’m going to help you pack, too.”

Because I was still shaky, I did as he asked. Not that it was a hardship. I loved being held by him because he made me feel cherished.

He hoisted me into his arms, holding me like I was precious, and headed up the stairs to my bedroom. On the bed was a black duffel like he mentioned. The reality of the situation hit me. This was it. I was leaving the only home I’d known for the past few years.

“I’m going to put you on your feet. Dress first, think layers and tennis shoes. Then I want you to grab the essentials. Pack for a week away, choose comfortable and functional over style. Then put it on the bed and I’ll pack it in the duffel. Okay?”

Nodding, I ignored the shattered remnants of the door and the mangled bedding, heading directly into my closet. I removed the torn nightgown and dressed in jeans, a tank top, sweatshirt, and hoodie, with a pair of sneakers.

Then I went through my closet and pulled out panties and bras, shirts, leggings, cargo pants, jeans, shorts, a bikini, and socks. I grabbed an extra pair of sneakers and some sandals and tossed everything on the bed. While Axel packed the stuff in the duffel, I went into the bathroom and packed toiletries, including a small makeup bag of my favorites. I added a box of tampons too, since I didn’t know where they were taking me nor for how long.

Then took that into the bedroom and tossed it on the bed for Axel to pack. And I noticed he had the pill bottles from the doctor.

I let him handle packing it all. Because then I went back into my closet and grabbed a travel backpack I’d used years ago on my honeymoon. It had a lock on it and would be perfect for what I was going to put inside it. I gathered a few pieces of jewelry that I had bought myself and packed them. I put my wallet and my favorite pair of sunglasses in the front pocket. And then I opened the fireproof safe in the corner. I grabbed my passport, birth certificate and social security card, and bank account information that was in a folder. It had the full list of all my accounts and holdings with account numbers and logins. I wouldn’t leave this stuff behind for Santos’s men to find. Because I wasn’t ignorant enough to believe that his men wouldn’t clean out this safe.

And it’s why I removed the hundred thousand in cash I had stored inside, too.

“Fuck, that’s a lot of money, Angel. Almost ready?”

I glanced over my shoulder and gave him the one-minute signal. Then finished clearing it out, shoving everything inside the backpack and zipping it up.

Then hefted it onto my back as I stood. My legs were still wobbly, but I didn’t want to falter, not when he was trusting me.

“All done?”

I nodded.

“Great. Let’s head down to the living room and wait for the others. And I want you to rest when we get down there. It’s all right if you fall asleep, I’ll take care of you. I won’t ever fail you again.”

Because he needed reassurance, I went up onto my tiptoes and brushed my lips over his for a brief, chaste kiss. I wasn’t up for more than that when I felt this battered and bruised. But I needed him to understand. He didn’t fail me. He had reached me in time. No one had taken such gentle care of me before. This man had wriggled his way into my battered heart and broken soul and I—BOOM!

BOOM!

The ground rumbled beneath my feet. The house shook like there was an earthquake. Axel jerked back with his gaze sharp. His flip from lover to hardened warrior tossed me for a loop. “Fuck. We’re under attack. Stay with me. We’ve got to get to the boat.”

He grabbed my hand and led me from the closet. Shouldered the duffel bag crosswise over his body, and left his right hand free. Then he yanked his phone out of his pocket just as it rang.

He answered and put it on speaker as he steered me toward the door. “Mateo, what the fuck?”

“Get her to the boat. We’ve got three trucks that smashed through the gate. They’re loaded with firepower. I counted sixteen men, but there could be more.”

Oh my god! Santos had gone to war. Carlos had told me about him, about when he went after someone. He didn’t hold back, and nothing was off the table nor too gruesome. And he’d decided I was too much of a liability to get what he was after.

“I’m on it.” Axel checked the hall outside my room to see if the coast was clear.

“Chase will meet you by the stairs to the basement and provide you with backup.”

“And you?”

“I’ve got to take care of the computers. I can’t allow them to access my security programs. Don’t worry about me. I’ll be two minutes behind you guys. Get the Phoenix out of here now!”

The Phoenix? Did he mean me? Like a military code name? Because I kind of liked it.

“Don’t do anything stupid. See you shortly.” Matteo disconnected the call before Axel could respond.

BOOM!

Oh god. This was really happening. The night had descended to a level of terror my psyche couldn’t even comprehend.

The house rattled with aftershocks from the explosion. The floor beneath us shook, and I wondered if the house would collapse on top of us. But Axel didn’t flinch or show any signs of fear. With a steely glare, he drew his gun out. “Stay behind me. Do as I say. And we’ll get out of this.”

If he wasn’t with me, I’d be amid a panic attack. But he was my anchor in the chaotic storm, and I nodded yes.

Then we moved quickly and quietly in a nightmare landscape I didn’t know if we’d survive. Grenade blasts exploded. The walls of the place I called home these past four years crumbled and fell. We avoided falling debris with the popping boom of gunfire erupting in the background. Were the others all right? Were they fighting for their lives against a stronger force?

Axel’s shoulders were stiff as we navigated the stairs. Because we were exposed here, nothing more than sitting ducks who could easily be picked off. And he knew it. With every step, he swept the area, searching for danger.

We found it. Or it found us.

Two of Santos’s men came around the corner and charged the stairs. But Axel didn’t hesitate. Just lifted his gun, aimed and fired without slowing our descent. He clipped one in the chest and the other right between the eyes. Both toppled to the ground in a spray of blood. Dead before they hit the floor.

And I wished I cared about their lives. But I didn’t have it in me. My husband had beaten that out of me. I was glad they were dead. They had intended to kill us. I didn’t know what that sentiment made me. Nor could I worry about the morally gray area I’d ventured into as we reached the main floor.

My heart hammered in a frantic drumbeat. There was a ton of open space with no place to hide that we had to cross to reach the stairs to the basement.

Chase rounded the stairs. “You get her to the basement. I’ll cover you.”

Axel didn’t argue, just jerked his head in agreement. Then glanced at me. “Can you run?”

Terror was a living entity inside me. Shouts from the invaders were in the ballroom. They had made it into the house. They were here to kill us. If Axel asked me to, I would fly. I trusted him. If I fell, he would catch me.

I nodded and mouthed yes .

“We need to be fast, Angel. Follow me and stay low.”

“I’ll be right behind you,” Chase swore. His attention shifted to the men entering the kitchen from the ballroom. They were like ducks in a barrel as he aimed and started picking them off one at a time. “Go. Go now!”

Axel tugged me behind him. I raced with him through the living room, jerking at the gunfire erupting around us. The painkiller kicked into high gear and our mad dash took on a dreamlike quality.

We reached the door to the basement just as it rocketed open, bashing against the wall and shuddering on its hinges.

I screamed, my voice hoarse and painful. But then recognition hit as the man’s face came into view. Gideon.

Oh, thank god!

“Go. Get her to the boat. The three of us will be right behind you. Here comes Mateo. GO!”

I glanced over my shoulder, checking that all my guys were there. And then I screamed. Chase was hit. He stumbled and went down.

“Come on. We need to move.” Axel didn’t let me stop. He didn’t let me go back and check on Chase. Tears slid down my face. Had we lost Chase? I wanted to mourn. I wanted to rage at fate. But all I could do was race down the stairs after Axel.

He strode to the private door. The one that had been off limits when my husband was alive. I couldn’t stop the fingers of dread as we approached it. The fear was too ingrained.

The sound of gunfire followed us into the room. Inside, I spied my attacker. His head slumped against his chest. He was missing the back half of his skull. The gore made me gag. Yet I wasn’t sorry he was dead.

“Don’t look. Just run.” Axel ordered.

“I’m trying.” But I knew I wasn’t running fast enough.

Axel threw open the door that could only be accessed with a code. They must have found it digging through the bastard’s files. It opened into a long tunnel that carved into the rock.

How had I never known about this?

But I kept my mouth shut. Axel needed my silence. If I gave voice to the thoughts swimming in my head, we would never make it to our destination. I’d have a total meltdown.

Was Chase alive?

The thought of losing any of my guys was unfathomable. They mattered so much to me, even though we had only known one another for a brief span of time. They felt like family.

The further we raced down the passageway, the more the sounds of the battle diminished. The path sloped down, and down even further at steep intervals until I thought it would never end. It was wide enough for a truck to get through.

We reached a doorway that had multiple exits. It was a huge, garage style door split down the center that once opened would allow a truck to enter the tunnel. But there was also a small, secondary, normal-sized door inside the bigger door. And that’s where we were getting out.

“If I tell you to run. I want you to run hell bent for leather to the yacht at the end of the dock. Understood?”

I nodded my understanding. But kind of wanted to pee in my pants at the fear humming in my veins.

He opened the door slowly. Peered out, looking left and right, searching to make sure the coast was clear. Even through my fear, I found Axel sexy. And while he’d taken charge in the bedroom, I was seeing a new side of him. This was the Marine who didn’t hesitate or cower during an attack. He took charge with unwavering steel.

If we weren’t running for our lives, I’d want him to direct all that energy my way. Because I found it deeply arousing.

“The coast looks clear. We need to move fast and stay quiet. Keep up with me and don’t let go. If I tell you to run, you run.”

I nodded my understanding. My pulse hammered and palms were sweaty. Even the painkiller couldn’t keep the anxiety away.

And then we headed into the dark. The salty tang of the sea washed over me. Axel maneuvered me down the wooden pier to the boat moored at the end. The gunfire was faint. They didn’t seem to know we were headed to the yacht. And that was a good thing.

At the boat, we boarded, and Axel whispered in my ear, “Sit down so you’re out of sight. I need to check and make sure none of Santos’s men are on board and the coast is clear. Yell if you need me.”

I crouched low. He tossed the duffel down beside me. Then, with a last look, he pressed his finger over his mouth, telling me to be silent.

Then he left me there while he searched the yacht. I had always thought this thing was ostentatious. Even more than the house. But for once, it thrilled me that the bastard had this damn thing. Because it was our salvation.

Axel was gone a few minutes. Relief flooded me when he returned. “Let’s get you down below. Then I need to get the boat ready for departure. We’re leaving the moment the guys get here.”

We went down below. Shock rocked me back on my heels at what I found. The galley was full of supplies. Bottled water. Canned goods. Dry foodstuffs. Guns and ammunition. And I glanced at the fridge and bet it was stocked with supplies, too.

“How?” I croaked, my throat aching.

“Gideon. He’s a planner. Likes to plan for every scenario. And it might drive me bug fuck, but I’m always thankful when he does. Stay down here until one of us comes and gets you, all right?”

I nod, too stunned by the night and turn of events. I was running on fumes. The adrenaline surge had given way to the effects of the painkiller.

Axel swiveled around at the pounding footsteps on the dock. My heart jumped into my throat. With his gun in hand, he said, “Stay here.”

Before I could respond, he charged up the stairs.