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19

GUNN

S carlet .

Her name blasts through my mind at the same time that the ground seems to shift beneath me. I jump, startled and confused, looking at the bright recessed lights, the windowless walls and the steel door.

It takes me several seconds to recognize where I am because it’s a place I’ve rarely been to. The hold at Briar House.

The ten by ten foot, chamber is located in the basement, right next to the cellar.

But unlike the cellar, I’m not happy to hang out here. Much less tied to a chair, my arms secured behind my back and each of my ankles to one of the chair legs.

“Mother fucker!” I tug on the ropes, testing them for weakness. Not surprisingly, they don’t budge.

Next, I rock back and forth and side to side, hoping to break the chair. Fucking thing is made of steel, so it’s also futile.

“Luca!” I roar, now manically attempting to free myself, the rope rubbing my skin raw, but I don’t give a shit. I’ll break my own limbs if I have to.

Somehow, I manage to get one of my feet loose. For a moment, I believe it’s a win. That’s until I kick out too hard and topple over, hitting my head against the table in front of me on the way down.

It’s become obvious just how fucked I am, lying on my side, my right arm wedged between the backrest and the floor. My ears ring from the impact, and maybe I have a concussion, but it doesn’t stop me.

Scarlet. I have to get to her before they do.

What if they already have?

I have no idea how long I’ve been out. An hour could have passed just as easily as five minutes. Enough time may have lapsed to have allowed for her search. Our men are spread out all over the city, easily assembled in any area within minutes.

No. They’re not our men, not anymore. They’re Luca’s men. Carina’s men. Not mine.

If Scarlet has been found, she might already be dead.

The thought is like a knife to my gut, twisting and tearing my insides.

“Let me go or I swear it on my life I’ll send you all to Hell!” No one responds.

Regret bubbles up in my chest and I swallow down the bitter stuff. I’ve never felt it before, one of my favorite mottos being “It is what it is.”

Maybe I regret this because deep down I sensed it was a mistake to come here. Thing is, no matter how poorly I imagined this meeting would go, being drugged by my best friend wasn’t something I considered. Some cussing and a few punches? Yeah, sure. But Luca stabbing me in the back… How could I predict it?

Suddenly, there’s movement. The lever on the door rotates, making a grinding sound that reminds me of a horror movie. Actually, this whole fucking thing is pretty horrific.

Adrenaline rushes through my veins as I stare ahead, my heart pounding in my chest. I’m ready to fight to the death, ready to kill whatever fucker steps inside, even in this impossibly helpless situation.

The fucker turns out to be Luca. I can’t see him, the top part of him blocked out by my position on the floor and the table between us. But I’d recognize those old black combat boots anywhere.

He pauses at the door as he searches for me.

“Down here, asshole,” I say.

“What the fuck?” He comes around the table, but I swipe out my free leg and kick him in the shin before he gets to me. Stumbling backward, he curses. “Dick!”

“Come at me again, bro. I’m fucking ready.” I kick again, and again, trying to reach him, but all I do is make myself spin.

“I’m trying to help you, idiot.”

I laugh. “Like you did when you drugged me?”

“We did it to save you.”

“Fuck you. The only people I’m in danger of are you.”

Taking a chance, he lunges forward and gets to me when I’m facing away. “Stop moving. I’m here to release you.”

That gets me to stop. But I’m still highly suspicious. “Why?”

“It was a mistake.” He begins to work on the knot at my back. “I shouldn’t have listened to Carina, but she’s hard to reason with when it comes to getting revenge for Alma. She wants Scarlet dead, even if it means I won’t find Sofia.”

My breathing still ragged, I do my best to contain my rage when the rope slackens and the pressure on my wrists decreases. “I told you, Scarlet doesn’t know where your sister is.”

“I believe you. Now.”

“You should have believed me then. I didn’t betray you.”

“You’re right. It was me that betrayed you. But maybe this will make up for that. If you can get to her in time.” Luca cuts the final threads and my arms come free.

Pain lances through my shoulders when I move them, but it doesn’t keep me from getting instantly to my feet.

His jaw ticks as he hands me the knife so I can cut the remaining rope from my foot. “I’m sorry, man. I shouldn’t have done it, but she’s my wife.”

“And I’m your fucking best friend.” Again, I have to fight to contain my anger. It takes a lot not to punch him in the neck. “You’re just lucky we have history. I’d fucking kill you otherwise.”

“That history is why I’m risking getting put in here myself,” he snaps. “That, and I’m hoping that if you do see my sister, you’ll tell me. Please.”

We stare at each other in that way we did in his study, each of us searching for something. Forgiveness, trust, and something to remind us of the bond we’ve had since we were kids.

“You’ve changed,” I tell him.

“So have you.” He sighs and shakes his head. “I’m sorry I let you down.”

“Yeah, me too.”

“Here.” He takes a step closer. From the pocket of his leather jacket, he produces my cell phone and keys. Then from his holster, he tugs his gun and hands it to me. “You’ll need this. There are several men on the way to the orphanage.”

My gaze snaps to his. “How the fuck did you know where she’d be?”

“That’s what I would have done if I didn’t trust me either.” Suddenly, he’s the old Luca again. The man who had my back always.

“Go with me,” I say on a whim.

But when he says, “I can’t. We’re not on the same side anymore,” it doesn’t surprise me. He’s right. We have both changed. “Go. I’ll try to call off the men, but they’re just as loyal to Carina as they are to me.”

“That’s going to be a problem for you.”

“My problem. Not yours. Go.”

“Okay.” Feeling that somehow this might be the last time I ever speak to him, I add, “We did have fun, though, didn’t we?”

His mouth pulls up to one side. “Yeah. Now, go get your girl.”

I don’t need to be told twice.