Page 86 of The Pawn

He meets his cousin’s eyes. Enzo glances at the dead chauffeur, then back at his father. I notice he, too, has bloodon his shirt sleeves and his knuckles are bruised and cut. Enzo drags his gaze to Cassian.

“Take him to the crypt,” Cassian orders.

Enzo hesitates, looking between his father and Cassian.

“God damn it, take him to the fucking crypt or I swear, I’ll finish him here and now!” Cassian commands.

Enzo leaps forward, calling two guards to help him.

“I’ll bleed out. I’ll bleed out,” Angelo whimpers as he’s lifted.

“You won’t,” Enzo tells him. They put him into the trunk of one of the SUVs.

I shift my gaze to Cassian. To the gun at his side. He looks at me, comes toward me and I realize what this has cost him. I see it on his face. In his eyes.

“Cassian,” I take him in my arms and for the first time since I’ve known him, I feel the weight of him as he wraps his big arms around me, the gun in one hand, the other holding onto me like if he lets go, he will drop to the ground.

“Allegra,” he whispers, his voice broken, his breath hot against my ear.

“Shh. Shh. I have you. I have you.” I hold him. I hold him as close as I can, one hand on the back of his head, cradling it, the other arm wrapped around his back.

“Let’s get him out of here,” Jet says. He takes the key fob out of his pocket, and I hear the beep and see the lights of his lime green Porsche flicker.

Cassian eyes don’t quite focus on me. He switches his grip to hold my hand tight. He tucks his weapon into its holster, and we climb into the backseat of Jet’s SUV. Jet looks at him, clearly worried, but he doesn’t speak. He justclimbs into the driver’s seat, and I realize the rain had slowed to a drizzle when it starts up again.

“My bag,” I say, remembering the things I’d started to pack.

“I’ll have someone bring them,” Jet says.

I nod and turn to look at Cassian whose jaw is set, the back of his head pressed to the seat. He doesn’t speak on the drive home and I watch him and see how Jet is watching him, too, from the rear-view mirror.

When we get to the house, Cassian seems somewhat recovered. He pulls himself together, standing tall and nodding to his men who greet him. Jet walks on one side of him and I’m on the other. Cassian hasn’t let go of my hand yet. Not once on the drive back.

“Thanks,” he says to Jet once we’re inside. He looks and sounds bone-tired.

Jet simply nods.

Enzo comes walking around the corner of the corridor that leads to the crypt. When he sees us, his step only falters momentarily, but he’s shaken. I can see that.

We meet half-way up the aisle. “He’s down there,” he says to Cassian.

Cassian nods.

“What did?—”

“Did you know?” Cassian asks, cutting him off, his voice at its usual commanding tone.

Enzo shakes his head.

“Will he bleed out?”

“No. You didn’t hit an artery, and I wrapped the wound. He’ll just be in a lot of pain.”

“Good.”

“What do you want me to do?”

“Go get Allegra’s bag from the house,” Jet says, answering for Cassian.