Page 47

FORTY-SIX

CASSIE

My mind is spinning, and my heart is heavy. What have we done? All I can think of is Imogen and what happened to her. Is she okay? I’m so worried about her. We left an extremely volatile situation back there and I feel sick not knowing she’s safe.

When that psychopath took his sword and held it toward her, I swear my heart stopped beating. Then events spiraled out of control and when the cold barrel of a gun was pressed against my head, I thought that was it. Our plan had failed and rather than helping her, we had made everything worse.

Luca’s family may have arrived too late and yet when the gun behind me dropped as the result of one bullet to its owner’s head, my legs almost gave way. Frankie reached for my hand to steady me and then before I knew what was happening, the guy behind me was replaced by a familiar sound.

“Move with me, darlin’. I’ve got you.”

I will never forget how relieved I was when I recognized the voice of my father’s best friend and right arm, Snake. He is the closest uncle to me and it was then I realized we were safe. The Reapers were here. They would deal with this.

We left under the protection of the Reapers, who guided us out of the nightmare, instructing us not to look back or down. I’m not sure where Lucian Romano’s men went, but I’m guessing they just stepped aside and continued to guard their don from the shadows.

As soon as we leave the building, tears blind me as Snake pulls me in hard and buries his face in my hair, whispering, “You nearly gave us a collective heart attack, darlin’. Safe to say, you have some explaining to do.”

I blink back my tears and hold on to him hard as I whisper, “But Imogen is still in there.”

I jump when the sound of gunfire echoes through the entire house, and as Snake holds onto me tightly, he whispers, “She will be fine. Let the Reapers do their job and understand Imogen is our number one priority.”

‘’My father.” I gulp as the word sticks in my throat because he’s in there. I know he is and Snake sighs, “Let him rage, Cassie. He’s freaking angry, but it comes out of fear. Don’t give him any sass. It won’t go down well.”

I fall silent because I’m extremely aware of how my daddy operates. He will be pissed. I already accept that, but more than anything, I wish it was his arms I was in now, no matter how much Snake is a very close second.

The others are huddled together, several Reapers watching over them, their machine guns slung over their arms, their hardened expressions taking no shit.

I catch Frankie’s eye and his eyes flash with concern, but I know better than to leave Snake’s side.

It is not an option right now. Instead, I smile reassuringly at Frankie and hope like hell there’s a good outcome for us in this.

Sirens disturb the eerie silence, and as the ambulance screams to a halt, I note the paramedics exiting at speed. Maverick and Jet step forward and they are all deep in conversation and the paramedics stop where they are, as if waiting for the all clear.

My heart is thumping so hard I may need their life saving skills myself and then the door opens and Flash and Blade emerge, holding the two girls in their arms.

“Oh my God.” Tears stream down my face as they disappear into the ambulance that soon takes off with the four of them in it.

“Will they be okay?” I’m not even sure why I’m asking, but Snake always appears to hold the answers, and he reassures me. “They’ll be fine.”

“How do you know?”

Because if there is a god, which I firmly believe, he will be keeping an eye on them. She also had another guardian angel in that room who I’m assured wouldn’t let anything happen to either of them.”

This is news to me and I gasp, “Who?”

“Drake.”

“As in Bellingham. The history teacher?”

Snake nods. “Of course. Haven’t you learned anything, Cassie?

Have you forgotten who your daddy is? We’ve known for some time about the threat at Rockwell Academy and have been working with the Romanos and Club Mafia to share intelligence.

Drake went undercover to monitor the three of you, mainly Imogen. ”

He heaves a sigh. “When she hooked up with our number one suspect, Flash nearly pulled her out. Ryder insisted Drake would protect her, and he soon filled her in on things. They’ve been working together to save your friend and bring the society down from the inside.”

I can only stare as I digest his words. Imogen was working with a Reaper— Drake is a Reaper and now everything makes sense.

He wasn’t trying to corrupt her, he was saving her and my eyes shine with tears when I consider how brave my friend is.

She was aware of the risks and agreed to help Jesse.

I’m guessing she also had another motive in mind, and I don’t blame her.

Drake is seriously hot, but I’m not a fool.

They will have a lot of explaining to do when Flash learns the news that his daughter is in love with a fellow soldier. This may not end well. For any of them.

It seems to take ages for the dust to settle and then we note the Romanos and their men leaving the building.

“It’s over.” I remark to Snake, and he nods.

“So it appears.”

He listens to his headpiece and smiles. “The threat is gone. You can go and join your friends. Don’t move an inch, though. I’m still watching you.”

I make to leave and then turn, heading back and throwing my arms around his huge body. As I press my face against his strong chest, I whisper, “Thank you, Snake. I love you.”

“I love you too, darlin’.” He presses a kiss to my head and squeezes me hard.

“Now go and reassure your friends, but not too much.”

He chuckles softly and as I run to the crowd watching us, I fall into Frankie’s arms and it’s a homecoming of sorts. As they wrap around me, he whispers softly, “I’m sorry, baby. That didn’t go as planned.”

Jack joins us before I can answer him and says gruffly, “Fuck, Cassie. This is bad. My dad is pissed as fuck, so God only knows what you’re about to face.”

I glance over his shoulder and note Brewer’s concerned face and yet he drops me a wink and a sympathetic smile without his son seeing.

Like Snake, Brewer is one of my closest uncles, and where Snake is my father’s right arm, Brewer is his left. We are a family. We always will be and I swallow my emotion because it’s so god-damned reassuring that they are here now.

Frankie’s phone lights up and he nods with satisfaction. “Uncle Malik.” He explains. “They’ve taken out several houses tonight. The Serpent Society has been extinguished and is no longer a threat.”

“Thank God.”

Luca is deep in conversation with his father and uncles, and a shiver runs down my spine.

Luca is hard to deal with on his own and with four of them standing there, surrounded by somber guards, I can only imagine the life he leads.

It certainly explains a lot, and I wonder if I would have the same reaction if Frankie’s family was standing here now.

I’m guessing worse because there are more of them.

Frankie can be every inch as dark as Luca, but not with me.

Never me and I reach for his hand and squeeze it firmly as I prepare to face the wrath of my father as I introduce him to my guy.