Chapter 7: Scarlet

7

SCARLET

I groaned as I awoke, my head pounding like a drum.

Where was I? What happened?

"Glad you're awake, kitten."

No, that wasn't possible, surely.

I blinked as I stared up at Cristian, who held me bridal style as he knelt on the ground. Where had he come from?

"Cristian?" I breathed as I let my gaze wander, my head protesting profusely. The van, it'd been hit. Were Julian and Kenny okay?

My gaze shifted, and relief swept through me as I spotted them kneeling beside us, Kenny in Julian's arms.

Why were we kneeling?

"Everything is going to be okay, kitten. I promise," Cristian said softly as I realized what the hell was going on.

Julian, Cristian, and a few of the SWAT guys were all lined up on their knees, helmets removed as a bunch of men surrounded us, guns drawn. My heart lurched into my throat, fear setting in once more as it dawned on me .

We were going to be executed.

I stared up at Cristian, those dark eyes focused solely on me in this moment. Why was he saying it was going to be okay? Why on earth was he of all people saying that?

"If two of the Silvestri brothers fall, Tyrone won't be able to maintain his position as head of the family. The Silvestris will crumble."

I turned my head to the man speaking, who looked like he'd gone a few rounds with a boxer. Wait, I did recognize him. He was the damn driver.

"As long as one of us is still alive, you Russo's will die," Cristian stated, finally looking away from me and to the man who'd spoken.

"You are a walking dead man, Cristian. The ghost that haunts us all," the man said harshly. "You took a bullet once for your brothers, are you so ready to die again for them?"

"Ten times over," Cristian said with a feral grin.

I frowned up at him, my heart threatening to burst from my ribcage as his arms tightened around me. Was he wearing a bulletproof jacket? It felt like it.

But what did the guy mean by that? He'd been shot for his brothers before? How bad?

"Good, you and your bitch can go first," the man spat, and Cristian's eyes narrowed.

"You don't get to call her that, fuckface," he hissed.

I flinched, cowering against Cristian's chest as a gunshot boomed, deafening me. I stared up at him, fear gripping me, waiting for him to keel over.

A thud drew my gaze to the driver, where he'd collapsed forward, blood pooling around his head.

I stared, wide-eyed and silent as the Russo men all hesitated, their heads snapping around for the culprit .

Another gunshot echoed around us, and another Russo man dropped dead, a hole in his head.

It was like a fire had been lit as all the men scrambled, darting off in all directions. A few aimed their guns at us, and I knew this was the moment.

This was where I was meant to die.

Cristian spun us around, lurching off the ground as Julian did the same, and we dove behind the upturned van as Cristian hissed, gunfire sounding off all around.

Had he been hit?

"It'll be okay kitten, no one gets to hurt you but me, got that?" Cristian stared down at me as he pressed me up against the bottom of the van, his body shielding me as people shouted, more booming gunshots ringing out.

I couldn't look anywhere but those dark eyes that devoured me, clinging to him like he was my only lifeline in this mess. He was insane, but right now, I was eternally grateful for him as he held me protectively, his jaw set.

"Cris, you're hit," Julian hissed as he clutched Kenny to his chest and knelt by us. "Scar, you okay?" He reached over with one hand, his eyes scanning me as Cristian grunted. Julian's hand ran over my legs and arms, while Cristian didn't look away from me.

Julian's searching hand left a tingle in its wake as he made sure I was unharmed, which touched me.

"You're hit?" I whispered as I stared at Cristian, my heart skipping a beat at the thought. He wasn't showing any pain or discomfort as he held my gaze instead.

"It's nothing, kitten, flesh wound," he assured me.

"You seem to have a few of them," Julian muttered as he glanced over his brother, now content that I was unscathed.

"I'll live." Cristian didn't bat an eye as he lifted me higher, pressing his lips to my forehead. "Can't go losing you now that I have you, right?"

I sucked in a breath, my emotions a mess as the gunfire dwindled around us. It was probably only a couple of minutes before the shooting fell silent, but it felt like a lifetime as I clung to Cristian.

"Think we're good?" Julian hissed as the silence cocooned around us. A few faint gurgles and sputtering surrounded us, but no more gunshots.

"No clue," Cristian said honestly as he finally broke his gaze away. "Bravo team, you copy?" he called out.

"Copy, sir!" A voice rose up on the other side of the van. Were they part of our SWAT team?

Cristian's radio crackled, and then Tyrone's voice cut through, striking down my fear in an instant.

"You all better be fine, or God help me," Tyrone said through the radio. "Has anyone got eyes on my brothers and Scarlet?"

My heart fluttered that he was concerned about me as well.

"We're fine, we're taking cover. Nice shooting," Cristian said into the radio, a wicked smile spreading across his face. "Scarlet is safe."

"Good. I'm coming to you, don't move. My team will make sure it's safe." With that, Cristian and Julian sighed, relaxing a little, although Cristian didn't turn away from the van, keeping me pressed against it while in his arms.

"He shot them?" I whispered.

"He's a good shot. We take care of one another," Cristian said as voices rose up in the distance. It sounded like a team was calling out as they cleared the area.

"How did you find us?" I asked.

"Thank Julian and his love for that damn cat. He's chipped with one hell of a tracker. Tyrone remembered that," Cristian stated.

"Guess he saved our lives then," Julian said as he absently patted the little feline.

I didn't say anything else as I tried to calm my frantic heart, and I reached over to Julian, stroking Kenny's head as his dilated eyes flicked around uneasily.

The two brothers exchanged a look, finally standing when the team called out and rounded the corner.

Sure enough, Tyrone was with them, his weapon raised as he scanned the area like a hawk.

His gaze moved to us, trailing over all of us, and settling on me in Cristian's arms. There was something in those dark eyes that made my stomach flip, but he just nodded at his brothers and I.

"The medic will patch you up and look over all of you. Let's get out of here before backup arrives." Tyrone's gaze returned to mine, and Cristian's arms tightened around me as we moved off with the new SWAT-looking team surrounding us.

"I told you it'd be okay, kitten. I won't let anyone hurt you," Cristian breathed as he shifted me so that I was nuzzled into his neck. I drew in his rich cologne mixed with blood, finding a strange comfort in it right now.

As much as a part of me wanted to hate him, I was beyond thankful for him right now.

And I sure as shit believed him too.

Cristian didn't put me down, which I thought was incredibly unsafe, but I wasn't about to argue as we sat in the back of the vehicle. I rested against him, his bulletproof vest now gone, and he'd not been offered a shirt after the medic had patched him up. I'd been looked over for signs of a concussion and given meds for the headache that had made itself known once the adrenaline had worn off. Apparently I had quite the bump on my head, but I was going to be fine.

Cristian had been grazed and shot a few times, but nothing severe, and they'd done a field patch-up.

I soaked up Cristian's warmth, his heart beating steadily as he held me to his chest in the backseat, Tyrone in the front with the driver, while Julian sat across from us with Kenny.

"Did you use a sniper rifle?" I finally asked, breaking the silence that had settled over the vehicle once Tyrone had stopped barking orders into his phone.

"Yes." Tyrone didn't even glance back as he stared hard out the windshield.

"Our father's best friend was an ex-marine, a professional sniper, he trained Ty since he was a young teen. Taught us a few things too, but Ty had a natural affinity for sniper stuff," Cristian shared as he kissed my forehead again. He'd been doing that a lot, and every time those soft lips touched my skin, a wicked tingle shot through me.

"So you saved us?" I said as I looked at Tyrone, his shoulders stiffening at my words.

"Yes." He didn't say anything else, but his tone was off, although it was only subtle. Had he been terrified for his brothers?

"Thank you," I murmured as I closed my eyes, feeling oddly safe in Cristian's arms right now.

After everything he'd done to me, it shouldn't have been possible, but he'd saved me, protected me, shielded me from gunfire. He could've died for me.

"You're welcome, Scar."

I smiled at the softness in his tone .

"So, are any of the Russos still alive?" Julian asked after a moment.

"Their men are, and Angelo, but his two sons are dead. One died with Cristian's little grenade fun, and then he stabbed the other to death, right?" Tyrone's voice sounded weary, and Cristian scoffed.

"Fucker deserved it," He growled.

"We could've used them to bargain," Tyrone said with a heavy sigh.

"After what they did? Fuck no. You take from us, you die. End of story. Touch our family, blood or chosen, you die," Cristian spat.

I frowned, keeping my eyes shut as the tension grew in the car. Did he mean I was chosen family? Surely not.

"Bargain for what, exactly? We hold the upper hand," Julian said sharply.

Tyrone grunted, and Cristian's stiffness eased as he nuzzled my head.

"You know one of those fuckers wanted to rape Scarlet? Made her go down on him. You'd both be proud though, she bit that dick clean off," Julian said, pride rising in his tone.

Cristian's chest rumbled as his arms tightened like a vice around me.

"They did what?" His voice was low, deathly low.

"Relax, he's dead, I killed him. But fuck, Scarlet did us proud." I could see the smile in Julian's tone, although I remained nestled into Cristian.

"You really bit it off, kitten?" Cristian murmured as kissed my head the umpteenth time.

"He was going to kill me either way, Why not take something from him?" I said quietly, and Tyrone made a strange sound in front. Was it a scoff of pride or something? I wasn't sure. But Cristian barked out a sharp laugh before cuddling me close.

"My wicked little kitten, you really are a wonderful little thing, you know that?"

I couldn't help the smile that touched my lips at his words.

He tilted my head, making my eyes flutter open before his lips pressed against mine gently. "I'm proud of you," he breathed as he pulled back, staring down at me like I'd just given him the world. The emotions and softness in his gaze were jarring, but I couldn't look away as he cupped my face, his thumb stroking my cheek sweetly.

"Angelo Russo would've ordered this. He'll pay for this. The Russos are weakened now, that was one hell of a blow they took," Tyrone mused, and Cristian broke his gaze from mine, letting me relax against his shoulder once more.

"I say we wipe them off the board," Cristian said, his voice deathly low and sinister. A shiver crawled up my spine at his chilling words.

"They declared war, blood will flood the streets now," Julian agreed.

"Yes. He made one hell of a mistake, one the entire family will suffer for. He will pay, and not just with the death of his sons," Tyrone said after a moment of deliberation.

"Damn straight. Let's burn them away from existence," Cristian said with a wicked smirk as he stroked my arm.

I closed my eyes, wanting to focus on the fact I was alive.

Not worry about this impending war.