Chapter Six

Chapter Six

Lucian

Idrove that car faster than I’d ever driven a car in my life as I sped my way back toward Bishop’s Landing.

The pieces were tumbling, a mess so churned that I had no idea who was coming from where anymore, only that they were all heading in one direction. Ours.

People had been talking—Constantines and Power Brothers, and my own family on the sidelines.

We were doomed. I was just begging to the universe that I’d reach Elaine before anyone else did, and before anyone reached me en route.

I hadn’t known just how visible my own little shack in the wilderness had been to those around me. Naivety on my part.

Please God, let me reach her.

My wheels were spinning on gravel when I reached the driveway, and my heart was spinning to match when I saw the red car already parked up by our porch.

Holy fuck, they were here for her.

There was no point trying to be quiet or calm, so I didn’t. I burst through the door consumed with a whole other league of rage and fear than I’d felt before, and there he was, some disgusting piece of shit with his hand around my sweetheart’s throat, his face right up in hers.

And his blade against her rib cage, hurting her. Hurting her bad.

The guy thought he was some kind of professional killer, all set to bargain with me or battle information right out of me, only I didn’t give him even a second of a chance before I launched myself right at him and shunted him down to the floor.

I was a beast possessed with hatred and rage, no longer caring if he took me out for the count, just so long as my Elaine was free from him.

“Run!” I yelled at her, as I fought with that cunt, but she didn’t move, paralyzed, her blood visible even through my shirt on her chest.

“RUN!” I yelled again, but it was the man underneath me who responded with action, trying his best to seize control.

Luckily, thank holy fuck, he didn’t make it.

I heard his grunt before I felt his blood, both of our limbs flailing and twisting.

The universe was damn fucking kind in that moment. Seriously damn fucking kind.

His eyes were cold and dying as I twisted his blade even further into his ribs. I felt a whirr of satisfaction seeing that—seeing his payback for trying to hurt my woman with the same callous intent.

His stare was already void and numb when Elaine finally found motion and dropped to the hallway floor. I reached for her and she went straight into my arms, and she was hurting enough to be trembling and crying, the blood on her chest enough to redden my fingers.

“You saved me,” she managed to whisper, and I wished it was skill and intent more than luck that had led me back to her in time.

I’d been a fool to hit the golf course. An absolute fool to believe we were in anything other than a web of people out for our blood, all coming at us with different whispers.

“You saved me, Lucian,” Elaine whispered again, and I tugged the shirt from her ribs enough to realize she was right.

She was hurt and bleeding, but she wasn’t in danger of bleeding out, not entirely. Still, it was enough to have me reeling, sick and desperate, and I knew then that I’d never be able to stand seeing my beautiful baby girl take any pain from any piece of shit in this world. Especially not because of me.

The knowledge that I’d brought her to this was a hammerblow to my chest, heavy and hard.

The body on the floor next to us was just another example of not giving a fuck for anyone’s life other than ours as I got to my feet and lifted her to hers.

I carried her through to the bathroom and found my medical supplies, wrapping her up tight in a bandage.

She whimpered but let me touch her, giving me control over her body, even through her pain and tears.

There was no doubt about it when I saw that wound of hers in the cold hard light—he would have killed her.

There was no doubt about the coming truth, either. They would be coming right back in for round two, and it would be soon. Really damn soon. We needed to get out of there as quickly as we possibly could.

“You packed?” I asked and she managed a nod.

“Yes, I packed.”

“Let’s do it, then,” I said. “We’re on the fucking run.”