Sonata (Butcher and Violinist 2)

“This wasn’t your fault. If anything, it was mine. If I hadn’t forced us to kidnap—”

“They would’ve already killed Shalimar by then. Even if they hadn’t, I know this is all guilt.” Rafael looked up at me. “Guilt from me. Guilt from you. In the end, Shalimar made her decision. She caused her own death. I just can’t yell at her, so I’m going to yell at myself.”

Our men still walked around, looking through the room and then disappearing in the bathroom and down the hallway.

The Devil and his men had rummaged and ransacked the place. Things were sprawled all over the floor.

Rafael untied the ropes around Shalimar and wrapped her in the sheet. Sighing, he leaned over and whispered something in her ear. My heart broke. Terror hit me. Would I be doing that soon? Was Eden still alive? Had I lost her, like Rafael had lost Shalimar?

One of the men called out, “Jean-Pierre, we have something in the back.”

I hurried away from the scene of Rafael’s heartbreak. From the death. From the possibility of that being my future.

Louis had entered and joined the men in the back of the house.

Wait. What’s this?

Another stack of men piled the backyard. But the dead men weren’t mine. And all of the kills had been the Russian way. Bullet holes sat in the center of their heads.

My voice went up an octave. Maybe it was shock. “Russians did this?”

Louis headed over to the other pile. “Definitely Bratva.”

And where was Eden in all of this? And where the fuck is Eden now?

My heart hammered.

My phone rang.

I yanked it out. “Kazimir?”

“Did you see? My men say that you arrived.”

Somehow Kazimir had found the Devil and knew that I would show up later.

Had he been waiting for me to get there?

I gestured to Louis, pointing to the sky, letting him know that somewhere in the neighborhood, others were watching. Whether on roofs or from neighboring houses. Knowing Kazimir, he could’ve had control of a damn satellite. Who knew how far he would go to get Emily back?

Okay. You have eyes on me. Let’s see how long you can keep them on me.

“Do you have Eden?” I asked.

“Ah! You have humbled yourself.”

“Kazimir—”

“I thought I answered that already. Put Emily on the phone. That was the deal.”

“We both know I have your Emily.” I rushed off to the side of the house, not wanting to go back inside. “I need confirmation that you have Eden.”

Movement hit Kazimir’s part of the phone line.

The next voice that rode the line was my love.

“Hello?” she whispered.

My knees almost buckled. Kazimir did have her. He’d grabbed her from the Devil.

“Eden! Oh my God. I love you. How are you? Where are you?”

“Jean-Pierre? I’m fine. I’m—”

Kazimir got back on the line. “Put Emily on the phone. Now!”

“Goddamn it.” I rushed across the street to the limo. “Give me a minute.”

“You hurt her, and I’ll erase the French from European history.”

I had a smart reply, but when I raced over, hit the limo, and opened the door the worst possibility gazed back at me.

Emily was not in the limo.

No!

Instead, Louis’s three men lay dead and on the floor.

A note lay on one of their chest.

“Fuck.” I ducked into the limo, grabbed the note, and read it out loud. “I’m sorry.”

Sincerely, Emily.

Kazimir growled on the other side. “What are you sorry about?”

No. No. Where the fuck are you, Emily?

I hurried out of the limo, scanning the area like a mad man.

“Put her on the phone!” Kazimir roared.

“Give me a minute.”

“A minute. I’ll fucking slice—”

“She ran off!” I shouldn’t have said it, but what else could I do. If he thought I was playing with him, if he thought I had hurt her, he could ruin Eden.

The tables had turned.

Kazimir had somehow saved the day and grabbed Eden. There was only one thing left. We had to exchange our women. But Emily had ran away.

My heart stopped. My body tensed. Shockingly, the Lion had no response for several seconds as if he was really considering what I’d said.

And then he asked, “She ran off?”

I ran around the limo and searched around the block. “Yes. She escaped. I swear on everything.”

“Then the next few hours should be interesting.” A dark, evil chuckle hit the line and then he hung up.

Goddamn it!

We had to find Emily, before she got back to Kazimir. If not, then Kazimir, would not be motivated to keep Eden alive.

Shots sounded a block away.

I turned around.

There you go!

Emily raced across the street. Four of my men raced after her.

Speeding away on those little legs, Emily held a gun as she raced for her life. Every few steps, she slowed the pace, turned around, and shot at my men. They ducked out of the way, but still headed forward.

“Don’t kill her!” I ran their way.