“Tell me what’s wrong.”
We had to get the hell out of there, but I couldn’t bear the thought of making the move to end everything. Instead, I ran my fingers through her silky hair and held her close.
God, I’d missed holding her.
“Levin,” she choked out. “They used me.”
She didn’t need to explain herself. My heart sank. They hadn’t wanted her like I’d hoped so hard for.
“It’s OK.” I kissed the top of her head fiercely.
My mind flashed to my sister and what was at stake. I had to make a choice: the girl I loved or my sister. The gun tucked in the back of my jeans reminded me if it came down to it, I’d go out with a bang. There was also the option of fighting and killing Matteo De Santis. Then Dominic would come into power. Bianca might be able to escape. I wouldn’t, but I’d die fighting to free her and Natalia.
Fuck, I hated this.
I squeezed my eyelids closed and forced the words out. “Run away with me.”
She pulled away and stared up at me. “What?”
“Me and you. Run away with me. We’ll leave here. We’ll fight them all—”
“OK,” she breathed out, tears streaming down her cheeks. “I’ll go.”
The assholes must have hurt her badly for her to agree so fast. Or maybe she just trusted me that much. I hated that she did. I was a disgusting monster.
I took her hand and led her through the darkness back to my car. I opened the passenger door just as I heard the screeching of an alarm. Guessed the bastards had decided to go extra with their distraction.
“You swear you won’t hurt me?” She turned to me before she got into the car, that plump bottom lip of hers wobbling.
There were the doubts. I’d wondered if they’d ever surface.
“Swear,” I managed to say, nausea roiling through my insides with the lie.
Was it really a lie if I didn’t pull the trigger myself?
Forty-Nine
Levin
“Where the fuck is she?” Dom shoved me hard in the chest, his face twisted with rage.
I fell back against the brick wall in the darkness as people continued to dance like one of the biggest events in that school’s history wasn’t about to go down.
I’d let her go. It was my feeble, disgusting attempt to save her. Call me crazy, but I knew Stella was going to drop a truth bomb on Dom, or at least one that would make Dom think it was true.
Then Dom would react without thinking. He’d make a mistake he wouldn’t be able to come back from. I couldn’t let it happen. I’d fallen for her. I cared. I accepted that.
“She’s gone,” I said. “She left.”
“She’s fucking Vasiliev,” Dom snarled, his eyes wild.
Vincent looked sick behind him. My heart sank. I wasn’t surprised though. Hurt? Fucking wrecked. My eyes burned as I swallowed and balled my hands into fists.
“The lords are planning to kidnap her. Ivanov is going to force her to marry him tonight. Once he has his shit sorted with D’Angelou, he’s going to kill her.”
“You’re going to kill her,” I said.
A muscle popped along his jaw. “We need to find her. Fallon is a traitor to the lords. He’s been fucking Bianca. He’s going to take her to my father, not to Ivanov. I’d kill her just to save her from the hell which awaits her in that basement.”