Break For Him (Volkov Crime Family 2)

Owain stood and moved forward. “Stay there,” he said.

I gripped the corner of the building and stared as he walked down the alley with his gun ready like a predator.

Rolan appeared at my back. “I told you not to move,” he said. “You fucking asshole.”

“I couldn’t leave them.” The words felt weak coming out of my lips and I wished I could shove them back in.

“He’s going to blame me for this.” There was an edge of fear in his tone.

Owain stood over the bodies and fired his gun one more time before turning. He ducked to the left as gunshots rang out from inside.

The third man.

“Owain!” I yelled and took a few steps forward.

“Stay there,” he said, voice angry, and ducked down then fired into the room. He fired five times then moved into the room. Three was a long silence then one more gun shot.

He came back out a few seconds later and tucked his gun back into his waistband as he walked toward me. His eyes burned with a strange, cold anger.

“Clean this up,” he barked at Rolan. “Make sure Sander’s alive and has his story straight.”

“Got it.” He walked off without another word.

Owain stood there staring at me, his hulking body tense, his eyes cold and dead.

The eyes of a killer.

“Get in the car.”

There was no discussion. I didn’t bother trying to argue. I let him lead me away, back into the street. I got into the passenger side and leaned my head back as he got behind the wheel and drove back home.13OwainI managed to keep my temper in check until I got her out of the car and into the house.

Which was a small miracle.

Because I was pissed beyond all reason.

She stumbled inside and managed to make it to the couch before she dropped down. I knew she was in shock. I could see it written all over her face. She wasn’t used to that kind of shit and watching someone get killed in front of her wasn’t easy, no matter how many times it happened.

Even still.

“What the fuck were you thinking?”

She looked up at me. “What?”

“When you went back to the alley. What the fuck were you thinking?”

She shifted a little. “I was thinking… the pills. I had to get them, right? That’s my money.”

I let a growl escape my throat. The fucking pills. That was the dumbest shit I’d ever heard. There were a few hundred dollars worth in that bag and her cut would’ve been miniscule. She risked her life for something like eighty or ninety bucks.

“God damn it, Leigh.” I clenched my fists. “I’m trying to keep you alive. You realize that, right?”

She narrowed her eyes. “Trying to keep me alive? You’re dangling me out like bait.”

I took a step closer. I felt my anger spike again as her words washed over me. I knew she was right, but it wasn’t that simple.

“You know what we’re trying to do here. Don’t pretend like this is something new I’m asking of you.”

“What do you even care? You got what you wanted. Three dead Jackals.”

“It wouldn’t matter if you got killed in the process.” I shook my head and wanted to shout at her, but I restrained myself. “It’s one thing to put you in the minimum amount of danger. But it’s a totally different thing for you to go running back toward a bunch of angry killers just for some fucking pills.”

“What do you want me to say then Owain?” A spark of anger flashed in her eyes. “You want me to get on my knees and apologize?”

I walked over to her, reached down, and grabbed her arm. I pulled her up off the couch with a grunt as she struggled against me.

“Come here,” I said, growling at her.

“Get the hell off me.”

I dragged her to the steps and she stopped fighting so much when she realized there was no use. I got her up the steps and shoved her into her room. She whirled on me, rage lighting up her face.

“What, are you going to lock me up?” she asked, practically shouting at me.

“No,” I said. “You need a shower. And I need you to stitch my arm.”

Her mouth opened like she wanted to fight me but her eyes moved down to the wound in my arm. It bled freely, though not bad. It was a graze, a deep one, but still just a graze. It wasn’t life threatening but it needed to be closed up sooner rather than later.

“Stitch your arm?” She shook her head. “You’re fucking insane. You know that, right?”

I grinned at her, showing her all my teeth like an angry lion. “God damn right I am. Stay there.”

I left her room and stomped into my bathroom. I had a medical kit in my close. I pulled it down, made sure I had everything I needed, and brought it back into her room. She paced around like a caged tiger.