Cruel Saints

A man comes walking down the hallway, dressed in a dark blue suit. He looks scary as hell, and I step to the side so he can pass by me.

God, is there anywhere safe on this planet?

“Stop her, Carson,” Lucian calls out from behind me, and the man instantly grabs hold of my arm. “She’s going with us,” Lucian explains, and then I watch like an idiot as the two men hug.

Too much has happened today, and it’s hard to try to make sense of any of it.

Carson shoves me toward Lucian, muttering, “Yours.”

I try to pull free as they pass me over like I’m a piece of property, but Lucian quickly grabs hold of me by the elbow.

“Ah, Mr. Koslov,” Madame Keller croons behind us. “It’s always a pleasure seeing you.”

Carson leaves us to greet Madame Keller, and then Lucian begins to drag me down the hallway while he tells Carson, “We’ll be ready to go in ten minutes.”

“I’m not going anywhere with you,” I warn him.

“Oh, little bird,” he murmurs, his voice deadly, “you don’t have a fucking choice.”

I’m dragged back to my suite and shoved into my bedroom. “Pack your shit. We don’t have any time to waste.”

“I’m not leaving with you,” I snap back at Lucian.

“Elena…” Lucian’s voice is low with warning. “Don’t fucking test me today.”

He’ll probably throw me over his shoulder again.

“Lucian?” Carson calls from the hallway.

“In Elena’s suite. Come watch her while I get my belongings,” Lucian says without taking his eyes off me.

“Don’t do this,” I resort to pleading. “I’m nothing to my father. It won’t matter to him if you kill me.”

“I have no intention of killing you, so calm the fuck down and pack your clothes,” he bites out, the tension on his face clearly telling me he has zero patience left.

Carson comes into my bedroom, then glances between Lucian and me. “Why is she coming with?”

“She’s Valentino’s daughter.” It’s the only explanation Lucian offers him before he leaves us.

Carson’s one eyebrow lifts, and it makes him look scarier. “I didn’t know Valentino had a child.”

“I’m not a child,” I mutter as I walk to my closet. Not wanting to be dragged out of St. Monarch’s with only the clothes on my back, I begin to pack.

Carson doesn’t say anything else, but I feel his eyes watching my every more. “Can you not stare at me,” I ask when it becomes too much.

“Why? Do you have something to hide?” he asks.

I let out a huff and pack faster. Even though I hurry, Lucian’s done before me, and he comes back into my suite. “Did you bring vests?”

“Yes, I’ll go get them quickly.”

After Carson leaves, I shove the last of my clothes into the bag and zip it closed.

God, what will become of me?

“You’re wasting your time taking me,” I try one more time. “My father really doesn’t care about what happens to me.”

Lucian just stares at me with a clenched jaw. His phone begins to ring, and it takes his attention off me.

“Yuri,” he answers, and after listening, he says, “I appreciate it. I’ll be in touch about the shipment as soon as I get home. Don’t worry, business will go ahead as planned.”

He ends the call, and a moment later, Carson comes back with bulletproof vests.

I watch as Lucian takes off his jacket. He straps the vest on and then shrugs his jacket back on. Taking the other one from Carson, Lucian comes to me. I’ve never worn one and let him help me, not knowing what use the vest is if someone’s going to shoot me in the head.

“Let’s go,” Carson says.

I take hold of my luggage, and with my teeth worrying my bottom lip, I walk out of my suite.

LUCIAN

With Elena walking between Carson and me, I warn her, “Don’t try to run. If I have to carry you out of here, I’m going to be fucking angry, and that’s the last thing you want right now.”

“This is absurd. I’m worthless.”

Her words grind against my last nerve, and I clench my jaw.

Carson stops by the guard at the door and takes the weapons he had to surrender when he entered St. Monarch’s. He hands me a Heckler and Koch and a Beretta. I check both the clips before I tuck the Beretta behind my back. Holding the Heckler and Koch in my right hand, I glance at Elena. “You do exactly as I say.”

The dismayed expression on her face changes into worry as she turns her eyes to the exit.

“Wait here,” Carson instructs. He walks to the exit and scans the grounds, then gestures at us. “Let’s make this quick.”

“Move,” I order Elena, and thankfully she doesn’t decide now’s a good time to put up a fight.

We leave the castle and hurry down the steps to where Carson’s armored SUV is waiting. We load the luggage in the back, and then I open the back door and wait for Elena to get in. “Move over,” I snap tensely, and then I get in next to her.