Grievous (Scarlet Scars #2)(82)

It’s insane.

A smile creeps up on Lorenzo’s lips. It sends a chill down my spine. Oh no. Oh god. Why the fuck is he smiling? A light laugh escapes him as he spits blood on Kassian’s shiny shoes, like none of this bothers him.

“You’re right, Aristotle,” Lorenzo says. “You and I could never be friends.”

As soon as he says that, I hear the front door of the house open. I don’t know who it is. I don’t know who’s coming. All I know is that if somebody doesn’t do something, this is it. It’s all over.

He’s going to die because of me.

I can’t let that happen.

Kicking off the heels, I shove up to my feet, grabbing the first thing I can reach—the fireplace poker. I grasp it tightly in my sweaty palms, clutching it with both hands as I lunge right for Kassian, ramming it in his back. It doesn’t go far in, the thick metal curving, my bruised body too damn weak to shove it through, but it pierces him enough to knock him forward.

His minion grabs me before I can do much else, ripping the poker out of my hand, out of Kassian’s back, before he throws me across the room. The gun goes off as soon as I hit the floor, the noise harrowing in my ears.

BANG.

I scream, desperately turning.

Don’t let him be dead.

I watch, eyes wide, as Lorenzo finally fights. He’s on his feet again, twisting Kassian’s arm, forcing him to pull the trigger again.

BANG.

The bullet grazes Kassian’s shoulder, throwing him off enough for Lorenzo to get the upper hand. He snatches the gun back as Kassian staggers, stunned.

People swarm the room as adrenaline flows through me, the rush nearly making me black out. The first person I see, the first face I encounter, is one I haven’t seen in a while.

Seven.

Behind him is Declan. Beside him, Frank. Declan and Frank carry guns, assault rifles, while Seven holds his hands up in front of him, almost defensively.

Lorenzo stands up straight, no hesitation, pumping a few bullets into Kassian’s last minion, dropping the guy before he points the gun at Kassian.

“You see, the thing is,” Lorenzo says, “I could never be friends with someone who doesn’t know the difference between Star Wars and Star Trek.”

He doesn’t pull the trigger.

No, he swings.

BAM.

Lorenzo beats him, slamming him in the face with the pistol, blow after blow, unrelenting. Lorenzo backs him up into the wall, hitting him so hard Kassian drops, sliding to the floor. His face is a streaked mask of red, blood pouring from him, coating Lorenzo’s hand.

“Damn, boss,” Declan says. “Just pop a bullet in the guy... would be more humane.”

“No,” I yell, my own voice surprising me. “Wait, you can’t. Don’t kill him!”

The guys cast me peculiar looks.

All except Lorenzo, who doesn’t even look my way. I’m invisible again. His attention is on his guys, scanning them as his expression darkens. He raises the gun again, aiming, this time at Seven.

I have no idea what to make of that, no idea what’s happening, but I don’t have time to figure it out. Kassian’s eyes are drifting closed, like he’s going unconscious.

I rush over, dropping to my knees beside him, grasping his bloody face and shaking him. “Kassian, look at me.”

His cold gray eyes meet mine.

“Tell me where she is,” I whisper, my voice cracking. “Tell me where I can find Sasha.”

He curves an eyebrow. “Markel did not tell you?”

“Markel? No. Tell me what?”

He says nothing.

I hear Lorenzo behind me, talking to Seven, his voice angry as he says, “What the fuck are you doing here?”

“Jameson called me,” Seven says. “He was trying to get up with you. He told me about the club, and I just... I screwed up, I know, but I want to help, boss.”

“Don’t call me that,” Lorenzo says. “You shouldn’t have come. I told you I never wanted to see your face again. Hell, I told all of you to get out of here. None of you listen!”

Kassian turns his head, glancing past me, at the guys.

I’ve lost his attention.

“Listen to me, Kassian,” I say, making him look my way again. “Tell me where she is so I can go to her. If there’s any heart in you at all, if you love her... if you love me, like you say... you’ll tell me how to find her.”

He reaches for me, his fingertips brushing against my cheek. He’s wiping away my tears, I realize.

I’m crying.

“Always so beautiful when you cry,” he says, his fingers tracing my jawline before running down my neck, his hand settling on my throat. “What is it you used to say? Face your fears and wipe your tears?”

“Yes,” I whisper.

“Then wipe your tears, pretty girl,” he says, “because the time has come to face your fears.”

He grips my throat tightly, and I gasp, shoving against his chest to push away but he yanks me toward him instead.

“Oh, whoa, whoa!” Declan yells. “What the fuck?”

Someone grabs me, dragging me away from Kassian. I don’t have to look to know it’s Lorenzo. I can smell him, can feel him as he wraps his arms around me from behind.

Declan steps in front of me, taking my place beside Kassian, slamming the butt of his gun into his face. “Hands off, dickwad.”