Warren lifted his eyes from my face and addressed Nex without so much as acknowledging my statement. “I don’t have time for games. Name your price.”
“There is no price. Cia is my wife, that’s not changing. If you can’t accept what that means, we have a bigger problem than you not wanting to let go of the idea that you’ll never in your fucking life put your hands on her.”
“You seem confused about your place,Nex. You don’t get to tell me what I can and can’t do. And you damn sure don’t get to tell me who I can?—”
Before the sentence was completed, Nex shifted. He reached around us, released his hold on me, then I was shoved behind him. He revealed a gun I wasn’t aware was in his possession seconds before my ears were ringing from a gunshot. I dropped to my knees and covered my ears just as another gunshot sounded.
This cannot be happening.
I’d avoided this all my life and one terrible decision, a moment of weakness for a man I had no business with, landed me right in the middle of a shootout.
Oh fuck, oh fuck, oh fuck.
But I’m okay. No one shot me because I’m able to have these thoughts and nothing hurts.
Wait…
My mind shifted to the reason I was here and a flood of panic pushed through my veins.
Nex. Was he the one who got shot? There were two shots. Nex fired one, surely Warren fired the other.
Why do I care?
Because you fucking do, Cia. He’s your husband and you like having him as your husband. You don’t want him shot, hurt, or worse…
“Ciana…” The voice was familiar but not the one I was hoping for or needing.
I peeled my eyes open to find my brother Merrick standing over me, hand outstretched.
Oh no, please no…
What was he doing here? Was he the second shot? Did he shoot Nex…
I knocked his hand away and stood on my own. My eyes darted around frantically until they landed on Nex. He was standing over Warren who was on the ground with a puddle of blood pooling around his body.
Logic flew out the window and I launched myself at Nex. Thankfully he turned just in time to see me coming and caught me. My legs locked around his waist and I clung to him for dear life.
“If I wasn’t still overwhelmed from thinking something terrible happened to you, I would kill you my damn self,” I rushed out against his neck.
“All things considered, I’d let you,” he rasped, holding onto me tighter. After a minute or so of just appreciating the moment, he lowered me to the ground and cuffed one side of my face so our eyes met.
“You okay?”
“No.”
His eyes lowered to my body and I shook my head. “You just killed a man and I thought he killed you. So physically, yes I’m fine, but emotionally, not so much.”
“He didn’t shoot me. The second shot was Merrick killing Harte’s bodyguard.” He motioned behind him to the car Warren arrived in. There was another body on the ground.
Merrick stepped into view with a deep scowl on his face. He didn’t understand what was going on between Nex and me, but hell, how could he when I barely did. In less than twenty-four hours I’d married a man that I didn’t know and chose him over my own family.
“What are you doing here?” I managed to get out as soon as my mind cleared.
Merrick glanced at Nex which made me tense. I frowned incredibly deep when Nex demanded my brother tell me the truth.
Truth about what. What was I missing?
“I’m here because you were never going to marry Harte.”
