Cristian’s eyes widened in surprise when Matias straightened and took off his shirt, revealing his bullet-proof vest.
“You wore a bullet-proof vest? What’s going on, Brother?” Cristian felt betrayed. There was something he wasn’t telling him.
“I knew that if Darby was going to strike, that it wouldn’t be you. He’s a vindictive man. He would want you to experience pain like no other—I knew I would be the target or Bastian.”
Matias began catching him up to speed. He explained the plan that they had come up with, in hopes to bring Darby down once and for all.
“I thought I’d lost you. Katya would’ve killed me. You should have told me, Matias.” Cristian leaned forward and pulled his brother into a hug.
“Forgive me for not telling you about our plan. I didn’t want your hothead self to ruin it.”
“She sees me as a devil now.”
“I don’t believe that and neither do you. That woman risked herself to help us with this plan. She’s confused, there’s still so much that she doesn’t know about us.”
He thought back to when they made love and how there had been a deep connection. Was Matias, right? Would she throw all that away because of what Darby told her?
“We must re-strategize. Darby is a powerful man with powerful backing. It would seem that someone in our ranks had tipped him off before we got there. If our plan is going to work, we have to bide our time, and from now on, all decisions will only be discussed with family. I have a feeling when we figure out who is double-crossing us, it’s going to hit hard.”
Cristian nodded, knowing Matias was right, he briefly remembered what Benji had told him, and his heart sank even further. “There’s a little problem.” “Yes?” Matias waited. His arm was hurting, and he needed treatment before he died from excessive bleeding.
“Bastian is missing.” Cristian noticed an unusual calmness in his older brother. “Did you hear me?”
Matias nodded. “Before Bastian walked away, he told me that he sensed Darby was planning something else. He planned to follow Darby. Knowing where he operates from and how he operates would give us an edge over him.”
“And you didn’t think it was necessary to tell me? This is fucked up,” Cristian grunted.
“Look, I’m sorry. Your love for Everly would have blinded you, putting the entire plan in jeopardy. Darby is stronger than you realize. To take a strong man down, we have to find his weaknesses.”
His brothers had risked their lives and lied to him, only to protect him. But he wouldn’t let that happen anymore. Cristianwas going to bring Everly home, and this time, he would save as many women as he could. He wouldn’t leave anyone behind.
“Mi Cielo,” he murmured. He would never let her go. She was his greatest undoing. Everly was the river that quenched the raging fire within him. He loved her even before meeting her, and he would devote himself to her even if she left him after this.
That night, after sneaking Matias into the mansion without him being seen by anyone, Katya helped tend to Matias’ gunshot wound. Cristian swore on the men they lost that Darby would go down. He was thirsty for revenge, but he would tread carefully.
Cristian avoided Katya, embarrassed that he had nearly gotten his brother killed. It was when Katya brought pictures that had been taken in Berlin, that he forced himself to look at her.
“He doesn’t look much like your father.” Cristian ran his eyes over the photos. The pale man was seen leaving a pub towards a black car. He wore denim pants and a black jacket.
Katya shrugged. “My father is a master of disguises. I bet my life that’s him and he is still alive. We have to be on the lookout.”
“But why would he be showing his face after such a long time?” Matias wondered.
“I wouldn’t know. I’m pretty sure Darby does his dirty work, so he could be emerging in light of this latest incident,” Katya replied.
“Or maybe there’s something they’re planning,” Cristian mumbled.
Everlytriedtokeepup with where they were, but she’d fallen asleep at some point on the boat ride. Her eyelids cracked open, and she found herself beside Darby in a car. Slowly, the events of the day filled her mind. She felt horrible for betraying Cristian the way she did. And now he’d lost a brother. There was no way that Cristian could ever forgive her. She hated the look on his face as she turned away from him.
In truth, she had secretly changed her mind about keeping the plan from him, but she knew it had to be done to protect Cristian. Everly knew there was a chance Darby would never let her go once he had his claws in her again—but it was a risk she was willing to take. She rubbed her eyes continuously until the blur of sleep was completely gone.
“Look who’s awake!” Darby grinned at her, but Everly turned away, refusing to look at him.
When she glanced out the car window, she noticed a van was following them. She had a moment of panic when she realized the van that had taken her and Carla resembled the one behind them. A wave of guilt washed over her. She hadn’t thought much about her friend over the last few months. She prayed she was still alive, but the chance was minimal.
“Where are you taking me?” she asked.
Darby was about to answer when his phone rang. He was conversing in a language she couldn’t understand—maybe Russian, but she wasn’t sure. Everly felt sick to her stomach. What if things spiraled out of her control and didn’t go as planned? What if she was trapped with Darby forever or worse… died?
