“I don’t care.”
I practically snarl it.
I scoop her into my arms before she can protest, hugging her against me as if I can physically shield her from every danger in the world.
Outside, the hall is chaos—sirens in the distance, reporters scrambling, my men securing the perimeter. But all I see is her.
“Sylvester!” I bark.
He jogs toward me, gun still in hand, face set in a lethal scowl. “We caught one of the men. He’s—”
“Call the doctor,” I order, already striding toward the car. “Vivian has been shot.”
Sylvester’s eyes widen. “On it. I’ll have him ready by the time you get home.”
I don’t slow down. I don’t breathe.
I don’t let her go for even a second.
I place her gently in the back seat, climb in beside her, and pull her into my chest again, my heartbeat pounding so hard she can probably feel it.
“You’re okay,” I murmur fiercely into her hair, holding her trembling hand. “I’ve got you. I’m not letting anything happen to you.”
But inside, the truth burns:
Someone dared to hurt her. Right in front of me.
One hour later, I leave her with the family doctor, station five guards at the door, and follow the address Sylvester sent me earlier.
They caught one of those bastards.
They have him in one of the Rusnaks’ holding cells.
No one has touched him.
They’re waiting for me.
And that’s exactly what I want.
The hallway leading to the cell is cold, metallic, humming with quiet fear. My boots echo off the concrete. Sylvester stands by the door, arms folded, jaw tight.
“He’s inside,” he says. “Refused to talk.”
I flex my hand once, feeling the phantom warmth of Vivian’s blood drying on my skin.
“He’ll talk,” I say quietly.
I step inside.
The unmasked bastard is tied to a chair, breathing hard through split lips, trying to sit tall even though he’s shaking. The moment he sees me, something in his eyes shifts—recognition, then dread.
Good.
I drag a chair across the floor and sit in front of him, elbows on my knees, calm…too calm.
“You fired into a room full of people,” I say softly. “But you aimed at one person.Myperson.”
He swallows.
