Page 91 of His Forbidden Alliance

“Then fucking handle it! Jesus Christ, why can’t you do anything without me?”

He nudged me with his boot and looked down at me. “Don’t worry, I will be back. And we’ll have a little chat.”

“Fuck you,” I said.

He brought the bat down on my lower leg, harder even than when he hit my ribs. That time, I did scream. I had no doubt the bone was broken.

I must’ve passed out after he left. I woke to someone calling my name—urgent, frantic. Were Ivanov’s people worried about me? Did they think I was dead and he wouldn’t get to play with me anymore?

“Dammit, Zach, wake up! Don’t be dead!”

That was Rafe? “I’m dreaming.”

“No, you’re not dreaming. Zach, wake up. I’ve got to get you out of here.”

I tried to reach for him, but of course, I couldn’t. He sliced through the ropes holding my hands. I shook my arms out, and he took my hands in his.

“Oh my God, you’re a mess. He hurt you.”

I didn’t like how scared Rafe looked, but I couldn’t lie to him. “Yeah, he had a lot of fun with me.”

“You’re going to be okay. I’m going to get you out of here. What else did he do to you?”

“Nothing. He’s nowhere near as creative at torture as you are.”

Rafe smiled now, even though there were tears running down his cheeks. “Dante says he doesn’t have the stomach for it.”

“Does Dante?”

“Oh yeah. He’s more vicious than me.”

I heard footsteps and tensed. “Rafe, get out of here. Just leave me.”

Rafe raised his gun. When Ivanov stepped around the corner, Rafe started shooting. He hit him in the center of the chest, but he didn’t stop. He kept pulling the trigger again and again.

“Rafe! Baby. That’s enough.”

Dante and Lorenzo raced toward us. Dante grabbed Rafe. “He’s dead. You can stop. It’s okay. He’s dead.”

Rafe let the gun fall, and Dante pulled him into his arms. I wanted to be the one comforting him, but I couldn’t get up, and I wasn’t entirely sure his family wouldn’t shoot me next.

Remington showed up then. “Get him out of here.” I thought he meant Rafe, because he was falling apart. Then I realized he meant me. “Paramedics are on the way.”

“What do I say?” Lorenzo asked.

“As little as possible,” Remington replied. “But we’re going to make this one semi-official, so it’s all right to admit he was kidnapped and beaten.”

Lorenzo nodded, then scooped me up into his arms like I weighed nothing. I might have been more impressed if I weren’t in such agony. I bit my lip again and winced. It hurt like hell. My whole body hurt like hell.

“Sorry, but I’ve got to get you out of here. They can’t see the mess that Rafe made.”

“Yeah, I know, but I need to talk to Rafe.”

“Soon.”

Rafe turned and looked at me. “What are you doing?”

“He needs to go to the hospital,” Lorenzo said. “It’s okay. I’ve got him.”