“They have her, Zerro.” Jared rushed into the house. His voice was full of panic, and as I stood there staring and doing nothing, I felt the guilt eating at me. I should’ve fucking told her. I should’ve warned her.

“I know,” I simply murmured. I hated myself more than anything in this one moment. Jared and James’s eyes both turned to me, fire deeply buried in both of them.

“What do you mean you know? You knew this whole fucking time and you never told one of us? You never thought it was a good idea she knew there was a change?” Jared was angry, and he had every right to be. I had put Bree in danger on purpose. And for what? The element of surprise.

“It needed to happen this way. If I had let you know, you would’ve acted strangely.” There was nothing more or less I could say for them to understand. I had to do it this way, and it killed me. It would kill me even more to go in there and see all she had to endure because of me.

“Needed…? You’re fucking crazy…” Jared aspirated loudly, his arms flying into the air. “I should’ve known. I should’ve known you never fucking loved her. She was nothing but a pawn to you. Nothing but an inn—” I couldn’t listen to him saying things about me that were so untrue. So I did something about it.

Picking him up by the front of his shirt, I shoved him against the wall, getting right in his face. I didn’t care how we had been friends forever or that he was Bree’s brother.

“Never. I mean never accuse me of not caring about her. Never accuse me of being anything less than being in love with her. I would bleed for her, take a bullet for her, and give my own fucking life just so she could take one last breath if I had to. Never tell me I don’t care.”

I released him with a shove as I watched the anger leave his face. Yeah, that’s right, fucker, I love her. And I’ll do anything in my fucking power to keep her alive. Even if it means I have to put her life in the hands of someone else.

“You—you should’ve told us, Alzerro,” James stuttered over his words. I was certain he was shocked as shit. I didn’t care if my feelings were known. I was an open book from here on out. All that mattered was getting in there to kill Mack, take Bree, and to run as far we could get.

“Oh, really. Told you what? How I was feeding Bree to the monster? Or if she died, it would be her blood on my hands. Fuck no. I didn’t need any more judgment for having to do than I already have.” I was fueling my own rage as I spoke words I had kept hidden all day.

Bree knew something was wrong. She knew I wasn’t being me, and when I left the bathroom after fucking her, I slipped into the old person I used to be. Knowing I would have to do it again really soon made me feel even worse.

“We’re not judging you, Alzerro. Nothing of what we have said is judgment.” James was trying to cool me down, but it wasn’t working.

“It is. I allowed my mother to die, and I will not be the reason Bree dies,” I growled, my teeth clenching so hard I wondered when my jaw would snap.

“Bree is strong. She can handle this,” Jared added, concern etched into his features. What the fuck did he care? The fact was she shouldn’t have to be strong. She shouldn’t have to go through all of this.

“She shouldn’t have to, Jared. That’s the fucking point. It’s why when all this is over we’re going to go away so she never has to face any of this again.” The shock showed on his face and answered any and all questions I had.

“You’re going to leave the Mafia behind?” Jared asked. The air was sucked out of the room as I continued to wrap my head around my choice. I didn’t know how I would do it. After Mack was dead, it would be my job to rebuild the legacy, or let it crumble…

The FBI would be all over me, and I knew there was a small chance Bree and I wouldn’t get a happily ever after, but I’ll be damned if I didn’t fight for it tooth and nail. She was mine. She was getting whatever she wanted.

“Yes. I’m leaving. I don’t want in anymore.” I threw the words out there as if I had a fucking choice in the matter. I knew I didn’t, but I still wanted to address my choice.

“You know they won’t let you go…” Jared commented with his stating the obvious banter. As if I didn’t already fucking know it. But who were they?

“I’m Alzerro fucking King. I make my own choices. I don’t need anyone telling me what I’m going to do. Stand in my way and you’ll die.” My voice was deadly as I slipped into the old person I was—part of me had never truthfully left.

“Where do we go from here?”

I turned looked to James. There was no way I was bringing him into all of this. Bree had already lost one father… She shouldn’t lose her real one.

“You aren’t going unless it’s to drive the vehicle.” My phone chimed in my pocket, and as I glanced up at the clock on the wall, I realized it was time to go. Six is the time we agreed.

Reaching into my pocket, I retrieved the phone. Sliding my fingers over the screen, I read the message.

Devon: She’s asleep. Hysterical, of course. Mack’s getting antsy.

That was all the message said. Not that I expected much more from him. I couldn’t expect him to give me the whole fucking update in 160 characters. I wouldn’t be okay until she was in my arms.

“We go now,” I commanded. My gun was strapped to my side, and on my backside, knives were hidden where I could easily grab them. My black boots were in place. I was ready to take his heart and rip it the fuck out.

“Then let’s go. I’m ready.” I wanted to tell Jared he couldn’t come, but I needed someone else. I needed someone to take her and get the fuck out of dodge if shit got bad. I knew it would—this was Mack, and he played nothing less than dirty.

I stood in silence as I watched Jared pull out his piece and place it at his back. He was trained well.

James slipped into his coat and out the door. For a second, I wanted to breathe in the air inside the house. Her scent surrounded me and invaded every part of my body. She wasn’t just mine; she was a part of me. Her body lived through mine. I stopped outside the car looking at the house where, for just a small amount of time, I had a taste of normal life. I didn’t know what would happen after all of this, but I knew if I had one wish, it would be to be able to come back here… When all this was over.

“Coming…” Jared questioned opening his door before hopping in the back seat. I nodded my head, jumping in the SUV as I told James the address to the place.

This all had to end with Bree alive. I owed her my life.

Pulling up to the abandoned factory, I sighed. There wasn’t a car in sight. We were miles off a beaten path, and if someone called the police, I wasn’t sure they would find us. Good, I thought to myself. So when Mack was screaming for me to stop breaking his bones over and over again, no one would hear him.

“Ready for this?” Jared asked as if he could simply talk me out of it. There was no way I was leaving her with that monster; after all, I had trained him to be that way.

Gripping my gun in my hand hard, I opened the car door and signaled for James to circle around as if he was turning around somewhere. Then I crept to the nearest door and busted into the place like I owned it. My heart was racing, and my palms were sweaty. I wasn’t sure what I would discover—if he had downright killed Bree knowing I would come or not.

As I pushed through the door, my eyes took in all the metal beams surrounding us. Machinery was pushed out of the way and littered throughout the building. In the center of the room was a small body lying on the floor. Even from the distance, I could see it was Bree.

Her hair was matted, and though she wasn’t bound or tied to anything, I knew there had to be a reason she was lying on the ground.

“Nice of you to join us.” Mack’s sickening voice sounded throughout the room as I watched him grip her by the back of the head. She cried out in pain as our eyes met across the room. Terror filled them and I almost slipped. I almost let the mask fall from my face, even just to give her a chance to see I was here.

Before I could even respond to him, I watched him pull a gun out and point it at her head. She didn’t move. Her eyes never left mine, and I could tell she thought this was the end.