“It’s time we leave,” the man says, standing over me and Harley. He’s reaching out one of his hands. My stomach turns and it has nothing to do with his scars, but the coldness I see in his eyes—and the fact he just shot Cherry without blinking an eye. I admit that I wanted to kill her, but still…

“Harley stays here,” I tell him standing up and shuffling Harley behind me.

“The kid?”

“Yes. I want your word that you won’t harm him, that he can stay and go back to his father.”

“What is he to you?” Alvaro asks, tilting his head down as if to see me better. Perhaps his vision is damaged in the one eye he uses. I don’t know, but having all of his attention is something to fear and I do—though I do my best to not show it.

“He’s my son.”

“Toi, this is my fault, I’m so sorry. I’m so sorry,” Harley cries and I turn to face him, bending down so he can see my face.

“Sweetheart, I need for you to be brave. Your daddy and Desi are going to need you.”

“I don’t want you to go. I thought you hated me,” he cries, his body shuddering again as he tries to control his sobs.

“Oh honey, I could never hate you.”

“Let my family go,” Marcum yells from the tunnel which is about twelve yards away from me now. God, he looks good, but I don’t want him here. Alvaro will kill him just like he did Cherry and that thought scares the hell out of me and causes tears to sting my eyes. I can’t watch Marcum get shot. Even if I can’t keep him, I can’t let anything happen to him.

“Get behind me now,” Alvaro orders me and I want to tell him no, to fight—something. I can’t. He has a gun pointed directly at Harley. I’m trapped. I put my body in front of Harley once more and walk to the side so we get behind Alvaro.

“I’m not telling you again, man. Let my family go.”

I’m pretty sure Alvaro smiles. It’s hard to tell from the scars and twisted skin on his face, but he makes a noise like a laugh. Where my voice is light, Alvaro’s is hoarse and dark sounding. Maybe it was altered from the fire he was obviously caught in, or maybe he’s just so evil it resonates in his voice. Whatever it is, I’ll have nightmares about it for years—if I survive.

“Who are you, that you think you can order me?”

“Marcum Kincaid.”

“Am I supposed to know you?”

“You’re on my land. I’m pretty sure you are responsible for blowing up my garage. So yeah asshole, I think you know me.”

“I was told grown men tremble around you and yet I could take you out with one shot. I don’t understand.”

“Try it. Before you can pull that trigger, with that fucked up hand of yours—you’ll be dead,” Max says from behind Marcum.

“Goddamn it, Max,” Marcum growls rubbing the side of his face. “I told you to stay back.”

“I’m like my old man. I don’t listen,” Max says with a wry smile, but you can tell he’s not happy. There’s not anything in this situation to find joy in.

“Dragonfly, you didn’t stay where I put you,” Marcum yells.

“I’m sorry, Daddy,” Harley calls out.

“It’s okay, son. This is my fault, not yours. You understand?”

“This is all rather touching, but if you don’t mind, I’m taking my bride and leaving.”

“Harley, go to your daddy.”

“But, Toi…”

“Go now, don’t argue,” I order Harley. I look up at Alvaro, “I’ll go, but I want to make sure my son is safe.”

“Whatever,” he says as if he could care less.

“Go, Harley,” I order him again, pushing him gently toward his dad. Marcum holds out his arms and Harley runs to him.

I watch as Marcum lifts Harley up in his arms, holding his little body close, and Harley cries in his father’s arms. I commit the image to my memory. This man and this boy are such a huge part of my heart. The thought of never seeing them again makes me ache.

“Toi, you’re not going anywhere,” Marcum calls out, stopping me from turning around to get into the man’s limo. “Harley go stand behind Max and the men.” I look over at Max and see that Ghost and some other men have fallen in line now, they all have their guns aimed this way. My heart leaps into my throat.

“I love you, Marcum,” I tell him, because I know he’s going to fight for me. I’ve waited my whole life to have someone do that, and now that he is… I want him to stop. “Let’s go,” I urge the man, needing to leave before Marcum or the others get hurt.

“That fire must have burned your pride away, Alvaro,” Marcum yells.

Alvaro grabs my hand, stopping me from moving, and turns once again to face Marcum. Men on both sides have weapons drawn. Any way I imagine what happens next… is bad, and with each moment that passes my fear increases. I’m practically choking on it now. It literally hurts to breathe. I can hear my heart pounding, my pulse beating so hard that it roars in my ears.

“You’re growing tedious, Marcum Kincaid. I paid for my bride twice and now, I’m keeping her.”

“You didn’t pay anything. They both ended up dead.”

Alvaro smirks and he even manages a small laugh. It sounds so evil that I want to block it out. “Whatever,” he answers. He sounds so pleased with himself.

“I have a proposition for you, Alvaro.”

“What could you possibly have that I want? I have the woman,” he says, and as if to prove his point, his hand moves to my breast and squeezes it hard, causing me to cry out in pain.

“You that anxious to try and claim what I already own?” Marcum asks. His words hit me wrong, but I’m too scared to be upset. I know he’s just trying to get a rise out of Alvaro.

“Once she has a real man, she will forget you.”

“What if I could give you something you want more?” Marcum asks, and his tone chills me down to my toes.

Please God… don’t let him mean what I think he does.

“Nice try, Kincaid, but I don’t think that’s possible. I’ll be going now. I’m sure you understand Toi and I have a lot of things to catch up on.”

“How hot were those flames in that whorehouse in Dallas?” Marcum asks. “From the looks of you it had to be bad. You must have thought the devil himself was coming to claim your sorry ass.”

“What do you know of my accident?”

“Quite a bit, since I’m the one who was contracted to do it, you sad fuck.”

I hear Alvaro growl and then the sound of the gun discharging as he pulls the trigger. I see Marcum’s body fall back with the force of the shot, and I scream. I try to run to him, but Alvaro grabs my arm and refuses to let me. My shirt rips as I try to get free, but I can’t get away.

All I can do is watch helplessly as Marcum hits the ground and his blood blooms against his skin in a sick, overly-bright red.