Tess, don't!
The man batted her arms away, his face contorting with rage. Tess kicked him, screaming.
He slapped her hard, wrenching her neck sideways with force. She went instantly limp, falling into his arms.
No! Fuck no. Not again.
I hurtled toward him, intending to rip his throat out but another man captured Tess, dragging her disorientated body against him. She shook her head, trying to clear the dazed fog, fighting meekly as he grabbed her breast with horrible fingers.
Glowering at me, he yelled, "Stop! Everyone! Behave or we'll take turns with your little slave before cutting her throat. Got it?"
The threat worked.
I slammed to a halt, breathing hard. Rage siphoned around my body, making me tremble, but I embraced cold calculation.
Glancing around the room, I catalogued everything.
Five men.
A pentagon of doom caged me against the window with Franco in a bloody pile a few metres away. One of his eyes was swollen shut, blood covered his shirt, and he sat painfully, nursing his right side.
Five men.
Three with black hair and smooth blank faces, two with brownish hair and sick satisfaction wrinkling their eyes.
I didn't recognise any of them.
Red Wolverine?
No, I did enough damage to his operation to risk coming after me so soon.
Emerald Dragon?
No, they were based in Singapore, or was it Hong Kong-either way, I doubted they'd have the resources to come to Rome-not with the heat surrounding their names after I handed over my address book of fuckwit traffickers.
So who are they?
It didn't matter. Tonight would be the last night they'd be alive. I didn't need to know any more than that.
I looked at Tess. Her eyes were clear, blazing with anger. Her fierceness gave me strength. No matter what I'd done with my life-healing her and giving her back her fire was enough to land me, maybe not in heaven, but hopefully not in hell.
I'd fixed her in time. Barely.
I would've been happy about that-if it wasn't for the entirely unwinnable situation I faced. Five men against one. Franco was no use to me and I wouldn't do anything to put Tess's life in peril again.
"Give her to me and I'll obey," I growled.
The room shimmered with violence. A standoff. My knuckles hurt, needing to be lodged in his teeth. My thigh throbbed but shock worked wonders on deleting most of the distraction.
Ten seconds of waiting.
Finally the man nodded, shoving Tess toward me. Striding forward, I wrenched her behind my back. The second her form touched mine, huddling my back in a fierce embrace I sighed, gathering my wits for the next fight.
"Q, I'm sorry-I tried," Tess cried.
Ignoring her, I kept my body between her and the unwelcome bastards. I concentrated on the best plan available for keeping her unharmed.
You have to get them to leave.
That was my only option. And I didn't like what I'd have to do to make it come true.
"Who the fuck are you? What do you want?" I hissed.
Tess trembled, her rapid, shallow breaths hitting the back of my neck. Something snapped inside her, turning her silent tears into terror-filled gasps. Pressing hard against me, her teeth chattered. "They can't-Q … I can't do it again." The edge of lunacy in Tess's voice made my anger reach a whole new boiling point. "I'm bankrupt. I can't afford another toll! Please. I have nothing left."
Don't revert, Tess. Please don't undo all my fucking hard work.
"Get the fuck out!" I roared. "Get out before I fucking murder you!" Ignoring their guns and soulless eyes, I reached behind, crushing Tess's front against my spine. I hated how wobbly and cold she was. "I won't let them take you, esclave. I promise." On my sister's grave, I promise. "Stay with me."
The gunshot in my leg turned from a fire to a cataclysmic inferno.
A silenced semi-automatic was pointed in my face. The man wielding it, sneered; his teeth perfect pegs of white. "We're not here for her."
My heart bucked. Spanish accent.
Spain.
Everything clicked into place.
Lynx.
He had midway houses in Rome to traffic the overwhelming number of women he traded in Spain. The complications I'd told Tess about all revolved around that cocksucker. Young, ambitious, with no fucking remorse. Lynx had been a personal enemy ever since he killed a girl I'd agreed to trade for-just because he didn't like the shirt I wore to the meeting.
Asswipe. Fucking juvenile sadistic delinquent.
Tess stifled a sob, sucking back her downfall into crazy, latching once again onto reality. She twisted in my arms, trying to get free. Glaring at the men, she yelled, "Just leave. Go back to the hole you crawled out of. Don't do this!"