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I looked at Tess Her eyes were clear, blazing with anger Her fierceness gaveher 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 ainst one Franco was no use to ain

"Give her to rowled

The room shi to be lodged in his teeth My thigh throbbed but shock worked wonders on deleting

Finally theforward, I wrenched her behindht

"Q, I’ her, I kept my body between her and the unwelcome bastards I concentrated on the best plan available for keeping her unharet 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 fk are you? What do you want?" I hissed

Tess tre the back ofher silent tears into terror-filled gasps Pressing hard against ain" The edge of lunacy in Tess’s voicepoint "I’m bankrupt I can’t afford another toll! Please I have nothing left"

Don’t revert, Tess Please don’t undo allhard work

"Get the fk out!" I roared "Get out before I fking uns and soulless eyes, I reached behind, crushing Tess’s front against my spine I hated hoobbly and cold she was "I won’t let therave, I pro turned from a fire to a cataclysmic inferno

A silenced se 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 hadnumber of women he traded in Spain The complications I’d told Tess about all revolved around that cocksucker Young, a reirl I’d agreed to trade for--just because he didn’t like the shirt I wore to thejuvenile sadistic delinquent

Tess stifled a sob, sucking back her downfall into crazy, latching once again onto reality She twisted inat the men, she yelled, "Just leave Go back to the hole you crawled out of Don’t do this!"

Athe distance between us, he swung the gun at , I launched Loweringhim to the floor in a heap of body parts

I didn’t care aboutheart He gasped for breath punching anywhere he could He s, bruise a rib, kick e thru in my veins

Tess

Above all I had to keep her safe

I landed a square punch, sending his fighting body into a loose pile of bones My fingers latched around his gun, wrenching it froleader who’d royally fked up ht

"Ah, ah, ah, I wouldn’t do that if I were you"

I swung around My stomach splattered to rip, his gun bruising her temple

Fuck!

Instantly, I threw my newly acquired weapon away

If it was just ht not have won--but I would’ve done soe before they killed me

But I was handcuffed by my love for Tess I couldn’t put her in any more harm than I’d already caused How h because ofbut death and horror into her life I’d brought her back froe once I’d paid my debts and I refused to layer her withsorry So unbelievably sorry for everything that I’ve caused

Tess exploded into action Shoving the guy off her, she sprinted the distance between us, colliding with my chest "Don’t you dare look at oodbye" Her voice cracked as tears gushed fro her forever but anotherTess out of my embrace

"No!" I spun in the assles hold, ready to tear off his ears My heartbeat relocated to h!" Theroaned in pain, but his eyes were fierce and ready to fight "Je couvre tes arrières, Mercer Nous pouvons les prendre Enseether

His shoulder looked dislocated, and he bled out of his ears--concussion His left hand was hidden in his bloody blazer He’d put up a good fight but no ainst us

My eyes flickered between the Spanishto see if they understood

One ainst her head Looking at me, he ordered, "Get up, assle" He didn’t see on precaution Obviously the dumb fks couldn’t speak French

"Tu es blessé Ne leur donne pas une raison de nous tuer Tu connais le plan Il faut s’y tenir" You’re hurt Don’t give thelared at Franco, willing hi stupid I needed hie failed, I needed hiarder en sécurité" I’ll keep her safe

My heart stuttered in relief I trusted Franco asas Tess ith them, I could keep my mind sharp and find a way to survive--away fro to keep her fro in French if you don’t want your little girlfriend’s brains splattered all over the glass you fked her against"

Goddammit, I needed to kill these bastards And I would, one way or another In this life or the next My teeth ached to tear into them My hands already stea hated to think of Tess seeing this--especially after everything I’d done to save her

StuI deserved this After all, I’d putfor Tess than the ide Interpol had in three years, but it didn’t mean I was prepared to pay their price

What did they expect?