Page 113 of Dangerous Promises

"Why yes, my nephew," Chet says. "How long has it been?"

"Not long enough," I say, glancing towards the others. Dimitri and Anton are grouped together while Freddie stands a few feet away with a different set of men watching over him. Isla is slightly behind me, her hands in surrender as she too is surrounded. Isla and Freddie look tense like they're readying to grab their weapons and launch an assault they're likely to lose. It's only Dimitri who stands calm like he's more annoyed by this invasion than afraid of it.

"You had something for me. A deal was it," Chet says, smiling wickedly at me. Dimitri's eyes narrow at me at the same time that Chet's flick down to where Sage clutches onto my arm. "Perhaps I was mistaken?"

"Or fooled," Sage says, even though her voice shakes on the words.

"Fooled it is," I reply. "Now you know you're not getting what you want, isn't it time to pack it and run? Seems like a usual thing you'd do."

Chet smiles, and it sets an uneasy feeling in my stomach. The last thing we needed was for him to confront us when we're unawares. He has a very obvious upper hand.

"But the trap is perfect, nephew," Chet says. "I'll get her. I'll get you," he smiles and licks his lips as he sizes up the others, "and I'll probably get you this time too, Dim."

Angie comes out of nowhere, stalking towards Chet with a click of her heels and her hand on her hip. "This is neutral territory, you know that. You can't do this here."

Chet spares her a look like she's an annoying little fly. But the truth is she's naïve for thinking he would respect her territory or her rules.

"I'll give you one chance to run away from this, Angie, since you're technically the one that made this possible."

Chet doesn't take his eye off Sage and I, even as Angie's eyes dart around while she finally pieces together exactly what is happening. She really is behind right now for someone who claims to know everything. Her face drops and she takes two steps back.

"No," she says. "You don't have the upper hand here."

Chet's upper lip curls at her.

"Have it your way then," Chet says, flicking his wrist. But Angie isn't without backup like we are. Her people come in driving forces from the back rooms and the inevitable bloodbath between us is started.

Angie's people might be few, but she's the only back up we have right now and I'll take it, because neither Rushkoffs nor DeMarcos are going to get here quick enough to give us the power to turn this fight.

Chet laughs as he hoists himself onto the top of the bar, waiting casually for this all to be over. "Bring her to me. Alive!"

I grab Sage's hand.

This is the only chance I have to get her out.

Chapter

Forty-Seven

Sage

Alexei grabs a hold of my hand in a forceful grip. Though I'm always one to argue, I don't this time. I grip his hand right back and stay as close to him as I possibly can. Mostly because I know for all my bravado, I am outmatched, and we are outnumbered.

Angie's bar has descended into chaos far quicker than imaginable. The sounds of flesh smacking, glasses breaking and wood shattering as men are thrown over tables echo in my ears. Blinding light filters through the hole in the ceiling but there's so much fighting that I've completely lost sight of Dad and the others.

My chest pounds with adrenaline at the same time that my heart sinks in early defeat. Each of Angie's men are fighting off multiple of Chet's men. We're lucky to have her help here but with these numbers there's no way we win this.

This wasn't how it was supposed to go. We were supposed to have time and resources to properly prepare for when Chetcontacted Alexei to hand me over. It was supposed to be smoother than this, with far less danger and far less chance at losing altogether. We've successfully drawn him out into the open but with less firepower than we thought we'd have when we got this opportunity.

Given the choice, I would've liked to torture Chet a bit first. Maybe tear some strips of skin off his back.

This may not have been what I was picturing when Alexei and I set this plan to trap Chet, but he's here now and who knows when we'll get the chance again. So I won't waste it.

I make a move towards Chet at the same time that Alexei makes a move away from him. Our hands clash, pulling us back towards each other where we've refused to let go.

"What are you doing?" he snaps, eyes narrowing on our joined hands.

"He's here. Let's kill him." I look over to where I can still clearly see Chet on the bar, one leg to his chest and a wide grin on his face as his gaze flicks over the fighting. My blood boils. I hate to see him so confidently enjoying the chaos in the surety that he will prevail.