Page 115 of Dangerous Promises

If Chet takes me now, there's a good likelihood that I'll never be seen or heard from again. Is that worth it?

This was my plan. And yet I'm the only one who hesitates, having thought I'd get much more time than this to mentally prepare.

"Are you on board, princess?" Alexei says, sweat coating his brow from the heat and the stress.

I bite my lip, sighing in defeat and disappointment in myself. "Yes. I'm on board."

Anton places a hand on Alexei's shoulder and gives him a warning look that I recognize all too well. It's up to him to get me out of here safely. Why is he trusted in this position? I don't know. But I also know I wouldn't be letting anyone else have it.

Alexei grabs my hand and drags me away.

Chapter

Forty-Eight

Sage

Anton and Isla are pulled away by distraction as more of Chet's men come for us. Alexei takes my hand and tugs me along behind him, pulling me away from the fighting and away from everyone else. My heart pangs, begging me to reach out and stay. To fight alongside my family. To make sure they get out of this. While my head reminds me there is no way I could possibly help them even if I tried.

He keeps me close to his body as we weave throughout broken tables and chairs, only letting me go once we reach the front entry. Alexei puts all his weight behind pushing through it, using his shoulder to bang against the door several times in an attempt to force it open. Despite the strength behind him, the door is well barred from the outside and there is no getting through it.

Alexei grunts, cursing as he slams his palm against the sealed door.

"Come on, we'll have to find another way."

He takes my hand again and we're back to running, dodging fists and trying to stay out of the way of the fighting. People fly past us, some bodies sailing through the air while others twist unnaturally through sprays of blood as they fall. We step over more bodies than we push past. Some barely alive, some long dead. Some of them Chet's people, but mostly they are Angie's who are failing to keep up with the vicious assault and the unrelenting power that Chet has behind him.

I can see us slipping, and I wonder how long it's going to be before we all go down. But I imagine it's soon.

"Alexei!" I scream, grabbing his arm to stop him, my fingers curling around his biceps as I point to where Isla is being subdued by a team of Chet's people. Two of them are pulling at her arms to bring her to the ground while another one holds her face down as she struggles to regain control with an angry frown on her face.

Alexei stops, frowning with indecision at what he sees. Though he still just watches. Even as she struggles and even as they bring out their knives. His face twists, telling me he is torn and pained and yet he makes no move to go towards her. Chet's men aren't making any moves to kill Isla, and I've no doubt Alexei would interfere if they were, but it's more alarming that they aren't going in for the kill.

I know from experience that it's far worse when Chet toys with you.

"Alexei?" I say, wide eyes looking up to him.

His jaw hardens. "We have to go."

He tugs at me again, leading me away to find an escape. He rips open the first door he can see, shoving us both inside and slamming it behind us. He rests both palms on the back of the door as he breathes heavily, his chest heaving with the weight of it.

He flips the light on and we find ourselves inside a utility closet with an exit that will hopefully lead to the street. Alexei pulls the handle, but that too is locked. Once again, it doesn't matter how long he barges against it, how hard he smashes his shoulders, it won't budge. There's no way through here either.

Panic races inside me. Once I'd made the decision to run, I didn't expect to not be able to. For all the time Alexei spent trying to convince me otherwise, maybe there is only one choice here. Maybe it is kill or be killed. Maybe we do have to go for Chet while we have the chance. Or maybe, there is no way to stop him from taking me.

"Fuck," Alexei mutters under his breath as he stops to rest from trying to break down the door. "They've got something on the other side to block it."

"We're not getting out of here, are we?" I say, my voice dejected as my heart sinks in acceptance of what has to happen here.

"No," Alexei says, coming to me and sweeping me into a hug. He buries his head in my neck. "Don't start thinking like that. We'll get you out." He steps away from me and takes my hand again. "I promise."

"Alexei, about our other promi-"

"I don't want to hear it."

He takes my hand again and frantically leads me out. He squeezes me almost to the point of pain as he throws open the door and brings us back out into the main bar. Things are looking far worse than they were just moments ago. My face pales as Dad and Anton get taken down now as well, being held in prone position on the floor while they struggle to get back up.

"We have to help them, please," I beg, hysteria in my tone. I hate to watch them suffer. "We can't just leave them there."