Page 22 of Vengeance

"No,” she spat; her voice was steady despite the fear in her eyes. "Whoever's hunting us knows you."

"Yes,” he breathed.

"You've spent this entire trip protecting me,” Chloe said.

"I have,” he admitted.

"So, answer the fucking question,” she shouted. He waited, not sure how to answer her. "Are you one of them?"

He looked straight into her blue eyes. "No." The answer came without hesitation or doubt. He wouldn’t apologize for who hewas because he couldn’t help that. All he could do now was right his father’s wrongs and keep Chloe safe.

She searched his face for the lie, but he knew that she didn't find one. "Then tell me who you are."

Vengeance's chest tightened. His lips parted. "I—” A gunshot shattered the night. The bullet slammed into the Harley’s gas tank, and fuel sprayed across the gravel. Vengeance grabbed Chloe around the waist and threw both of them behind the concrete bridge support as a voice echoed through the darkness.

"Found you,” a man’s voice called. Vengeance knew that voice. His blood turned to ice. He hadn't heard it in nearly ten years, but he'd recognize it anywhere. It was his father's right-hand man—Lucius. He knew one thing for certain—if Lucius was here, then Dante wasn't far behind.

Vengeance's pulse slammed against his ribs. Lucius. Out of every man Dante had ever trusted, Lucius Riser was the one Vengeance feared the most. Dante was cruel because he enjoyed it. Lucius was cruel because he believed in it. He never questioned an order; he simply carried it out. The fact that Lucius was here meant one thing—his father wasn't far behind.

Another shot rang out, ricocheting off the concrete support inches above Chloe's head, and concrete dust rained over them. "Stay down," Vengeance barked.

"I'm getting really tired of you saying that,” she breathed.

Despite everything, the corner of his mouth twitched. "You’re still breathing, so you’re welcome."

She rolled her eyes. "You joke at a time like this?"

"It's either that or panic,” he admitted.

"I vote that we panic,” she said.

"I don't." He carefully peeked around the edge of the support beam and spotted three men. Lucius had brought two shooters. He was using one to advance while the other provided cover. It was exactly how Dante trained them.

"They're splitting up," Vengeance muttered.

"What?" Chloe asked.

"They're trying to pin us to this spot,” he said.

"Can we get to the bike?" she asked. He glanced toward the Harley as fuel poured steadily from the punctured tank.

"No,” he whispered. “It’s no good now, anyway.”

"So we're stuck?" she asked.

He shrugged. "We’ll improvise." Another round of bullets struck the bridge.

Lucius's voice drifted through the darkness. "You've always been predictable, kid." Vengeance closed his eyes for half a second, hating the same calm voice that invaded his nightmares.

"You know," Lucius called, "your father said you'd make this difficult."

Chloe looked at him. "Wait, what does this have to do with your father?" she asked.

Vengeance ignored her question. "What do you want, Lucius?" he asked.

"The girl,” Lucius called back.

"Not happening,” Vengeance growled.