Chapter 193: I’ll See You In Hell [1]

[Music: Play God By Sam Fender]

My cheek pressed hard against the floor, a shallow breath expelling from my lips. I curled in a fatal position, a biting pain shocking my nerves as I quivered.

My hair across my face stirred from my shuddering breath. But the scattered gunfire pulled my attention, so I picked myself up to see the chaos.

Bodies dropped one after another, while the rest ducked for cover and returned fire.

My eyes were frantic, my brain going on overdrive as I witnessed everything. Shards of glass exploded through the air, antiques shattered around us, and bullets tore into the walls.

Amidst the chaos, I saw Zade advance, two guns in hand, taking shots with each. He never slowed or faltered, not even for a moment, taking down targets faster than his men could.

He walked head-on between chaos, and I knew he was desperate to get to me. So I forced myself to my feet, ignoring my pain, but before I could move my legs, Julius wrapped his arms around my body and hauled me away.

I fought with everything I had, calling for Zade over and over again, but it got swallowed by the gunfire.

More of Julius’ men advanced and returned fire. Zade hid behind a wall, but he kept shooting, and for a moment his eyes locked onto mine, but it was already too late.

I was hauled away until I could no longer see him. As I was forced down the spiral stairs, the gunshots got louder and louder, my eardrums ringing.

I continued to fight, even though I was losing my footing one too many times until my heel broke, I didn’t stop.

Julius was left to pick me up and kept hauling me like I was a load he was trying to drag to a truck. My squirms got far too aggravating for him, so he smacked me on the face and raised a warning finger.

"The only reason you’re still alive, Anastasia, is because I allow it!" He seethed to my face in rage. "So stop squirming like a rat and—"

I swung my leg for his groin, and he growled in pain. I made a run for it, climbing back up the stairs, but Gabriel, descending, caught me.

"Let me go!" I screamed at the top of my lungs. "ZADE! ZADE!"

"Hold her!"

"I am holding her!"

Gabriel’s hand covered my mouth as he dragged me right out the door, and we emerged outside, heading straight for two SUVs.

From one of the cars, men poured out holding big guns.

"Shoot anything that comes out of that door!" Julius barked orders.

Panic surged through me, my eyes darting toward the iron door. The moment it creaked open, they opened fire.

I screamed as Gabriel tossed me into the car, and the moment he got in after Julius, I seized that opportunity and shoved the briefcase out just in time before he slammed the door shut.

"You bitch!" Gabriel opened the door to get out, but the moment he did, gunshots rang in the air.

"Drive, drive, drive!" He slammed the door shut.

The tires screeched loudly as the car zoomed off. I tried to catch my breath, but I couldn’t manage that because Gabriel decided it was the right time to yell at me.

"Do you have any idea what you just did?!"

"The briefcase or your life," I bit back. "Seems to me like your life was more important."

Everything in that briefcase was essential to destroying Zade and everything he had worked so hard to build.

Seeing how Julius was quick to tell Gabriel to pack it up and carried it all the way through that shootout, I’m sensing they just received that merchandise.

It was yet to be distributed to the other members of the Syndicate, which means they just lost their game card.

If I can’t escape them, then I’d make sure as hell that they didn’t have anything against Zade, and if they did get their hand on something like that again, I’d make sure to burn them.

As though Gabriel could read my thoughts, he clenched his teeth and raised his hand to hit me.

"Gabriel!"

His hand froze so close to my face.

"Hit her, and I’ll throw you off this fucking car."

My eyes darted to Julius as he shifted uncomfortably in the seat opposite us. I bet his balls were still hurting from my kick.

I felt greatly pleased by that glimpse of pain behind those angry eyes that could melt me alive.

He was just as torn up as Gabriel, torn suits and dismantled hair. Sweat beading his face and breath hoarse.

"We lost it, Julius. We lost it! We lost the one thing that could give us the upper hand!" With every word Gabriel spewed from his disgusting mouth, he hit the door in anger.

That could have been me.

From the look Julius pinned me with, and the way he clenched the seat, I knew what he wanted to do.

I flinched when he raised his hand, but simply loosened his tie to take it off.

I silently prayed we didn’t make it to whatever destination we were headed to, because I didn’t know what he was gonna do to me then.

"We’ll find another way," Julius said, taking his eyes off me, and I could finally breathe.

However, I was still beyond tense. The adrenaline was wearing off, and I could feel the shocking pain creeping back in, reminding me of what my body had endured.

There was an intense throb in my head too, weighing upon me and compelling dizziness, but I did my best to overcome it; the last thing I wanted was to be vulnerable around these monsters.

"Tell that to our benefactor!" Gabriel growled.

Benefactor. They must be talking about that "he" again, the one who gave them the contents in that briefcase and stirred all this in motion.

"We’ll find another way."

Gabriel huffed before chuckling at random. "Tell that to him. We lost EVERYTHING!" He slammed his fist against the car window. "And now Zade is gonna come for us and rain bloody hell. Every single member of the Syndicate took a fucking bullet! It’s over!"

"It’s over when I say it’s over!" Julius hissed. "When he says it’s over."

Even though it was clear who held more power, the two of them looked ready to tear each other apart. They might as well get on with it.

"Why did you think we operated in the dark all these years? Because we knew the moment the Serpent got a whiff of our operations he was gonna act, but that’s over now because of her! This bitch sold her out, and you were dumb not to figure that out."

"Watch your mouth," Julius warned.

"Did you honestly think she came to the ball without his knowledge? This bitch is crazy obsessed with him as much as he’s obsessed!" Gabriel glanced my way. "It was probably their plan."

I gulped, looking out the window.

"And we fell right into their trap. Let’s kill her and send a message to the Serpent."