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“What?” Jac’s voice is filled with doubt and bewilderment.

“I carried you both.” Jenny raises her voice. “You were both supposed to be mine. But my sister—” She lets out a bitter laugh. “She couldn’t get pregnant. And I agreed to let her have one of you and never speak of it.” Her voice hitches, a trace of sadness touching her voice. “Too bad I got stuck with the fucked-up one. I’m surprised you’ve never questioned why you have the same last name, fucking idiot.”

I can’t see Jac’s reaction. Nor do I care for Jenny’s sob story and her insults right now.

“Where. Are. They?” I ask again.

“Jenny, just tell them,” Penelope rushes out, squeezing her eyes shut as Daniel’s barrel presses into her temple. “They’ll kill us,” she squeaks.

Jenny rolls her eyes, huffing in annoyance, pretending she’s not as petrified as Penelope is. “I don’t know. Like I said, they’ll be far away by now.”

“Oh, you don’t know? That’s a shame.” I stab the knife into their guard’s thigh. My body screams in agony as I twist, making him roar in pain. “Save… your… screams,” I manage through pants.

“Xander, you need to sit back down—” Jac starts.

“No!” I bark, pulling the knife out and stabbing it into the guard’s chest. Jenny’s smug face grows horrified as blood splatters on me. My vision is starting to double, my limbs prickling.

I stab the knife into his thigh again, and he wails in pain.

“Where are they?” I struggle to interrogate, my chest growing tighter and breaths choppier.

“You’re insane,” Jenny mumbles, her wide eyes fixed on the knife in his chest.

A burning rage fills me, and I stab the knife in and out of his chest multiple times. His screams fade out as his body sinks down to the floor. “Xander, that’s enough.” Jac’s frame comes up behind me, grabbing my arms in a bear hug and stopping my movements. He leads me back to the chair, moving out of the way so that I can see Penelope.

“And you…” I start. My head feels dizzy; my vision is blurring. But all I can think about is Camila.

I attempt to lift my hand towards the gun Jacques is holding out for me, but my body connects with the concrete once more.

Chapter 57

Camila

“Idon’t know how they managed it, but they took Penelope. They knocked out most of our guards and yours. We’ve had a trail of Luke for days now, monitoring his movements, and there were only two places he could’ve been. DL or the docks. Sorry it took me so long to get to you,” Nova explains, but I hardly register her words as we drive down the road to the club.

We make it to DL after what feels like years. Nova had spare leggings in the car, which I shoved on while we drove here. My nervous jitters haven’t stopped, and my arm is in total agony, but the only thing I can focus on is finding out if Xander is safe.

Numerous blacked-out cars are parked in the alleyway, some looking like they might belong to Xander’s men.

I don’t wait for Axel to roll the car to a full stop. I pull open the handle and stumble out of the car, running for the open security door, not caring if any stray passersby see my white shirt soaked in blood.

“Wait, we can’t just burst through there. They might be armed!” Nova exclaims from behind me, but I continue to beeline towards the basement door of DL. “I can see what he meant now when he said she’s strong-headed,” she mutters.

“I can hear you,” I snap. My hand has gone numb from clutching the gun in my fist the entire drive here, so I circle my wrist to get the blood rushing back in. My bad arm is being held up inside my shirt sleeve as a makeshift sling.

I know what I’m doing is dangerous, but I can’t stop. My body is running on hope and adrenaline.

Hope, which is shattered the second I kick open the door, walking into a bloodbath. There is blood pooling on the floor, covering the walls. People are tied up in chairs. Guns point towards me but instantly lower. My eyes find Xander in a matter of seconds—who’s currently lying on the floor with Jacques on his knees next to him, slapping his face. His once unsullied white shirt now a deep crimson, eye swollen and arms bearing open wounds.

“Xander?” I cry, my heart plummeting to the ground.

“Angel?” he croaks. Jacques shuffles out of the way. Xander starts moving his legs, pulling himself along the floor towards me. “You’re… safe.” He’s barely saying his words; they come out more as a mumble and a wheeze.

I hurry towards him, dropping to my knees beside him, letting go of the gun. I use my good arm to bring his head up onto my lap. My hand shakes uncontrollably as I cradle his rough cheek with my hand, my tears dripping onto his face.

“You’re alive,” I sob.

He tries to laugh, but he starts coughing instead, blood splattering out of his mouth.