Page 51 of Stormhold

My eyes met Mikhail’s, and he gave me a firm nod. There was no way in hell that I was letting Kill have his life. It was mine and mine alone to take.

I took Bella to the ambulance, and a paramedic immediately tended to her wound while I quietly stayed by her side, holding her hand. I worried about her despite my best judgment.

I just… just want her to be okay.

If she wasn’t here tonight, I would’ve simply been rubble in the ground with my brothers. I didn’t like owing a favor to anyone, but she was different.

Somehow, I had the feeling I would do anything for her if she simply asked.

Our lines weren’t blurred, but they weren’t fixed either.

I admired how brave and smart and beautiful she was. Even now, she sat silently, taking in the pain without saying a word, knowing very well she hated every single moment of it because someone else was touching her.

Grayson quietly stood by my side, assessing the situation.

Jon had already left. I had no clue where, but I had a feeling he would turn heads to find Timothy Walters and burn him alive. Each of us had distinct animalistic tendencies. Unlike the hothead Grayson was, Jon was a cold machine. He knew when to contain his anger and when to kill with no remorse.

While Jon killed like an unfeeling monster, Grayson raged blindly, I killed strategically, Karl liked to mentally torture them, and Lucien loved his sick tendencies. Only Marcus liked to kill clean.

Through the corner of my eye, I saw one of my men lead Alanna away to a waiting car. I completely forgot that fucking bitch’s presence. But I didn’t forget what she did.

“Alanna,” I called out, my voice cold and emotionless.

A hopeful look crossed her eyes as she snapped her attention to me and slowly walked toward us.

“Arkane.” She smiled skeptically, her eyes dashing to Bella and back to mine. “Are you…you okay?”

I simply stared at her for a long moment before I said, “You’re lucky you’re a woman. Leave my city and don’t ever come back.”

The panic in her eyes told me she knew exactly what I was talking about. What she did almost cost our lives. Bella would be dead right now if it weren’t for my fast actions. I knew for a fact that we would’ve all made it out either way.

“Arkane, you don’t have to…” Bella frowned, but I raised a hand, stopping her.

“You just get better,” I told her, the coldness in my voice turning to something soft just for her.

“My brother’s right,” Grayson added in his grim voice. “What you did was wrong. You should listen to my brother if you know what’s best for you.”

“I.. I didn’t know what ca…came over me,” Alanna said frantically, but I waved to my men to take her away, and she started wailing once again.

Bella sighed. “Arkane, it’s fine. Any normal human would’ve reacted that way.”

I gave her a look that said my decision wasn’t up for debate, and she only sighed harder.

“I simply patched this up, Ms. Esteal,” the paramedic told Bella as she taped the last bandage to her foot. “You should go to the hospital to take care of it.”

Bella nodded gratefully, thanking her.

Just then, a sudden, rapid flash of cameras swept through the air, and the crowds parted as a black limousine parked right in the epicenter.

The building’s collapse caused quite a commotion, bringing a crowd of locals and a sea of press and cops. My men had them contained behind the yellow lines, and the cops cooperated because they knew who was actually in charge. But that was another story when it came to Petra fucking Hagen. The city’s mayor was the last fucking thing I wanted to deal with right now.

“Mr. Stormhold, Mr. Stormhold.” A firm look covered his face as he shouted my name. Not to get my attention, but for him to get attention. The cameras followed him as he pushed his way out of the crowd, his pudgy belly sticking out, with two of his lackeys following close behind.

But as soon as he reached me, the camera died in an instant, and everyone looked away.

No one in this city would dare to lift their cameras and capture my face, because they knew they would have to sell their lives for that picture. The anonymity of my identity was important to me. I liked working in the dark. It was where I felt alive, and I liked it to stay that way.

A frustrated huff slipped past his lips, giving away his intention to create a media spectacle to win people’s hearts. But the people of my city knew who really took care of them, and he should know he can’t break generations’ worth of trust just by acting as the mayor.