Chapter 43

—Ellie—

Up until the very end, I was convinced Tristan would keep me. I kept denying the truth until I was faced with the result of my sins: the exhausted faces of my family and fiancé.

They waited in the abandoned parking lot. Dad, Salvador, Drake. Mateo wasn’t there, and I knew it was because he would have lost it. Behind them on the ground lay a tied up man, probably Fabian’s father. His back was turned to me so I couldn’t be sure. Their eyes were drawn upward toward one of the buildings, and when Tristan pulled me out of the car, I found the reason why.

Damian was perched on the roof as a sniper. Fabian got out of the car as well, his own gun drawn. Tristan led me a few steps away from the car. Then he stopped.

“You were very ill-advised attacking our territory, Salvador,” he said pleasantly, his grip on my hip tight as he held me against his body. My eyes lingered on the ground because my guilt sat so heavily on my should