“Not everyone,” Han hissed. “Stop it, Russell.”
The way the bastard kept saying his name was infuriating. “Stop acting like you know me!” Russell reached up and ripped off the mask.
He froze. All breath was sucked out of him as he stared at the familiar face. No burns or scars. A face much like his own. The mask tumbled from Russell’s hand.
“Hey, bro,” Markos said in English. “Miss me?”
Russell stumbled back, the prison door falling to the floor with a clatter.
“I told you we belong together.” Markos looked down at his burned skin and winced. “I understand why you’ve been angry. We’ll just call it even now, okay?”
Russell shook his head, not believing what he was seeing and hearing.
“He’s not Asian?” Jia asked in Chinese. “Russell, what’s going on? Why aren’t you killing him?”
With an amused smirk, Markos answered her, “You expect him to kill his own brother?”
Jia gasped.
Russell glanced back at her. Her face had gone white with shock.
She pressed a trembling hand to her chest. “Your brother killed my family?”
Russell’s stomach twisted. Oh God, how could she ever forgive him? How could she ever look at him again?
“What is this?” Markos asked, watching him curiously. “You care about her?” His eyes narrowed. “I didn’t expect to have competition for you.”
Russell gritted his teeth. “Leave her alone.”
“Or what?” Markos smirked as he pulled a second knife from his sleeve. “Can you really kill your brother?”
Russell drew his sword but hesitated, and in that second, Markos teleported behind Jia and plunged his knife into her chest.
“Game over!” Markos shoved her onto the ground. “I win. And you’re mine.”
With a roar, Russell charged, his sword aimed at his brother’s heart.
Markos teleported away.
Russell collapsed onto his knees in front of Jia. His head fell back and he screamed his rage to the heavens.
Chapter Seventeen
Russell pressed his hand against Jia’s wound, but the blood continued to seep out. Panic ignited inside him. “I’ll take you to Tiger Town. Neona can—”
“No,” Jia whispered, her eyes shut tightly against the pain. “You promised you would let—”
“I can’t let you die!”
Her eyes opened, and the desperation he saw there nearly killed him. “Take me home. To the cave. You promised.”
“I promised I would keep you safe, and I failed you.” Tears blurred his vision. “My brother killed your family. He’s killed you! How can you bear to look at me?”
She gripped his coat with her fist. “You have never failed me. Honor your promise. Take me . . .” Her hand fell limply to the ground.
“Jia!” He felt her neck. Her pulse was still there, but weak. She’d lost consciousness.
The boy was crouched beside them, his breaths coming in soft wheezes, tears streaming down his bruised face. Russell wasn’t sure what kind of terror the boy had survived, but he knew the kid shouldn’t be left alone, even for the few seconds it would take to teleport Jia to the cave. And he didn’t dare leave her alone. What if Han came back and chopped her into pieces like he did with her family?
Not Han, he corrected himself. Markos. His little brother was a mass murderer. Russell’s stomach roiled, and bile crept up his throat.
He swallowed hard, mentally pushing aside all thoughts of his brother. No time for it now. Jia needed him. So did Xiao Fang.
“Don’t worry. You’re safe now,” he assured the kid as he carefully picked Jia up. “I’m going to call Jin Long to come get you and take you to Winifred. We have to go to the surface for the phone to work. Can you follow me up the stairs?”
The boy nodded and jumped to his feet.
Russell went up the stairs, trying hard not to jostle Jia, while the boy followed close behind. They crossed the empty guardroom and ascended the last flight of stairs. The guards had left the door wide open in their hasty departure.
As they emerged from the cave, the boy pivoted, looking around nervously, as if he feared Han or Darafer would show up to ruin his escape.
After easing to his knees, Russell cradled Jia in his lap as he managed to remove his coat. He lay the coat on the ground, then placed Jia on top. She moaned.
“Stay strong,” he told her as he pulled the sat phone from his coat pocket.
“Come,” he said, motioning for Xiao Fang to follow him. He rounded a boulder, keeping Jia partially in sight as he punched in the number. Jin Long answered on the second ring.
“I need you here now!” Russell told him. “I have Xiao Fang with me. Hurry! We’re wait—”
J.L. materialized beside them and grinned when he saw the dragon shifter. “Thank God! Come on. I’ll take you to Winifred.”
Xiao Fang made a wheezing sound as more tears rolled down his cheeks. He surprised Russell by wrapping his arms around him and hugging him. Then he jumped at J.L., latching on to him.
J.L. patted the boy’s back. “Where’s Jia?”
Russell clenched his fists and kept his face blank. “Close by.”
“I smell blood.” J.L.’s eyes narrowed on Russell’s bloodstained clothes. “Did you fight with Han?”
Russell’s stomach threatened to heave. If the dragon shifter told Winifred everything that had happened, everyone would soon know who Han really was. And they would also know that Russell had failed in his promise to keep Jia safe. “Han escaped. Leave now before he comes back.”
J.L. nodded and teleported away, taking Xiao Fang with him.
Russell dashed back to Jia and gently took her into his arms. “Sweetheart, we’re going home now.”
He teleported to the bat cave and lay her on the bed. On the way to grab a stack of towels, he tossed his coat on the ground. It was coated with blood. Her clothes were drenched with blood. It made his fangs ache and his stomach churn with hunger. But with every hunger pang, his gut clenched with nausea. All this blood was a constant reminder of his guilt. He’d failed to protect Jia. She would die, murdered by his own brother.
He pressed one of the towels against her wound, and she moaned.
“Jia.” He brushed her hair away from her brow, then cursed himself for leaving a smear of blood on her face.
Her eyes flickered open. “Russell?”
“Yes.”
“You were right. It hurts to die.”
“I’m so sorry. I promised to protect you, and I—”
“No.” She reached a hand toward him, and he clasped it with his own. “You’re a good man.”
“I failed you. I hesitated—”
“That’s why you’re a good man. An evil man would not hesitate to kill his brother.”
He winced. “I can’t believe he . . . it makes me want to puke. How can you bear to look at—”
“Shh.” She squeezed his hand. “You are not your brother. You’re my . . . my partner. My cowboy.”
His phone buzzed. He glanced at his coat, where the phone rested in the pocket. “That’s probably Rajiv. He must know by now that you were stabbed. We should let him know—”
“No! Don’t answer it.” Jia coughed, and blood drizzled from her mouth.
He released her hand so he could wipe her face with a towel. “They’ll be frantic with worry.”
“Don’t answer. They’ll take me away. They’ll try to save me.”
“That’s what I should be doing.”
“You’re doing what I asked you to. Thank you.” She bit her lip. “There’s something I should tell you. When I wake up, I might behave . . . strangely.”
“What do you mean?”
“I-I might . . .” She winced. “Whatever I do, please don’t let it bother you.”
He snorted. “I don’t care what you do as long as you come back.”
“I will come back.” She squeezed his hand. “And I’ll be stronger. Better than ever.”
Tears burned his eyes. “I think you’re perfect now.”
Her mouth curled up slightly with a smile before thinning again in pain. “I’m cold. Will you hold me?”