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“Go,” Enzo snapped as he nodded my way, and Thomas shot over to me.
I didn’t get a chance to say a word as Enzo tore out of the room, firing off rounds as soon as he was out of the door, naked as a newborn.
Every gunshot had me wincing, and Thomas clamped a hand on my upper arm as I stared at the doorway.
“They need you safe, Veronica,” he said, forcing me to look at him.
“Right, the hide,” I mumbled as I turned to the closet, hating how close the gunfire was getting. The shouts and cries outside the room had me shaking like a leaf, and I sucked in steadying breaths.
Was Kieran or Zane hurt? Had they been shot? Were they—
“Veronica, focus, this is life or death,” Thomas snapped behind me as I stared stupidly at the closet, the tears welling in my eyes.
Thomas cursed as footsteps thundered up the hall, and he shoved me into the open closet, attempting to close the door on me.
Too bad neither of us were quick enough as a shot rang out and Thomas collapsed behind me. I cried out as I spun around, my eyes widening as a man stood within the doorway, scowling at Thomas as he aimed his handgun at him.
The shot rang out, and I froze up, everything going in slow motion for a moment as the man fell forward, the red mist spraying from his head as he went down.
Someone had shot the intruder, saving Thomas.
“Thomas,” I whimpered as he groaned, and I pulled him into the closet and held his head in my lap, the blood pooling from his pec. The right side, so not his heart, but fuck, there was a lot of blood. He was going to bleed out.
I covered the wound with my hand, applying pressure as he grimaced.
“Hide, Veronica,” he hissed.
“No, you’ll die,” I said, my voice breaking as tears blurred my vision. My heart was pounding wildly, the gunfire still ringing out all around.
“At least I’ll be free,” he said, a pained smile spreading across his face as the tears trickled down my cheeks. My whole body was shaking, I had no control over the trembling in my hands and limbs, my heart threatening to give out as I stared at him.
He’d saved me yet again. All he wanted was to be free, just like I had wanted. I stared into those wounded eyes, an odd relief in them at the thought of his death.
Just like me that day on the bridge when I’d jumped.
He was just like me.
“I’m not leaving you,” I promised as I touched his face, still pressing down on his wound with my other hand.
The look he gave me had my heart breaking. He didn’t truly want to die alone, but he wanted me safe as well. He was a pure soul, one who didn’t belong in this bloody, cruel world.
I stiffened as footsteps sounded outside in the hall, and I reached for my gun case.
I had to protect us. I couldn’t get us both into the hide, not with him down like this.
I fumbled with the clasp, still keeping pressure on Thomas’ wound.
The footsteps paused, and I looked up just as I opened the case.
Vincent’s horrendous smirk had me seizing up, flashes of him atop me overwhelming me.
“Well, looky what we have here. A traitor and a slut.”
I shuddered instinctively, and Thomas groaned as he closed his eyes. I was caught like a deer in the headlights, my heart pounding in my ears, my hands trembling as my chest and throat tightened, the edges of my vision blurring.
This wasn’t happening. I couldn’t be having a panic attack now. I needed to act, to save us.
But I couldn’t move. It was like I was stuck watching the whole thing from the outside as Vincent strode into the room, stepping over his fallen comrade, his gaze locked onto me.
