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"Let's do it," Skylar responded, his voice equally low but firm with determination.
Hassan nodded in agreement, giving me a quick glance before turning his attention back to scanning our surroundings. His eyes were hard, unflinching.
With another nod from Zane, we moved again, Skylar and Hassan taking the lead while Zane covered our backs. The exit was now in sight, a narrow door half hidden behind thick velvet curtains.
My heart pounded so violently I could feel it reverberating through my whole body. I could hear Sebastian's breath hitching in sync with mine. I murmured soothing words into his ear, hoping to calm him despite the shakiness of my own voice.
Shouts erupted from the crowd followed by another round of gunshots that seemed closer than before. My blood ran cold as an instinctive terror gripped me.
"Keep moving!" Skylar barked out the command, not bothering to look back at us. I clung tighter to Sebastian, my mind spinning in terror as I forced myself to keep up with their pace.
As we reached the door and Hassan yanked it open, I felt a sudden tug on Sebastian and turned just in time to see a hand reaching for him. "Sebastian!" The scream tore itself from my throat as a man tried to wrench Sebastian out of my arms. I reacted instantly, pulling Sebastian back and kicking the man square in his gut. He doubled over in pain but didn't release his grip on my son.
"Just go!" Zane yelled, having turned back to help us. His expression hardened as he pulled out his gun and shot the man point-blank, causing him to let go of Sebastian and collapse onto the ground.
"Run!" Zane emphasized, pushing us toward the door. My heart was pounding like a drum as Skylar took Sebastian from me, cradling him close. Nodding at Zane, Skylar rushed through the door with Sebastian, Hassan following closely behind them. A bullet whizzed past my ear.
And Zane, who had been behind me, collapsed at my feet.
Chapter Nineteen: Skylar
My ears were ringing as I watched Hassan take Sebastian to his car. I looked back, expecting Justice and Zane to come stumbling out, but neither of those things happened.
All that greeted me was the unrelenting chaos of the crowd, waves of terrified party-goers running and screaming. I felt my heart drop to my stomach as the seconds ticked by and they didn't appear.
"Hassan!" I barked, turning back to him. "They're not–"
"I know," he cut me off, his eyes on the door. Sebastian was wrapped around him, his little legs dangling on Hassan as he buried his face into Hassan's shoulders. "I can go back for them, but..."
"No. Take him. Get away from this," I said. "I'll go back for them."
Hassan held my gaze for a split second before he nodded, settling Sebastian in the backseat of his car. I watched them peel away from the curb before turning back to the club.
Cursing under my breath, I pushed my way back into chaos. Panic clawed at my chest as I shoved through the frenzied crowd, their screams and cries echoing around me. "Justice! Zane!" I yelled, scanning the heaving mass of people but there was no sign of them.
Suddenly, a shot rang out and people scattered, screaming and ducking for cover. My heart pounded in my chest as I sprinted towards where it had come from. As I rounded a corner, my eyes landed on them-- Justice kneeling over Zane's prone form.
"No…" The word ripped from me as I rushed towards them. "Zane!"
"Skylar!" Justice’s voice was panicked, her hands pressed against Zane’s abdomen where he’d been shot.
"I'm here," I replied, quickly dropping to my knees beside Zane. Blood was pooling under him, staining his once white dress shirt a dark crimson. His face was ashen, eyes half-closed in pain. "Zane, stay with me," I muttered, ripping off my jacket and pressing it firmly against his wound.
I didn't know anything about wounds. He was the doctor; he was the one who always made sure we were okay. From Hassan's injuries, to my near drowning experience, to Bash being shot...fuck, to picking up Justice in the first place. Zane was the only reason we were alive.
And now, here he was, bleeding on the ground, with his life in our hands.
The world spun around me as I fought to keep myself together, for his sake and for Justice's. She was crying, her hands shaking as they pressed down on the makeshift bandage, trying to stem the flow of blood. Her wide eyes met mine, filled with a desperation that mirrored my own.
"Zane," she choked out, her voice barely above a whisper. "You can't leave us."
For a moment, Zane's eyes flickered to her, a ghost of a smile crossing his lips before disappearing beneath the sheen of pain and exhaustion. He tried to say something but all that came out was a ragged gasp.
"We need to get him out of here," I said.
"Get him to a hospital," Justice nodded, her voice shaky but determined.
"Justice, can you lift his legs?" I asked, already preparing myself to take on Zane's weight. Before she could answer, Bash burst around the corner, his face pale and drawn, a stark contrast against the blood smeared across his jaw.
