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My knuckles screamed with agony as I twisted my fingers, driving punishing pressure into the joints as chaos filled the room. The moment Anna lifted her head from that keyboard, looked at us and said ‘I’ve got him. I’ve got Hale,’ everyone went into a frenzy.
Everyone but us, that was.
Vivienne stood motionless.
Ryth was the same.
And me.
We seemed to gravitate toward each other, standing in the middle of the room as orders were barked into cell phones and an army of mercenaries was whipped into motion. Like the eye of a violent and terrifying storm, we were silent and still, staring at the heavy steel door, waiting for those we loved to return.
Where is he?
They should be back by now.
They should be well and truly back.
Lazarus gave a snarl. “Answer your goddamn phone, Dad.” He sounded desperate before he ended the call and swiped someone else’s number, who answered. “Where the fuck is my father? What do you mean he’s not with you?”
A faint voice drifted from his cell. One I couldn’t hear well enough to know what was said.
A shiver raced along my spine. Vivienne still held her belly as she slowly took a step forward. The sound of heavy footfalls came barely a heartbeat later, thudding, pounding. A hard thump against the door drew the guard. On the monitor was Colt.
“Open the door.” Vivienne urged desperately. “I said, open the damn door.”
Lazarus’ voice nagged at the edge of my senses as he barked commands into his phone. There was something wrong. Something all three of us felt in the core of our beings. The locks gave a clunk as they withdrew and the heavy steel door swung inwards, drawing everyone’s stare.
Colt was there, striding through, heading straight for the only one he cared about. Vivienne threw her arms around him, burying her face into the hollow of his neck. Only then did I see it…blood…lots of it.
“Colt.” Ryth’s voice shook as footsteps came again.
Only this time there was no waiting. Caleb strode through the door, heading straight for Ryth. His eyes were wide and haunted as he wrapped his arms around her. This time there wasn’t blood just on his shirt…it was all over him. One side of his face was splattered with deep rusted freckles. My knees shook.
“No.” I whispered, knowing in my head it was someone close to him who had been shot. Someone very…very close.
Then he was there, stepping slowly through the open door. But Thomas didn’t come to me. He stopped just inside the doorway, his gaze frozen on Laz. The world slowed down to an aching crawl.
I saw the scowl on Laz’s face as his brow furrowed before grief slammed violently into him. He slowly lowered his hand, the voice on the other end of his cell forgotten.
“No,” Laz whispered and shook his head. “No.”
“Lazarus,” Thomas said carefully.
But the Mafia son just lowered his gaze to Thomas’ bloodstained hands. “Get the fuck away from me.”
He turned away, giving Thomas his back.
“Your father—” Thomas started.
Lazarus just lunged for him, flying across the room. Spittle flew from his mouth as he roared. “SAY ANOTHER GODDAMN WORD AND I’LL KILL YOU!”
Everyone moved. Riven lunged for Thomas and Tobias sprang for Laz, pulling him away.
“Easy,” Tobias growled to Laz before jerking his gaze to Thomas. “You’d better be real right now, Priest. ’Cause you’re about to unleash something that cannot be undone.”
Laz released a sickening, tearing sound, and jerked himself from Tobias’ hold. Then he threw his hand out as his knees buckled. Kat rushed forward, still clutching her baby on one hip, and grabbed him around the waist.
“No,” her voice was raw as she shook her head. “This can’t be happening. This can’t. Be. Happening.”
