AllFreeNovel
Share Us
Relief hits hard and swift. She stares up at me, eyes so scared it feels like my heart is being carved out with a dull knife.
“I’m so sorry, baby,” I whisper.
She launches herself at me at the same time I reach for her. Her grip is tight around my neck, and I relish the feeling of her in my arms, alive and unharmed.
A low groan comes from behind her, and I open my eyes to find Emo has fallen to his back, the color of his gray shirt turning a deep red just below his ribs. He stares up at the ceiling with hazy eyes, blinking slowly.
On the other side of him, Ellie is on her knees, her red eyes wide, tape over her mouth and her arms still restrained. She’s struggling against her bindings, her eyes flickering to Maisy desperately.
I’m so conflicted. Except for the bruise above her eye and what looks like a busted lip, she appears to be unharmed. I want to rush to her and gather her in my arms, just to reassure myself that she’s okay, but Emo is the one who needs attention right now. He’s pale as fuck and he’s losing a shit ton of blood.
“Shit.” I pull back and frame Maisy’s face with my palms. “I need to check on Emo. Can you untie your mom for me?”
Her lips are pressed into a tight line and she nods rapidly. I close my eyes and yank her forehead to my lips. As soon as I let her go, she runs around Emo and drops to her knees behind Ellie. I scoot over to Emo. He still has his black unfocused eyes pointed toward the ceiling, his arms limp on the floor. His expression is blank, as if he doesn’t even feel the bullet hole in his side.
I lift his shirt and mutter a quiet curse at the quarter-inch hole. He doesn’t make a sound when I roll him to the side to see if there’s an exit wound, thanking fuck for small miracles when I find one. No matter how tough you are or how much you enjoy pain, having tweezers digging around in your flesh and muscle hurts like a bitch.
I bring my eyes to him. “There’s an exit hole, but there’s no telling what internal damage there is.”
He grunts and closes his eyes before flashing them back open. “I’ll be fine.”
The stub
born son of a bitch attempts to sit up. Only then does a hint of pain cross his face. His brows pinch together and the lines around his mouth tighten.
“Lie the fuck down, Emo.” I growl, pushing him back down. I pull my phone from my pocket just as Ellie falls to her knees on Emo’s opposite side. I watch as Maisy runs off to the kitchen. I want to yell for her to come back. My lungs freeze with the thought of her out of my sight.
“Need you here,” I tell Trouble as soon as he answers. “Emo’s been shot in the side.”
“How bad?” he asks, fear evident in his tone. He and Emo have always shared a special bond over the love and grief they have for Trouble’s dead sister.
“Not sure. Right side. Went in just below the ribs and out straight through the back.”
There’s huffing and puffing on the other end, as if he’s running.
“Two minutes. Put pressure on it.”
He hangs up, and I drop the phone to floor just as Maisy comes back carrying towels. She hands them to Ellie. I grab one and stuff it underneath Emo where the exit wound is. She already has another one pressed against the entry hole. She pulls her hands away when I replace them with mine and press down hard. Seeing blood on her hands has my heart seizing. It’s not her blood, but it still freaks me the fuck out.
When JW comes to my side, my eyes dart to the left and see Sierra rolled to her side, her arms behind her back and her eyes closed. She’s not dead, but she has a fresh cut on her temple where JW must have knocked her out.
Rage simmers, heating my blood anew. I want to wrap my hands around her throat and squeeze every bit of life out of her. Instead, I bring my eyes to JW.
“Trouble’s on his way.”
Sensing what I need, he takes over and puts pressure on Emo’s wound.
As soon as my hand is free, I get to my feet and rush to Ellie. She hasn’t made it to her feet, so I grab her arms and haul her up, straight into my tight embrace. Her arms lock around my shoulders, her face against my chest and mine buried in her hair.
It’s not until that moment that I take a full breath, inhaling her fresh scent. I lift my head and immediately find who I’m looking for. Ellie and I both reach out at the same time and bring her against our sides. Her little arms wrap around both our backs, completing our circle.
My throat goes tight and my eyes burn. I was inches away from losing half of my heart, and that knowledge terrifies me more than I ever thought possible.
“He saved her,” Ellie croaks, her eyes swimming with tears. She looks down at Emo, immense sadness dimming her eyes. “He jumped in front of her just as the gun went off.” She looks at Maisy, caressing her cheek, and looks back at me. “He took a bullet for our girl, Judge.”
I nod, pulling her forward for a kiss. I bring my eyes to Emo, who now has his eyes closed. For a moment, fear makes itself known, but then his eyes slide open slowly. They move to Maisy, but as if sensing my gaze on him, they drift to me.
There will never be anything I could do to repay Emo for what he gave me. There will be no words meaningful enough to express my gratitude. My brothers and I have always had each other’s backs, no matter the situation or the consequences, and damn if he didn’t have mine tonight.
