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Somehow, I didn’t imagine that happening.
Bad guys announcing themselves. It feels surreal, but I acknowledge that itisvery real. This is the one shot we have to catch these guys and avenge Libby’s death.
“Coming!” I call out.Did I sound casual enough?
My feet drag on the short walk to the door. I know Nolan is sitting at the top of the stairs, waiting, and he’ll have my back. He may be an eternal flirt and like a good joke and video games now and then, but there’s no one more loyal to the family than Nolan Sutton.
He’s got my six.
Until he doesn’t.
Until the world around us explodes.
Nolan
“Scotty, get down!” I barely get the words out when the front of the house explodes. I watch in horror as her petite body is thrown halfway across the room, disappearing from sight.
I hear Jax from the back of the house as he shoots at someone while I take out the guy at the front door. Another explosion hits, and an SUV explodes into a ball of fire as it flips over.
“Scotty, talk to me!” Shouting to be heard over the commotion as I rush down the stairs and tackle the asshole who tries to enter the house, I easily slip a knife up and under his sternum, straight into his heart. He never stood a chance. “Scotlyn!” I shout again as I look over to see her body has shattered the wood table in the middle of the living room, and she’s unconscious.
“Scotlyn!” Jax comes running in from the back simultaneously as I rush to her side, and two more explosions occur in quick succession. “Fuck, sunshine.” I see it. For the first time, I see the way love breaks a man. Because if my cousin is dead, Jax will wish he were too.
“Someone grab him!” I shout when I see Easton and Saint come rushing in. “Saaiinnt,” I growl his name as he shoves me out of the way.
“Fuck off, Nolan.” Reaching for his sister, he checks her pulse, and when his head drops, my heart sinks.
“No!” Jax yells, breaking free from Easton’s grasp as my dad and Dominic come inside. “Sunshine…Scotlyn…come on, baby. Don’t do this.” Feeling for a pulse himself, he begins CPR while Saint cuts the vest off her.
“Scotlyn,” my dad hisses like he’s scolding her. Christ, between her and Hadley, they were constantly being scolded. And they always laughed everyone off.
One more laugh, Scotty; you can do it.
Jax
Too small.
She was too fucking small for that explosion.
Which could be good and bad.
Right now, it’s bad because the concussion of the explosion stopped her heart. I think the vest I had her wearing took the brunt of the impact, but her heart…
Her sweet, loving, kind heart.
I promised I would protect her.
“Scotlyn!” Carver’s tortured roar nearly immobilizes me as I continue compressions.
“Check her pulse,” I order Saint. The big man appears to be frozen. “Nolan,” I snap, and he jumps in as I pull back. Just as his fingers touch her neck, she starts to cough, and I’ve never felt such a profound sense of relief.
“Jax?” Her eyes are unfocused as she glances up at me.
“Sunshine.” Leaning forward, I settle my lips over hers. “Don’t ever fucking scare me like that again.”
“Okay,” she mumbles and smiles up at me.
“Baby girl.” Carver drops to his knees next to me. “Baby girl.”
