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“I can guarantee that whatever this bargaining chip is, it’s worth nothing if you’re dead, and Finn here is about thirty seconds away from killing you before you get the chance to negotiate. So, if I were you, I’d step away from McKenna so we can talk,” Bree negotiates calmly, sounding every bit the formidable leader that she is.
Whitlock looks over at me, and I watch as he drags his gaze over my body, mentally assessing what I’m capable of, since Shane took my gun. I decide to be straight with him to avoid guesswork.
“Red’s right. I have at least two concealed weapons that I won’t hesitate to use on you. But if that knife remains pressed into my girl’s throat for even a second longer, I will tear you apart with my bare hands, and I will love every second of it. I don’t give a shit what you have to bargain with, she’s all I care about.”
“You can’t negotiate if you’re dead,” Kian adds with a chuckle.
Whitlock takes a second to weigh up his options, before he lifts the knife away from McKenna’s throat. She hisses as the blade moves, nicking her slightly, and I feel Liam’s hold on me tighten as I move to murder the asshole.
Before I get the chance, Liam whispers in my ear. “Forget about him. She needs you now.”
That’s all it takes to break through the red mist that was clouding my vision. And as soon as Whitlock takes a step away from the bed, I rush towards her. In quick, frantic movements, I untie her arms. Once her wrists are free, I look over to her legs, but find Shane is already freeing them.
Without even thinking about it, I pull my T-shirt over my head, and raise McKenna into a sitting position, as gently as I can, so I can help her put it on.
“Come on, sweetheart. Let me help you up so I can put this on. You must be freezing. I’m here now. I’ve got you,” I mutter, as I pull the T-shirt over her broken body, trying to ignore all the bleeding cuts and bruises that seem to be everywhere.
As I pull the T-shirt all the way down—she’s so short it comes down to her thighs—I see a pool of blood between her legs and my stomach sinks.Did that sick fuck rape her?
I’m about to turn and shoot him, not giving a shit about whatever negotiation is going on behind me, when a small sound grabs all my attention. McKenna lets out a little sob, and her body shakes as the tears rack her body.
Without hesitating, I pull her against me, wrapping my arms around her. She cries out in pain, and I drop my arms like I was electrocuted. The idea I’m causing her any pain guts me, but she reaches up and places her hand on my cheek, grabbing my attention. “It hurts, but I need you. Please, hold me, and don’t let go.”
“I won’t ever let you go again. I’m so sorry, Mac,” I whisper, as I pull her gently into my arms.
She clings to me like I’m the life raft stopping her from drowning in the ocean. She cries and cries, and I just hold her, trying to assess if she’s got any major damage we need to get treated straight away.
“Not your fault,” she replies, and I huff in response. She can say that all she wants, but we both know she wouldn’t be here if it weren’t for me.
“Do you have any major injuries, Mac? I’m gonna get you an ambulance, but I need you to tell me if you have any injuries that I can’t see.” I try not to think about the pool of blood between her legs.
“Nothing major. A lot of blood loss though, and I will probably go into shock if I don’t get blood in the next half an hour. Most wounds will need sutures, but I don’t have any internal injuries, I don’t think.”
The nurse in her perks up, and she speaks as though she’s assessing a patient rather than herself. I don’t ask any more, but I tell Kellan to get an ambulance straight away, knowing he will have already heard everything she just said.
As I hold her in my arms, I drag my attention back to the situation behind me. Everyone is eyeing up Mortimer, and I can tell we’re all wondering the same thing.
“Why aren’t we killing him?” I snap.
“We can’t,” Liam says through gritted teeth. “We need to know what he has first.”
“Why?”
“He’s most likely bluffing,” Kian adds.
“He’s trying to save his own skin. I say we kill him and get the fuck out of here,” Evan growls, looking even more bored than he usually does.
But as Evan speaks, a sick smile spreads across Whitlock’s face, and my stomach flips. I have an impending feeling of doom, and I suspect no good will come from this.
“You are the last person who should want to kill me, since you’re the one with the most to lose,” Whitlock says cryptically, but it’s enough to grab Evan’s attention.
He takes a menacing step forward. “What are you talking about?”
Mortimer ignores him and turns towards Bree. “I want to make a deal. In exchange for my freedom, I will give you the thing I have of yours.”
“And what might that thing be?” Red asks.
This time, Mortimer deliberately looks at Evan, and when he’s sure he has his full attention, he says one word that shatters my brother before our very eyes. “Teigan.”
