Logan’s pained cry sounds through the night, and my head snaps up, watching as he hovers over his twin brother, tears brimming in his dark eyes. “I’ll never fucking forgive you if you die, asshole. Keep your goddamn eyes open.”
My chest aches watching the scene as Arizona shakes Jax’s shoulder, heavy sobs tearing from her chest. “JAX! Fuck. Wake up. Please wake up.” Her head shoots toward the paramedics quickly approaching. “They’re not going to make it in time,” she cries in sheer desperation. “He’s going to die.”
“Either shut up or fuck off,” Logan hisses at her, too fearful to realize she’s just as scared as he is. “You’re not helping, all you’re fucking good for is messing with his head.”
Arizona shakes her head, not believing him for one moment as she drops her gaze back to Jax’s limp body in her arms. “He’s going to die,” she cries. “He’s going to fucking die.”
Fear ripples through me before Riley forces my stare back to his. “Jax is gonna be alright,” he murmurs, trying to calm me, somehow able to keep his head on straight and be the voice of reason I need during this shitstorm. “Logan won’t let anything happen to him. Arizona doesn’t know what the fuck she’s talking about. She’s just scared.”
I shake my head, looking back down at my girl, her eyes growing heavy as soft tears continue falling down her cheeks, the heaviness weighing on my chest and making this whole moment nearly impossible to get through. “I don’t know, man,” I tell him, watching the way Brielle’s eyes flutter, straining to keep herself awake. “I don’t know how any of us are supposed to get through this.”
Riley doesn’t respond, knowing how fucking right I could be, but my mind is already somewhere else. “Talk to me, Hudson,” I call over my shoulder, hoping he can hear me from the bottom of the hill as my gaze snaps across to Colby’s lifeless body, his chest still not moving up and down. “Tell me Addison’s alright.”
Hudson’s agonized grunt rumbles across the hill, and I glance back to find him dropping to his knees with Addie tucked tightly against his blood-soaked chest. “I don’t know,” he says, his voice filled with the worst kind of pain that destroys something deep in my soul. “I don’t know how to help her.”
Ilaria and Chanel barrel in beside him, looking over Addison’s face as Hudson falls apart, his whole world flashing before his eyes. “She’s still breathing,” Ilaria calls back, desperately searching over her. “But she’s lost a lot of blood. I … I think she’s going to be alright.”
Clenching my jaw, I close my eyes for a brief moment, trying to force myself to take a calming breath as I press harder against Bri’s wound. “Her clothes?” I ask Ilaria, not sure if I’m ready for her answer. “Are they … did he hurt her again?”
“I … I don’t know. It’s hard to say,” she calls back up the hill, trying to wrestle her out of Hudson’s arms, needing to apply pressure to her wounds. “They’re torn, but they’re intact. I think maybe he tried but didn’t get what he wanted.”
Hudson lays her down, barely holding himself together at the thought of losing the girl he loves. Ilaria and Chanel dive for her at the same time, pulling at her clothes and searching for her injuries until they find a deep stab wound just below her chest. Chanel gasps as Ilaria shoves her hands against Addie’s body to stop the bleeding. Hudson takes Addie’s face in his hands and begs her to wake up.
I can’t watch any longer and look back at Bri, sending silent prayers to anyone who will listen.
The sirens drown out Addison’s familiar cry, but it’s all I need to keep breathing. She’s going to be alright. Addie has been through worse and overcome the impossible. But if that fucker raped her again … I don’t know what version of my sister I’ll get back after this.
I don’t know what the fuck I’m doing or how I will get through this. All I know is, if Addie, Bri, or Jax die here tonight, I’ll never forgive myself. Addison left to go to the bathroom, and I should have insisted on walking her, but I was too fucking busy getting my dick wet with my girl. And Jax … he shouldn’t have been anywhere near Colby. That was my fight, my business, and now my cousin has suffered the consequences of my mistakes.
I should have kept my cool. I should have known something like this would happen, especially after dropping Colby’s ass at the courthouse. He was not a forgiving man, and I knew that. Colby was reckless and out for blood, just as I was, and now because of my actions, the people I love are dropping like flies.
I lost control—the one thing I promised Bri I wouldn’t do.
I gave her my word that she’d never have to see that side of me again and now here we are. She’s hurt because I couldn’t stop the rage, couldn’t keep myself from making irrational decisions. Colby swung his knife over and over again while Bri stood at my back trying to pull me away, and instead of listening to her and seeing the danger I was putting her in, I was thinking of myself. I needed to see the life fade from his eyes, needed to get justice for what he did to my sister, for what he did to Bri.
And now … fuck.
I’ve killed a man.
My hands shake, and the only thing keeping me calm is the way Bri’s hand shifts from the blood-soaked grass and curls around my wrist, her grip barely tight enough to hold on. I meet her teary expression, and the overwhelming bullshit circling my mind begins to ease, just as it always does whenever those blue eyes are locked on mine. The world fades away, and all I see is her.
“It hurts,” she whispers as Riley wipes another tear off the side of her face.
“I know, baby,” I murmur, swallowing hard over the lump in my throat, doing everything I can to appear strong for her. “That’s a good thing. If you can still feel it, that means you can fight through it. You’re going to be alright. I promise I’m not letting you go.”
Her fingers tighten around my wrist, and I see nothing but fear shining through her stare. “You’re scared,” she tells me.
“You’re damn fucking right, I am,” I admit. “I’m terrified, but I gave you my word, Killer. I just need you to meet me halfway. You gotta keep fighting, okay? I lean, you lean, remember? I’ll give you anything you want, just stay with me.”
“Anything?” she questions, those beautiful full lips pulling at the corners into a soft smirk. “Even butt stuff?”
I can’t help but grin at her as I shake my head. “Fucking hell, babe. This isn’t the time to be joking,” I tell her, not surprised one fucking bit that even on her fucking death bed, her blood pooling over my fingers, she’s cracking jokes about getting railed in the ass.
“Wait,” Riley says, his gaze lifting to mine. “You haven’t fucked this sweet ass yet? Dude, lacking. I’m not impressed.” He glances at my girl before I get the chance to curse him out. “Just say the word, babe. If you want me to pop that ass cherry, it’ll be my honor. Any time, any day, any place. You bring the ass, I’ll bring the equipment.”
If my hands weren’t currently keeping my girl from bleeding out on the grass, I’d fucking beat his ass black and blue. “Watch your fucking mouth, man,” I spit, the harshness in my words more than enough warning. “I’ve already put one asshole in the ground. Don’t make it two.”