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The room feels like it’s closing in on me, suffocating my every breath as I search their pale faces for answers. My heart pounds in my chest, fear slithering under my skin, tightening its merciless grip.
“Annalise,” Nikhil pleads, stepping closer to the bed and taking my trembling hands in his. “You need to breathe, okay? Deep breaths, in through your nose, out through your mouth.”
His eyes are dark pools of worry, urging me to listen, to find some semblance of calm. Forcing myself to inhale deeply, I attempt to focus on the sensation of air filling my lungs, pushing the panic back into the shadows, if only for a moment.
“Good,” he whispers, offering a small, reassuring smile. “Just like that.”
“Damian,” I croak, my voice barely audible over the pounding of my own heartbeat. “Tell me what happened to Cassius. Please.”
“Anna…” Damian hesitates, his jaw clenched as he struggles with the weight of his words. His eyes, usually so fierce and unwavering, are clouded with pain.
“Tell me!” I demand, desperation clawing at my throat.
“Annalise,” Damian exhales, finally meeting my gaze, his voice laden with sorrow. “Cassius was shot.”
The world shatters around me, shards of glass slicing through my heart as I gasp for breath. Tears spring to my eyes, hot and unrelenting, spilling down my cheeks as I choke on the truth.
“Shot?” I repeat, the word feeling foreign on my tongue, my mind unable to wrap itself around the devastating reality. “But…how? Why?”
“Shh, Anna,” Nikhil murmurs, his strong arms wrapping around me, attempting to shield me from the crushing weight of my grief. “It’s going to be okay. We’re here for you.”
“Is he…dead?” I choke out, my voice breaking.
“No,” Damian answers quickly, his eyes locked on mine, a flicker of hope igniting in their depths. “He’s alive, but he’s in critical condition.”
My vision blurs as the tears continue to flow, each one a testament to the love I hold for Cassius, for all of them. And in this moment, my heart is a fragile thing, held together by the thinnest of threads—the hope that Cassius will survive, and the knowledge that these men, these dangerous, powerful brothers, are here with me, fighting for us all.
“Promise me you’ll save him,” I whisper through my tears, gripping Nikhil’s arms like a lifeline. “Please, promise me.”
“We’ll do everything in our power, Annalise,” Damian vows, his voice steady and unwavering. “We won’t let him go without a fight.”
And as I cling to their words, to the strength they offer me, I can only pray that it will be enough.
The room swims before me as I struggle to process the devastating news, my heart aching with each ragged breath I take. Tears stream down my cheeks unabated, and I can barely find my voice.
“Tell me everything,” I whisper, my words choked by emotion. “I need to know what happened.”
Damian’s jaw tightens, but he nods, determination etched on his face. “We’re not sure of all the details yet, but Cassius was ambushed while trying to gather information for us. They shot him, but our men got there in time to intervene and bring him back here.”
I close my eyes, my mind conjuring images of Cassius, vulnerable and bleeding, fighting for his life. A sob escapes my lips before I can contain it. How did things spiral so far out of control?
“Is he going to be okay?” My voice trembles as I ask the question that has been haunting me since I learned the truth about his condition.
“We don’t know yet,” Nikhil admits, his own voice laced with pain. “The doctors are doing everything they can, but it’s too soon to tell.”
“Can I see him? Please, I need to see him.” Desperation gnaws at me, driving me to push past the limits of my own body.
“Annalise, you need to rest,” Damian implores, concern glinting in his eyes. “You’ve been through a lot, and your health is important to us.”
“Please,” I repeat, my voice barely audible, lost amidst the storm of emotions raging within me. “I need to see him.”
“Alright, love,” Nikhil concedes, giving Damian a meaningful look. “But you have to promise to take it easy. We can’t risk anything happening to you or the baby.”
“Thank you,” I murmur, nodding my agreement as they help me to my feet.
As we make our way to Cassius’s room, I can feel the weight of their concern pressing down on me, but it does little to quell the storm inside. I need to see him for myself, to find some semblance of hope amidst this darkness.
The door to his room swings open, revealing a sight that steals my breath away. Cassius lies motionless on the bed, his face pale and drawn, hooked up to a myriad of machines that beep and whir in a morbid symphony. My heart clenches painfully in my chest, and I can’t tear my gaze away from him.
