Page 102 of Give Me Peace

“What does that even mean?” I scoff indignantly, my brain struggling to wrap itself around the audacity he’s exuding.

“Did you really think I’d allow this cretin to touch what’s mine?” His posturing and bravado give way to something dark and sinister. “I’ve watched him put his filthy paws all over you, on several occasions, tainting your purity. Who gave him the right?!” Spittle flies from his mouth, each word growing more incensed than the last. Something strange comes over me. This wave of hysteria that can’t be contained, no matter how hard I try to stave it off. A laugh bubbles out of me, sounding hollow and crazed.

“You’ve gotta be shitting me.” I wipe the tears from my face, the atmosphere in the room growing infinitely tenser in a matter of seconds. Maybe he has broken me. After all this time, all the hell I’ve been through, this is what causes me to crack. I’m split wide open, my wounds and damage on display for all to see. My fear dissipates, leaving rage in its wake. It’s the driving force behind my actions, the anchor I cling to and draw on for bravery as I face the man that ruined my life.

“My purity went out the window when you hired Liam Price to kidnap me. He held me prisoner for five years in an old, dilapidated storm cellar. Five fucking years!” Tears flood my face, but I draw on the guys’ presence, knowing they have my back, regardless of how this pans out. “If you think he didn’t hurt and abuse me, you’re not nearly as smart as you think you are.”

“You’re lying.” The gun wavers, ripping the air from my lungs. I don’t dare move or breathe, fearful the smallest flinch might push him over the edge. “Liam wouldn’t have disregarded a direct order like that.”

“Yeah?” I whisper, darting my eyes between Roan and the weapon he’s at the mercy of. “He backed out in the end, right? Didn’t follow through on the delivery portion of your deal. That’s a blatant show of disrespect if I’ve ever seen one. What makes you think he had any loyalty to you?”

“You’re wrong!” He rips the gun away from Roan and aims it at me. A smile of relief graces my lips, giving me the first bout of hope I’ve had since walking in here. “And I can prove it. Should I take you here? Make your boyfriend watch? I’ll stretch every hole you’ve got, for no other reason than I can. You. Are. Mine.”

“Like hell I am,” I grit out. “It’ll be a cold day in hell before you lay so much as a finger on me. I’m not scared of you. Do you hear me? You no longer have that hold over me. You’re nothing but a twig of man, washed up and so desperate for attention you sought it out in a child. You’re sick. A disgusting waste of space who will never know what it’s like to have me. Want to know why?” I taunt, taking a step closer.

“Saylor,” Lochlan warns, but I brush it aside, intent on voicing my thoughts.

“You can’t take something that no longer exists. Any part of me that remained pure after Liam was finished has been well and truly extinguished by one of these men. They’ve all had me, in one way or another. I’ll never be yours because I belong to them.”

“Shit,” Kash murmurs, fidgeting behind me as my ears start to ring. I’ve gone too far, pushed the crazy man past his detonation point, but I don’t regret it. It’s eerily silent, an eternity passing in the span of a few seconds. I watch in horror as Roan jerks back, anticipating the psychopath’s next move before I can even blink. The gun goes off, a spray of blood coating the back of the couch as I lose all sense of sanity.

“Nooo!” I fling myself forward, barreling headfirst into the man still armed with a weapon, my own safety flying clear out the window as I watch Roan slump forward. Chaos breaks out around me, but I’m intent on causing as much damage as possible. I kick and scratch, using every tool at my disposal to hurt the sonofabitch who continues to rip my life apart.

He wrestles me to the ground, the pressure of his body pressed on top of mine causing me to gag. Fortunately for me, we’re pretty evenly matched. He’s got nothing on Liam height and weight wise, and I went toe-to-toe with him several times. His grimy hands encase my throat, depriving me of oxygen. I buck and twist, but he doesn’t let up. The sharp pinch in my back reminds of the gun I stashed in my waistband. With a little effort, I manage to wiggle my arm beneath me. Just as I get it between us, Kash is there, his forearm wrapped around my attacker’s throat.

With my last bit of consciousness, I feel for the safety, flick it off, and pull the trigger. My body jolts from the force of it going off in such close proximity. It takes a minute for sound to filter back in, but once it does, I’m met with a flurry of panicked yells. I sputter and cough, pulling in lungfuls of air. The dead weight holding me down is pulled away, easing my breathing even more.

“Say Baby,” Havok’s worried voice calls out, his hands roving over my body, eyes wide and terrified. I glance down, seeing my shirt drenched in blood. I push him aside and I pat my torso, relieved to find it’s not mine.

“I’m fine,” I grunt, rolling to my knees as I try to shake the fuzzy feeling from my head. My eyes land on the dead body next to me. A stranger, for all intents and purposes. I don’t even know his name. He destroyed my childhood, and I have no idea who he is. I avert my gaze, not needing to relish in the fact he’s finally gone. For good this time.

“Roan?” Panic wells inside me as I watch Lochlan press a towel to the wound on his neck. It’s gushing blood, a crimson pool of it surrounding his prone body. I scramble over, barely keeping upright in my rush to get to him. His gorgeous green eyes lock with mine, full of acceptance. He’s already checked out. Thrown in the towel and resigned himself to the end. Well, I refuse to accept that.

“You’re okay,” I sob, brushing the loose hair from his face. “When this is over, and you’re all better, I need you to train me more. Not just the firing range. I need help in all areas. I’m woefully unprepared in hand-to-hand combat. So, you have to hold on, okay?” I use my shoulder to wipe the snot from my face.

“Damn right you do. She’s a horrible shot,” Kash grunts in agreement. I turn to glare at him, but it quickly gives way to horror as I watch Krew wrap his brother’s arm in gauze. Oh, God. I shot him, too. “Get that look off your face, sweetness. It’s just a graze. I’m more worried about that asshole’s blood mixing with mine. Through-and-throughs are nasty little buggers. Do you think insanity is contagious?” Kash questions his twin, his voice tight with worry.

What the hell is happening right now? How are they behaving so blasé when their friend is bleeding out on the kitchen floor? Indignation swells inside me, but I keep my focus on Roan. His blinks are growing slower and farther apart. I can’t lose him. None of this will be worth it if he’s no longer here. I’d live in fear forever, constantly looking over my shoulder if it meant he’s happy and healthy.

“Hang tight, brother. Help’s almost here.” Lochlan keeps pressure on the wound, sparing me a quick glance of reassurance. No sooner do the words leave his mouth and the door is kicked open. I scream, shuffling backwards as agents flood the room. The moment I recognize Denvers, a weight is lifted off of me. The calvary’s here. He’s going to make everything okay.

“Calloway.” He nods in greeting, gesturing toward the paramedics entering through the slider, a stretcher ready and waiting to get Roan out of here. I press a kiss to his lips, wishing I could stay by his side but knowing the best thing I can do for him is get out of the way and let the professionals get to work.

“I’ve got you,” Lochlan whispers, encircling my waist as we watch from the sidelines. I lean back, needing his support more than ever. A man we both love is hanging on by a thread, and there’s not a damn thing either of us can do about it. Helplessness has to be the worst feeling in the world, second only to guilt.

It’s a flurry of activity as they whisk Roan away and bag the body I can’t spare a moment of grief over. I took a man’s life tonight, but I feel no remorse. I fought for myself, for the men I love. I will always choose us over anyone or anything. Denvers has a ton of questions, as expected, but I’m all but useless at the moment. The last bit of brain power I have left is reserved for Roan. Worry for his wellbeing trumps everything else.

By the time we reach the hospital he was transported to, it’s more than an hour later. The charge nurse directs us to a private waiting area, informing us he’s currently in the OR and she’ll report any updates as she receives them. And so begins the longest night of my life, surpassing all the sleepless ones I spent in that cellar, my empty stomach clenching around absolutely nothing. I can’t help but wonder if this is how Roan and Lochlan felt as they waited for any word on my condition and prognosis.

As I’ve come to learn, loving someone exposes you in a way nothing else can.

Chapter Fifty

Lochlan

We’re nearing the fort-eight-hour mark since Roan made it out of surgery, and every minute has been spent on pins and needles as we wait for him to wake up. It feels all too familiar. Too soon. The first night was touch and go, but he pulled through. The first bullet grazed his thigh, but the last one nicked his carotid, causing him to lose more than half his blood volume. He’s a tough bastard, though. If Roan weren’t trained to read high intensity situations so well, he would’ve been too late. If he had moved a second later, we’d be planning his funeral instead. The thought alone makes my gut churn. As close as I am with all the guys, I’ve known Roan the longest. I’m connected to him in a way I’m not with the others. We share everything but blood. At least until two nights ago when I donated a shit ton of it to keep the bastard alive.

Tension hangs thick and heavy between us as we do nothing more than stare at the clock, willing time to speed up. We’ve been taking turns, swapping out who sleeps in Roan’s room and who takes a hard ass chair in the waiting area, but Saylor has refused to leave his side. She’s floundering from one emotion to the next. Crying one second, then snapping at Kash for his insensitivity back at the house. We all know she doesn’t mean it, but that doesn’t make it any easier to watch.