42
BLOOM
T he cold of the concrete seeped through my jeans, numbing my legs as I sat, my arms twisted uncomfortably behind me, tied at the wrists. A rope hung around my neck, its weight heavy and uncomfortable. Every time I shifted, my stomach twisted. I hated the fucking thing.
The rope dug into my skin, the coarse material unforgiving against my throat, but it wasn’t just the physical discomfort; it was the memory that dragged with it, clawing its way out of the darkest corners of my mind. Of being chained just like that. Like an animal. Bringing me back to a state that I never wanted to remember.
The man holding the rope gave it a sharp tug, jerking my head back until it cut off my breathing. He’d been toying with me like this since he brought me to the warehouse. My chest tightened as panic surged, and I gulped for what might be my last taste of air.
Logan. Please…
I was small again, barely able to stand. The rough fibers of the rope burned against my neck as they paraded me in front of the people in the yard, laughing their asses off. One of the men had given me one of the firesticks to smoke, but it made me cough so badly I threw up.
My father’s hand was firm on the leash, yanking me forward like I was some prized animal. I scurried on all fours, the gravel digging into my bare knees and palms, but I knew if I cried, they would only hurt me more. Besides, I hadn’t eaten in a long time. My stomach no longer growled; it simply ached.
“Look at him,” my father said, his voice slurring from too much beer. “Tough little shit, ain’t he? Bet he’ll give that mutt a run for its money.”
The crowd jeered and whooped, the noise was deafening. So deafening I shrank into myself, wanting to run back to my shed and hide in my box. A boot struck me in the backside, and I stumbled forward, sprawled on my belly. I yelped, the sound torn from my throat before I could stop it.
The laughter grew louder, more frenzied.
“Don’t shame me, you mutt.” He yanked on the rope so tight I couldn’t breathe. I scrambled to close the distance to get some slack on the rope.
“Get in there, boy.” Someone shoved me toward the cage they’d set up in the yard. The one I hated but which meant food.
If I won.
Inside, a dog snarled, its lips pulled back over sharp teeth. My stomach growled painfully, the smell of food wafting into my nostrils.
My father tugged at the rope again, hauling me closer. “You want to eat? You gotta earn it. Show us you’re worth something.”
They pushed me in. The door slammed shut with a metallic clang. Trembling, I faced the dog, saliva dripping from its mouth. A chicken leg was flung into the cage and landed between me and the dog.
It was time to eat or be eaten.
The memory twisted into itself, merging with the present as the rope around my neck tightened further. My vision blurred, and dark spots danced in front of my eyes as I gasped for air. The metallic taste of panic filled my mouth, and my ears rang with the echoes of laughter and snarls.
“Get the fuck away from him!”
The voice pierced through the haze like a shot, sharp and commanding. The pressure on the rope vanished, and I collapsed forward, sucking in ragged breaths. My head spun, and my chest heaved, the gulps of air barely enough to chase away the crushing panic.
Warm arms wrapped around me, pulling me close, and I flinched instinctively, expecting pain. But the voice came again, softer this time. Familiar.
“Bloom… it’s okay. I’m here. You’re all right. You’re safe now.”
Logan.
I blinked. My vision slowly cleared, and his face came into focus. His arms were tight around me, his body pressed against me, shielding me from everything else. His voice was a steady rhythm, pulling me back from the edge of the abyss.
“You’re okay,” he whispered, his breath warm against my temple. “I’ve got you.”
I buried my face against his chest, trembling, my body refusing to calm, even as his words wrapped around me like a lifeline. The memory clung to me vividly, but Logan’s presence was stronger. He was here. He’d found me.
“Logan,” I croaked, my voice barely a whisper, raw and broken.
“I’m here.” He ran his hands over my back in soothing circles, grounding me. “I’m not going anywhere. I promise.”
“Technically, that’s not true.”
We weren’t alone. I stiffened. Logan’s uncle stopped a few feet away from us, a harsh grin on his face. He was behind this. I snarled, lunging forward, but Logan held me back.
“Bloom, stand down. Relax. You’ll be okay.”
But what about him?
“He is absolutely fascinating, Keegan,” his uncle said. “Gorgeous, wild, and completely untamed. A beautiful creature.”
Logan bristled, his growl low and threatening as he stood before me, shielding me with his body. “You said you’d leave him alone if I followed you.”
“I suppose I did say that. Didn’t I?”
“Then release him. Take him back to his family and let this end right here. He has nothing to do with the Mafia.”
I shoved myself against Logan’s leg. “What are you talking about, Logan? I’m not going without you.”
“You will.” Logan didn’t look at me. My heart galloped against my ribs.
Why won’t he look at me?
“Logan, please look at me.”
“There’s nothing to say, Bloom. This whole mess started because of me, so I should end it.”
“You can’t make me do it, Logan! I’ll never leave you.” Why wouldn’t he look at me? I sank my teeth into his leg hard. He hissed but didn’t pull away, so I bit down some more until I tasted his blood. It wasn’t nearly enough.
“Dammit, Bloom!” He grabbed my hair and yanked my head back. “Cut it out. I’m doing this for you. This is the only way I have to save you.”
“It isn’t. We can fight them together. It’s you and me against them.”
“They have guns, Bloom.”
“I don’t care. We can—”
“No, I won’t risk your life. You mean too much to me.”
“What do you think will happen if they kill you?” I cried, tears streaming down my face. I climbed to my knees. “I’ll die without you.”
“You will not. Do you hear me, Bloom?” Logan crouched so we were at eye level and cupped my face. “You’re strong enough to live without me.”
I shook my head. “I’m not. Logan, please, I’m not.”
“You are. Do you know what loving someone is, Bloom? It’s making sacrifices when it matters to protect the one you care about. I’d die for you a thousand times and never regret it.”
“No, Logan, please—”
He brushed his thumb over my bottom lip. “I know what you’re thinking, but you can’t do it. You can’t—must not—take your own life after I’m gone. I forbid it.”
“What am I supposed to do without you?” I was sobbing so hard I could hardly see his face.
“You’re going to fall in love again—”
“Never!”
“You are going to fall in love again, Bloom, with someone who cherishes you and takes care of you, someone who understands how special you are. You will be happy and healthy. But don’t forget me.” He kissed my nose. “Now and then, say a prayer at my altar so I know you’re thinking of me. And I hope to God there’s another lifetime so I can find you again. I wouldn’t resist you so much as I did in the beginning but love you for whatever time we have. Now promise me.”
“N-n-no. I can’t. I don’t want to live without you. Wherever you go, I’ll follow…even in death. I’ll follow you, Logan.”
“Bloom!” He took me by the shoulders and shook me. “I’m nothing special. You’ll find someone better who adores you.”
“As touching as this is, we don’t have all night,” his uncle said. “Bishop, drag the boy to the car and lock him in the trunk.”
I shrank back at the same time Bishop moved to stand in front of the older man. “You can’t be serious. Are we really letting him go?”
“I gave my word,” his uncle said.
“Who gives a fuck? You have to kill them both!”
“A gentleman doesn’t go back on his word, Bish,” his uncle said. “It’s the way of our world, or we’d have chaos.”
Logan stroked my head and gave me a smile. “You don’t have to worry. The Agosti family is vile, but they live up to the promises they make. He won’t harm you.”
“He’s right. We have no interest in you, Bloom. We came here solely for Logan, and your freedom is his price.”
I laughed, the sound bubbling to a shrill, hysterical pitch that seemed to go on forever. I took in a gasping breath, my sides hurting from the force of my laughter. Tears blurred my eyes until every face was distorted.
“Is he insane?” Bishop asked.
“What’s insane is thinking you can kill Logan and set me free,” I whispered.
“Bloom, stop talking.” Logan squeezed my shoulders.
I shrugged off his touch, glaring at his uncle. “If you let me walk out of here alive and you kill Logan, I will find you.”
“Bloom!”
“I will hunt you down like a dog. I will nail you to a fucking tree and pick the skin clean from your bones. I will find you, and I will make you pay. You touch him, and you die a horrible death. No one—no one—knows the darkness of my mind, but I promise you, I’ll ensure you know and that the entire Agosti family never forgets.”
“Impressive.” His uncle walked around me. “I actually believe him. To find a man with such loyalty and courage. I almost want to keep him.”
“No, we had a deal!” Logan cried. “You let him go to be with his family.”
“But I didn’t bank on him being such an interesting toy. Imagine if I had his kind of loyalty.”
“What the hell is that supposed to mean?” Bishop ground his teeth. “You have me. Have I not always been loyal to you? Even after your brother blinded me in one eye? Did I not remain by your side?”
“I can have two, can’t I?”
Bishop’s nostrils flared. “No, you fucking can’t. If you don’t want to kill him, I will.”
He raised his gun and aimed at me. A loud explosion filled the room. I braced myself for the impact. Logan’s body hit mine, his arms coming around me.
“Logan…” I whispered. Did he just throw himself between me and a bullet? “Logan!”
“It’s okay. I’m not hit.”
He wasn’t? I glanced over his shoulder. Bishop was on his knees. He lowered his head, staring at the blood pouring from the gaping wound in his chest.
“You…shot me?” he croaked.
“You left me with no choice, Bishop.”
“I did everything for you, but you never really felt the same way about me, did you?”
The older man hung his head and sighed. “This isn’t how I wanted us to end, but you pushed me. You know what I hate most of all? People disobeying me. How can I trust you if you don’t listen to me and follow my orders?”
Logan placed his finger on his lips and fingered the ropes that bound my arms, working quickly to untie the knots. My pulse thundered in my ears, drowning out the murmured exchange between his uncle and Bishop. The ropes fell away, leaving a burning sensation in their wake, but I ignored the aching tingles in my wrists. I was too focused on Logan’s uncle in case he noticed what we were doing.
“Then finish the job,” Bishop wheezed. “Can you kill the man who’s been by your side for over two decades?”
Mickey’s hand jerked on the gun, but he didn’t fire the fatal shot he seemed so sure of earlier. He turned his head. Shit. We were made.
“Logan, run!” I cried.
My legs were still tied together, but if one of us had the chance to make it out, he should. Logan charged at his uncle at the same time Mickey swung the gun around. Logan crashed into Mickey. A gunshot reverberated through the warehouse, making my heart leap into my throat. Their bodies collided and fell to the ground in a tangle of limbs. Blood sprayed, but I couldn’t tell whose it was—Logan’s or Mickey’s. My stomach lurched as dread clawed its way through me.
“Logan!” I screamed his name.
I scrambled to untie the ropes around my ankles, my fingers fumbling in my haste. Every second felt like an eternity. The rough fibers burned my skin as I yanked at the knots, finally freeing myself. I pushed myself up on stiff and unsteady legs. Where was Bishop’s gun? It lay on the ground a few feet from me, glinting menacingly under the dim light.
Without hesitation, I lunged for it and closed my fingers around the cold metal. Turning, I aimed at Bishop, his body twitching as he clutched his bleeding chest. My hands steadied as I squeezed the trigger. The shot echoed, and Bishop’s body went still.
“Drop the gun, Mickey!” I shouted, my voice cold and commanding. I aimed but couldn’t get a clean shot, and I didn’t want to accidentally hit Logan.
The two men froze. For a moment, Mickey seemed as if he wasn’t willing to relent, but then he caught sight of Bishop’s crumpled body, and a sound of distress left him. His fingers slackened, and the gun clattered onto the ground. Logan groaned, pushing himself up. Blood ran down his arm, staining his sleeve a deep crimson. He picked up the gun and stepped away from his uncle.
“Logan, are you okay?” I rushed to his side, hovering my hands over him, unsure where to touch. “Were you shot?”
“It’s just a flesh wound,” he muttered, but he winced as he pulled his hand away to inspect the damage. “I’m fine.”
I wasn’t convinced. Anger surged, hot and unrelenting. I turned my attention back to Mickey. My finger twitched on the trigger, the urge to end him bubbling to the surface.
“Bloom, don’t,” Logan said, his voice firm despite the pain lacing it. He placed a hand on my shoulder, grounding me. “He’s unarmed. It’s over.”
“It’s not over until he’s dead. He has to pay.”
I gulped deep breaths. The gun wavered, but then I tightened my hand on the handle.
“Not yet.” Logan took a step forward, his attention on Mickey, but all I saw was the blood dripping from his fingertips and pooling on the ground. His blood. Being wasted because of that asshole. The urge to kneel and catch the pooling blood onto my tongue was strong, but I fought it to keep an eye on Mickey. I didn’t trust the asshole, even though he was unarmed.
“Why?” Logan asked. “Why would you do this to me? I loved you like a father.”
“I already said everything I need to. If you’re going to kill me, do it. I’m not going to beg you to spare my life.”
“I know ways to make him beg,” I said.