Caged (Dark Empire #2)

One

Magnus

The fury coursed through me, unrelenting, even after storming their warehouse and unleashing hell on everyone inside. The sole reason the bastard in the trunk was still breathing was Luca's adamant command.

“Are you sure you're okay?” Luca asked again, glancing at me with concern.

“It's only a scratch,” I muttered.

I looked down at where I was leaking blood from the side of my waist.

Yeah, okay, it was more than a scratch, but there wasn’t any serious damage done either. I was more pissed about the fact that I was leaking blood all over the car seat. The scrap of material wrapped around me was barely stopping the mess, but I wasn't going to complain about the pain after what happened to Ashlee.

I needed to see her. I needed to know that she was going to be okay. My sweet Red had been hurt because of who we were.

Did I regret snatching her up?

Not for a second. It only ignited my burning desire to obliterate those bastards. Watching her marry Ethan didn't just sit right with me after what happened—it made my blood boil with a fierce protectiveness. Now, with the entire Prezello clan backing her and Stefan orchestrating our vengeance, we were unstoppable.

I closed my eyes and took a deep breath. I was having an episode and I didn’t know how to stop it. Violence had always been the answer, but attacking that warehouse hadn’t helped. I needed to get my shit together before we got back because Ashlee couldn’t see me like this. She didn’t know the demons I was hiding.

As we rolled up to Stefan's house, a few sleek, black cars were parked outside, their presence an ominous sign in the dead of night. The house was ablaze with light, a hive of activity that hinted at the high stakes within. Stefan had summoned his most loyal men for an emergency meeting, the air thick with the promise of vengeance. He'd be planning his retribution, but little did he know, we'd already struck the first blow.

Luca locked the car after we got out ensuring that our new guest wasn’t going anywhere. He was probably still unconscious but we weren’t taking any chances.

“I'm happy to deal with this if you want to check in with Ethan and Ashlee,” Luca said after knocking on the door.

“You sure?”

“Yeah. You should probably deal with that wound as well.”

I shrugged just as Tara opened the door. “Boys, where the hell have you been?”

“Dealing with something,” Luca said with a shrug.

“Your father’s been looking for you. He's in his office.”

Luca stepped inside. “I have something to discuss with him anyway.”

“Mags, Ethan is upstairs with Ashlee.” Tara gave me a tight smile.

“Is she okay?” I asked, my voice far more shaky than I’d expected.

Tara jerked her head towards the stairs rather than replying. It only made my stomach tighten with fear. What if it was worse than we thought?

What if she was...

I was desperate to see her. I nodded and entered, rushing up the stairs and poking my head into each guest room until I found Ethan sitting beside a bed.

It was like I could finally breath for the first time since entering, my eyes gazing over her body.

“How is she?” I murmured.

“Stable. The bullet went straight through luckily, and there’s only tissue damage.” He didn’t look up, his eyes staring at his wife. “She's been unconscious since we arrived. Stefan had someone clean and stitch her wound. The pain was clearly too much.”

“At least she’s alive.” My heart fucking ached looking at her pale limp form in the bed.

Ethan slowly turned his gaze to meet mine, his eyes red and glassy. “We promised to protect her, Mags, and we failed.”

“Nobody was to know they'd do something like that on your wedding day. Don’t blame yourself.”

“I do,” he muttered. “Where have you been anyway?” His eyes drifted down to the bloodied patch on my shirt.

“Getting some revenge,” I said. “Killed a fair few men and took one hostage.”

He nodded. “Good. I hope they suffered.”

“They did. I'm going to have a quick shower and clean this up. I'll be back soon.”

Ethan nodded, turning his eyes back to Ashlee.

I snatched a pair of sweatpants from Ethan’s drawer, my heart pounding as I locked myself in the bathroom. Ripping the blood-soaked cloth from my wound, I bit back a curse at the sight. It was nastier than I let on, but nothing compared to the hell Ashlee endured. With a quick, fevered shower, my mind was consumed by one thought: getting to my girl. Today should have been one of her happiest moments, but instead, it had nearly become her last.

I released a sigh as I finished wrapping a dressing around my waist, and then went back to see Ethan and Ashlee. He was still sitting in a chair beside the bed holding her limp hand.

I went and sat on the bed beside her, reaching out to stroke her cheek, the heat radiating from her skin.

“I don’t know what I would have done if I'd lost her,” Ethan whispered. “I love her.”

“I love her too,” I mumbled.

Her hot skin was a reassurance, a sign of life that I needed.

“We need to do better.”

“And we will.” I'd be fucking damned if anyone was going to harm her again. I'd fucking rage war upon anyone who tries to hurt her.

Ethan released a sigh. “I thought I'd be spending this evening consummating my marriage.”

“We’ll have to reorganise the honeymoon. She deserves it after going through this.”

“We will. Once she heals.”

I laid back and stared at the ceiling. “Were her friends okay after everything?”

“Ro eventually took them home, but I think my dad gave them a little talking to before.”

A dry chuckle escaped me. “Bet they were surprised.”

“I already gave them a chat the other night. Walked in with blood over me, didn’t I.” He chuckled tightly. “They deserved an explanation. They're clearly not going anywhere.”

“Suppose that's for the best if Hannah's going to be falling into bed with Mario,” I said.

“She is not,” Ethan muttered.

“Oh, come on, pal, they're either flirting or fighting. He kissed her last night.” I smirked as I gazed at him.

“What?” His eyebrows shot up. “When?”

“While you were walking around with Ash. They were practically grinding each other on the dance floor, and then he kissed her.”

“For fuck's sake,” he growled. “They’re not suited. She'll never submit the way he would want her to. She's too feisty for him.”

“Which is probably why he's chasing her. Everyone loves a challenge, Ethan, we know that better than anyone.”

He smiled down at our girl. “She was worth it all, wasn't she?”

“She is. Even after what's happened, I wouldn't change a thing. Having her in our lives is worth all of it.”

“She’s too good for us, Mags. A better man would let her go.”

“We’re not good men and she doesn't want to leave. She chose us in the end. She chose to marry you.”

He ran his finger over the band sitting on her finger.

“She’s still with us.”

“She is,” he whispered.

I watched her chest rise and fall with every breath, a silent testament to her survival. Just a few inches difference, and she could have been gone. The cruel irony was that she wasn’t even the target.

My gaze shifted to Ethan. Imagining a world without him was unbearable. He had saved me in ways he couldn’t even fathom. When he found me wandering the streets, I was drowning in PTSD. I never shared that with him, but his kindness—a roof over my head that first night, and later, a job—was my lifeline. Our bond grew strong.

We became best friends.

The relentless violence his family was ensnared in became my catharsis, a way to purge my demons and find healing. I loved him like a brother, and the thought of him being targeted on his own wedding day twisted the knife deeper into my heart.

My eyes eventually fell heavy and I didn’t bother to fight the exhaustion from taking me, seeking comfort in the fact that Ashlee and Ethan were still alive beside me.