50. Matthias
Chapter 50
Matthias
Xander pulls up to the dock seconds behind me. The sound of waves covers the crunch below our tires. The tracker shows she’s in the white building a block ahead of us.
Bash and I get out of the car and head to the back of Xander’s Range Rover. The chill rolls down my spine as I throw on my tactical vest. It wasn’t too long ago that we’d been doing this to save Misty, and that went to hell fast. If we’d been any later, we’d have lost them both that night.
My fingers tremble as I slide extra magazines into their slots. I can’t let that happen again.
Xander grips my shoulder. “It’s going to be okay. We are going to take every last one of those assholes out.”
“Hell yeah, we are! They’re going to learn exactly what happens when they fuck with our sister,” Bash cheers, but there’s an edge to it.
They’re both ready to go, with enough weapons to take down a fort. It’s clear they’re all in, that they want to get to Scarlet as badly as I do, but going in now without any backup is a suicide mission, and I can’t let my baby brothers risk their lives like that.
“Wait for Damon and backup.” I turn to them.
“The fuck are you talking about?” Bash replies.
“We’re not little kids anymore. This is as important to us as it is to you,” Xander adds, adding another gun to his arsenal. “Our men will be here soon. They’ll cover us.”
I search their faces, but they stare back at me with hard expressions.
“Don’t fucking die,” I command like I can actually control what happens next.
Bash grins. “Double promise.”
I blow out a breath. “Let’s go.”
We hide in the shadows as we approach the building, scoping out what we’re up against. There are only three men stationed out front. They’re dressed in plain clothes, nothing like you’d expect going against us.
Bash comes up beside me. “Do you think they’re trying to lure us into a false sense of security?”
“I don’t think so. Look how they’re carrying their guns.” Xander points out. “These aren’t high-class mercenaries. Whoever was stupid enough to take her likely doesn’t have enough money to fund something like this.”
I cock my gun and step out into the light. “Let’s hope you’re right.”
All three men are down, bleeding across the pavement before they can turn in our direction.
Bash kicks one of the men’s guns away from him. “I know we should be happy about it, but honestly, I’m a little disappointed. No fun at all.”
“Scarlet’s in there somewhere, and you’re complaining it’s too easy?” My voice travels through the parking lot, echoing off the buildings.
“Jeez…I was just joking around.” He heads to the door first, getting into position, and signals to Xander he’s ready.
Bash opens the door, and Xander scopes it out, his gun ahead of him and half-covered by the doorframe. He gives me the all-clear sign and waves me forward.
That’s all I need to see before I rush through the empty hallway, fisting my phone in my hand. The tracker isn’t perfect, but I can still see the approximate area she’s in. If I can just get to the other side, I’ll be able to see her. My breath grows rapid, and my chest aches. I need her to be okay.
Five men enter the hall in front of me, cutting off my path. I fire round after round, running at them head-on. Their eyes are wide, fear throwing their aim off. Whoever they are, they’re definitely not used to live combat.
Xander and Bash are close behind me, each taking out men ahead. It takes seconds to clear the hallway. The sound of boots comes crashing down the stairs, and my brothers position themselves to face the attackers.
“Go find our sister,” Bash yells just as the first man steps out in front of him, taking a shot between his brows.
I hesitate for a second, not wanting to abandon them.
“We’ve got this. Just go,” Xander calls over the sound of gunshots as they mow the men down. The attackers made a tactical mistake coming down the stairwell. It only allows a few to exit at a time, making it entirely too easy to take out. Like shooting fish in a barrel.
No part of me feels bad for them—they fucked up when they came after my wife.
I glance at my phone as I turn down the next hallway, and I’m nearly on top of her dot. I suck in a breath, trying to prepare myself for what I’ll see when I open the door. I can’t lose her. No. I won’t fucking lose her.
I swing the door open, gun pointed straight ahead, finger resting on the trigger, then come to a halt.
Scarlet’s standing around three dead bodies, a wide smile across her lips. She’s dripping with blood, but from the way she’s smirking, I don’t think it’s her own.
“I told you I can take care of myself.” She points to the carnage she created, and I’ve never been so happy that she’d spent the last ten years learning how to defend herself. She’d told me once she’d never be in the same position she was in back then ever again, and she meant it.
“Fuck, Little Sparrow, I love when they underestimate you.” I’ve never been so proud of anyone in my entire life.
My feet are moving without me telling them to, closing the distance between us. I drop my gun as she runs and jumps into my arms, burying her face into my chest. For all of her bravado, her body’s shaking, and I tug her closer to me, trying to push all of my strength into her.
I kiss the top of her head. “You did good.”
“Did you doubt me?” Her voice is light as she murmurs into my vest.
“You are so much more than I deserve,” I say shakily.
She pulls back, tears pooling in her eyes. “I was scared. I tried so hard to hide, but they were too fast.”
“Me too, Little Sparrow. I was terrified.” I grip both sides of her face. “I can’t live without you. Do you understand? My life is nothing without you in it.”
I bury my face into the curve of her neck, closing my eyes and breathing in her scent. She’s okay. She’s okay. She’s okay.
I say the words on repeat as shudders roll through me. Rationally, I can see she’s fine, but my body hasn’t quite caught up yet.
A scuffle on the floor has me lifting my head just in time to see a man lunge in to stab her. Rage fills my veins, and I move without thinking, switching Scarlet’s and my positions.
Pain radiates through me as the knife sinks into my lower back, but all I can feel is grateful that it’s me and not her.
Two gunshots ring out before I can turn around, and warm liquids splatters the back of my neck.
Damon’s voice booms across the open room. “You couldn’t fucking wait for me, could you?”
I raise a brow at him. “Like you can talk.”
When Misty had been in danger, he’d lost his mind.
He looks us over. “You okay?”
Scarlet breaks free of my hold and gasps at the sight of my back. She places two trembling hands against the wound. “You’re hurt.”
“It’s just a scratch, Little Sparrow.” I try to ease her mind.
She glares up at me. “You are not okay. We’re going to the hospital.”
“We can just wait for our doctor. He can stitch me up.”
“Matthias Helios Everette. Do not argue with me right now.”
My mouth twitches, but I bite back my smile. She’d probably kill me if I did.
“Of course. I’ll do whatever you say.”
Damon glances between us. “My car’s around the side. Follow me.”
Xander and Bash are waiting by the Range Rover when we exit the building. Neither of them has a scratch on them.
Bash crosses his arms. “Don’t tell me you actually got hurt, Matthias? I’m disappointed in you.”
“Fuck off.” The pain is getting worse, but I refuse to let Scarlet see it. She’s already white as a ghost.
She climbs into the back seat of the SUV after me, tucking herself into my side.
Damon gets into the front, and Bash and Xander follow behind us in Damon’s car.
“Apply as much pressure as you can,” Damon calls out from the front.
Scarlet doesn’t need to be told again and pushes hard.
“ Fuck .” A hiss escapes my lips as the pain burns all the way up my back. “Go easy on me.”
She presses harder. “I’ll never forgive you if you die.”
I wipe away the tears flowing down her cheeks. “I’m fine, Little Sparrow. I promise.”
With the way Damon’s driving, it takes less than ten minutes for us to pull up to the emergency room. Someone must have called ahead because there’s already a team waiting with a gurney when I get out.
I hold my hand up, stopping their approach. “I can walk.”
Scarlet’s not screwing around when she says, “If you ever want to touch me again, you’ll get on the damn gurney, Matthias.”
I’m laid out on the gurney immediately—I’m not going to risk the chance she’ll follow through with that threat. I think I’d rather die than have her close and not be able to touch her.
A firm hand pushes me against the hard mattress. The woman’s wearing green scrubs and a stethoscope around her neck. “Don’t move. We’re heading in.”
“I said I was fine.”
“We’ll be the judge of that.” She commands her team like a drill sergeant as they move me into the hospital.
I twist, ignoring the pain, and call back to Damon. “Take care of her.”
“I’ll protect her with my life, brother.”
Scarlet runs up to me and grips my hand. “Don’t you dare die.”
I squeeze her fingers. “Only because you asked.”