CHAPTER TWENTY-THREE
KAGE
Bones was quick to call our private ambulance service to get them both to our hospital. He currently looks as pale as a ghost. As much as I want to throw him through a wall, I say little, because I’m frantic about my brother and Raina’s chances of survival. Bones went in the ambulance with Reaper. I am with Raina and Psycho in the other one. She’s completely out, as the medic monitors her vitals, and keeps pressure on her chest.
“I still don’t understand how they both got shot,” I say, more to myself than anyone else.
Psycho says, “I think the bullet must’ve gone through Reaper, and into her. He only fired once.”
“I can’t believe this.”
He arches a brow and shakes his head.
“And it’s going to get worse after I fucking stab you.”
As I watch Raina closely, I ask, “What’d I do to you?”
“We had a pact, asshole. You’re in love with this girl, and you swore you wouldn’t do the same shit the other two did. And look at you now.”
I open my mouth to argue, but snap it shut because, fuck, I don’t know. Maybe he’s right. Am I even capable of loving someone? It doesn’t really fucking matter anyway because if she lives, she hates me. And if she dies, I don’t know how to get through it. If I’m lucky, when Psycho stabs me, and he will, he’ll hit a vital organ.
“Sorry.”
He chuckles softly.
“Yeah, I know you are. You’re a sorry sack of shit. I hope she makes it, but I’m still going to stab you.”
“Reaper better be okay.”
Psycho grins.
“He’ll be fine. You can’t kill the Reaper. His little crazy already tried. Although she’s probably going to kill Bones.”
My brother might not be wrong. Bella is as crazy as Reaper is, and if we lose him, I’m not sure how she’ll deal with it. Chances are more than good that she won’t handle it well.
“Fuck, yeah. She’s gonna be pissed even if he survives.”
Suddenly a machine starts beeping, and two paramedics are on Raina.
“Her heart stopped,” the one says, as the other starts CPR.
When they put paddles on her chest, and I watch her body jump from the shock, all the air leaves my lungs. Everything happens in slow motion, as the thread holding me together finally snaps. Every moment I’ve spent with her flashes through my mind. The pleasure and the pain. So much fucking pain I caused her. I swallow hard, as I watch the machine start to beep again. I breathe a sigh of relief, but know it could be short-lived. I could easily lose her still. I took everything from her. She might be laying on that stretcher thinking she has nothing to live for.
“Anything from Bones?”
Psycho shakes his head.
“Nope.”
I have no idea if my brother is going to live, and if Bones killed him, I’m going to lose two brothers, because he will never be the same. Like me killing Raina’s mother, it doesn’t matter that it was an accident. Something like this you never get over.
Bones is my brother, but that won’t save him from this. I will wait to make sure both of them will live, and then I’ll deal with him. The only reason this happened is because he tried to take her from me. I don’t give a fuck that he’s the head of the family. Had he pushed me out, I would’ve walked away peacefully. Firing the shot that may very well kill Raina and Reaper? Fists are going to fly. If he weren’t my brother, he’d be a dead man.
As if he can read my thoughts, Psycho says, “I’m not going to let you kill him, Kage. A few punches maybe, but the moment we make moves against each other, it’s over. No matter what happens, we’re family.”
We arrive at the hospital, and the paramedics are quick to get Raina out of the back and rush her inside, while Psycho and I follow behind them. She is taken to a room and we stand, quietly observing, as I try to take in all their words, but fail miserably.
My brother nods slightly. “I’ll be back with an update on Reaper, unless you need me to stay.”
I shake my head no, because there’s nothing he can do.
“Go,” I say, and he does.
The doctor approaches me with a concerned expression.
“We’re taking her to surgery. There’s no exit wound, so the bullet is still inside her body.”
“Can I talk to her first?”
He nods his approval, but warns me, “Only a minute. We don’t have a lot of time.”
She isn’t conscious, so I don’t know if she’ll hear me, but I have to try.
I walk over to the bed, and stroke her arm, while staring at her angelic face. At this moment, I’d give anything to have her screaming at me again.
Kissing her softly on the lips, I stand back up and speak low, only for her to hear.
“Firecracker, I need you to make it through this. I know you’ll never forgive me for what I did. Taking not only your best friend but your mom too. Fight through this and wake up, so you can give me hell. Please survive this, because I don’t think I’ll survive without you.”
Leaning down, I whisper in her ear.
“I don’t fucking know what love is, but whatever this is, I can’t lose it.”
A team of several medical professionals stand nearby, as the doctor clears his throat.
“We need to take her. Every minute we wait lessens her chance of survival.”
I step away, and run a hand through my short hair, as they wheel her out of the room, leaving me with an emptiness in the pit of my stomach that grows by the second.
I walk out of the room to find out what the fuck is going on with Reaper. Psycho never came back, so I’m not sure what that means. It’s not hard to find the room, with a mass of men outside guarding it. They recognize me, and move away from the door so I can enter.
As I make it into the room, I realize my brother, Reaper, is not here, which can only mean one thing.
“Surgery,” Psycho says, answering my unasked question.
He sits on the chair beside where the bed normally goes, and Bones is sitting beside him, but Bella stands in front of Bones, with anger radiating all around her. I might not even get my shot with him. She holds her hand out to Psycho.
“Let me see your knife.”
He chuckles loudly.
“Not today, Living Dead Girl. One brother on an operating table is enough for one day.”
Bones stares at her with an arched eyebrow.
“It was a fucking accident. I never meant to shoot my own brother.”
She folds her arms over her chest.
“I’m so tired of this family. Look at what you’ve cost me. I already lost our son, and now Nico? How will I go on without him?”
Bones rises from his chair and takes her into his arms, showing a softness normally reserved for his wife, Athena.
“I’m sorry. He’ll pull through, because he has faced worse, and he has a lot to live for. If the day ever comes where he’s not around, we’ll take care of you, because you’re one of us. You’re part of this family, whether you like it or not. And we protect our own.”
She cries in his arms as Athena walks through the door, and stares at Bella with Bones. She covers her mouth with her hand, obviously thinking the worst. Her and Reaper are very close. Probably as close as Bones would ever allow.