Chapter 26
CHAPTER TWENTY-SIX
HARPER
Tyler’s blood stains my hands. No matter how hard I scrub, the red won’t fade from my nails.
There’s blood splattered up Felix’s arms and smeared across his white dress shirt, but he refuses to wash or change clothes. He paces the staff corridors of The Scarlet Mirage, waiting outside the infirmary, clawing hands through his hair and muttering words I can’t decipher.
As soon as Tyler passed out, Felix got him into the back of his car and ordered the driver to get us to the speakeasy, to the doctor on his payroll.
Theo shut down the venue in preparation for our return, then raced off to deal with the explosion.
Now, it’s been two hours of hell, waiting to hear if Tyler will survive the bullet wound.
Every time the floor creaks within the infirmary, my heart stops.
Whenever footsteps echo from the other side of the door, I expect the worst. Tyler lost so much blood.
I’ve never been so fearful in my life. As for Felix, I’m never seen him so frantic.
He cradled Tyler in his arms throughout the entire drive, yelling at the driver to go faster.
“Fuck. What is taking so long?” Felix shouts, pacing faster. He’s shaking. A complete mess.
I knew Felix would care that Tyler got shot, despite the anger he’s harbored for years. He’d put their issues aside to help his brother. I just didn’t expect his reaction to be this intense. He was so possessive, never letting Tyler out of his arms. He’s distraught.
I take Felix’s hands, trying to calm him. He slips from my grip, bending over and bracing himself against his knees. “I can’t lose him, Harper. I need Tyler. I need my brother and I’m a fucking idiot for not realizing until now, when it could be too late.”
“We need to have hope.”
Right as I speak the words, the doctor steps into the corridor. Felix and I rush up to him.
He nods at us, pulling off bloodied gloves. He’s an older man with grey hair and looks exhausted from the work he’s performed on Tyler. “By some miracle, the bullet missed vital organs. Tyler will make a full recovery.”
I’m so relieved I start crying. The happiest tears I’ve ever shed. Felix slumps against the wall, clutching his head and swearing in relief.
“Can we see Tyler?” I ask.
“He’s sedated. But yes, you can see him. I’ll need to monitor him for the next few days.”
I rush into the infirmary. My heart breaks when seeing Tyler lying on an operating table, pale and still, hooked up to machines and with bandages wrapped around his torso. But he’s alive and that’s all that matters.
My knees almost give out when I reach him. I take his hand, the one with the scar that matches mine, and press it to my lips.
“Tyler, I don’t know if you can hear me, but I need you to know I love you.
I love you so much.” Brushing damp hair from his face, I kiss his forehead.
“I’m here to take care of you. I’ll nurse you back to health.
You’re safe and loved.” I whisper endless words of devotion, losing track of how many minutes I’ve been sitting with him.
“He’ll stay here with us, Harper. He won’t leave.”
I turn to Felix’s gentle voice, finding him in the doorway with one shoulder against the frame. Despite the good news, he’s tense from stress.
“Tyler won’t leave? I don’t understand.”
“You do understand. You know exactly what I’m saying. I’ve been a fool, led by resentment. This is where Tyler belongs. With us. He’s ours to take care of. We’ll find a way to make the three of us work.”
More tears of happiness pool in my eyes. I join Felix at the door, pressing up on my toes and brushing my lips to his. “Thank you. I love you. You always give me everything.”
Felix breathes heavily, full of pain. He’s trembling and I feel it in his kiss. “I need a moment alone with my brother.”
“Of course. Call me back in when you’re done.”
Before leaving, I glance at Tyler one last time. Felix pulls up a chair and sits beside the operating table. His head bows and he grips Tyler’s hands.
“I’m sorry, Tyler,” he mutters. “I’m so fucking sorry.”
Not wanting to intrude, I linger for a heartbeat longer, then quietly step out.
Voices echo from down the corridor. Recognizing Theo’s voice, I follow the sound into the entertainment area, finding him sitting at the bar with a handful of bodyguards. He’s pouring shot glasses of vodka and passing them around, each man looking exhausted.
Theo stands the moment I come into view, seeing my tears. “Shit, Harper. Don’t tell me the doctor couldn’t save Tyler.”
I laugh, wiping my face dry. “I’m crying because I’m happy. Tyler is alive. The doctor says he’ll be fine.”
“Thank God. You scared me. Where’s Felix?”
“I’m giving him a moment alone with Tyler.”
Theo slides a shot of vodka along the countertop to me. “Sit. You look like you could do with a drink.”
I shake my head, unable to relax yet. “What happened with the explosion?”
I’ve been so panicked about Tyler’s condition, now is the first moment I’m able to breathe and process everything that happened in that parking lot. The moment Tyler was shot, bodyguards were firing at the drive-by shooter. The car went spinning and crashed, instantly exploding in flames.
Theo helps himself to another shot. “After the fire died down, we checked the car. We found a body in the wreckage, burned beyond recognition.”
“Gregor’s body? I mean, Quentin Ferguson?”
“We assume so. I know a guy who can access vehicle records. He ran the VIN through the system. It came back registered to Ferguson.”
“So, he’s… dead?”
“I’ll be looking into it further, but most arrows point toward yes.”
My brows furrow. I should feel relieved. Yet… my intuition tells me otherwise. “His death seems too easy. The man is crazy. He was laughing when I stabbed him.”
“You nearly lost Tyler. I wouldn’t call that easy.
You’re new to this world. I’m not sure if you were expecting some massive battle in order to eliminate Ferguson.
I’ve knocked off a lot of men in our line of work.
Sometimes it’s fast, other times it’s not.
Just be glad his death didn’t cost you more. ”
Perhaps Theo is right. I lean against the bar, burying my head in my hands. As the seconds pass, the more reality sinks in.
There’s a large chance Quentin Ferguson is dead.
More importantly, Felix says we’ll find a way to make a relationship work with Tyler. In the space of a few hours, I somehow went from anguish to having the two loves of my life back.
I smile at that last point, barely believing it.
Felix and Tyler are mine again.