Chapter 2 Jorge
Jorge
Watching Mathew get carried/dragged out of the building was fucking scary.
He acted like nothing was wrong, clearly annoyed he was getting dragged away from the action, but when I saw how much blood there was on his clothes, it made sense that they wanted him to get stitched up as quickly as possible.
He refused to leave the alley even as someone was looking him over, he wanted to stay as close to the action as possible. I stayed near him the whole time, probably getting in everyone’s way, but I didn’t care, my mate was hurt and I needed to be with him.
Then, from a distance, I watched Caleb and Derrick move to the buildings on either side of the brothel, joining the teams there, and the tension got worse.
Riley came barging out of the building, immediately coming over and fussing over Mathew, once Vera and her were done with their part of the tasks. That meant that when Caleb told us the vans from the Hearts were in front of the building, only Vera and Luca were still inside.
Once Mathew heard that the Hearts had arrived, he finally allowed Riley to take him to Timothy’s van.
After everyone had already tried to convince him —with no luck— this was finally enough of a threat that he accepted to be moved.
But only by Riley and only to Timothy’s van, no further than that.
He wanted to stay on top of what was going on, but conceded that doing that from Timothy’s van would be safer and more sensible.
They tried to get me to join them, since I don’t want to be part of any fighting, but two of my mates were still inside the building, and one of them in an adjacent one, I couldn’t leave, not yet.
I tug on the bulletproof vest, not very comfortable wearing it, and the size is a little too small, but they wouldn’t let me stay here without one. This was the best option.
The corner where we took the kids through isn’t visible from the street in front of the building. So that nobody out front would be able to see what we were doing, but it also means that it’s a bit sheltered from everything. Because the sounds I hear from the street are not good, at all.
After Vera told everyone to leave the building, the gunfire seemed to lessen for a couple of moments, but it picked back up soon after, probably from the teams in the other buildings.
I watch as the orange glow on the wall of the alley intensifies and grows, reflecting the fires in front of the building.
My eyes shoot between the back door and the flames. I don’t know if I’m getting warmer and warmer because of stress or because of the fire, but I don’t like it either way.
More and more people from Mathew’s teams come out the back door, immediately reorganising as they get new orders from Timothy, since Derrick is too busy with what’s going on at the front of the building.
When nobody else comes out for ten seconds. I start to get nervous.
Another ten seconds pass, and still no Vera or Luca.
Another ten seconds and I reach up for my ear piece as I start to cross over to the door.
Where are they?
Did they get stuck?
Are they in trouble?
I’m almost at the door when Vera and Luca come barrelling out, nearly knocking me over, but I quickly wrap my arms around them. They smell like fire, since their pheromones are still masked, no matter how hard I try to get even a whiff of their scents. But they’re out safe.
They’re out!
“Let’s get out of here.” I don’t care that it’s not easy to walk with both of them pulled against me so closely, I’m not letting them go any time soon. Not now. Not after tonight. And it seems like Vera and Luca feel the same as they hold onto me tightly.
There are hands on our backs as we’re guided to the next alley over, our first fallback point, out of the way of most danger.
Then, a voice next to us and over the earpiece at the same time, Miles. “Everyone is out. The building is empty. We can pull back.” He squeezes my shoulder as I’ve still got my arms around Vera and Luca, and smiles, his eyes soft. “Let’s go home.”
“You heard him. Time to get out.” Derrick’s voice sounds exhausted but relieved over the earpiece. “Leave nothing behind. Meet up at the assigned locations.”
I jolt as an explosion goes off somewhere in the direction of the brothel and I pull my mates closer. Moments later, there are two more, and we’re being herded further away, to the next fallback location.
When Vera and Luca still haven’t really moved and haven’t said anything, I stop, looking down at my two sweet mates, my heart heavy. Something is wrong.
Vera is holding Luca tightly against her, her face set in worry.
Then I remember that she was basically dragging him out of the building before, even though she’s significantly shorter than him. Why didn’t I check on him sooner?!
I stop, which means everyone around us stops too, since they put us in the middle of the group, for our protection.
“Luca?” I tip his chin up, making him look up at me, but that’s not much better. He’s breathing, he seems to be aware enough to walk and follow simple guidance, but his eyes seem far away and he’s not looking at any of us, staring into nothing. He’s caught up in his head again. Fuck.
Vera looks up at me, tears in her eyes. “He’s not doing well. When we were leaving, he…” She shakes her head as she wraps her arms around him, like he might get through to him with touch.
“Maybe it helps if...” I flood my pheromones around us. I know I shouldn’t do it yet, we’re not out of danger, but nothing else seems to get through to him. But even as I do it, I know it’s no use. He’s not showing any signs that he’s aware what’s going on.
“We need to get him out of here. He needs to get to real safety.” Vera tries to take a step back, but the moment she does, Luca’s hand shoots out and holds onto her tightly, not letting her go. Then I realise that I can’t move away either, as he’s also tightly holding onto me.
“Let’s get everyone out of here.” Caleb steps next to us and carefully tugs on Luca’s hands, trying to let him let go of Vera and me. “You did well.” His voice rumbles, soothing. “You were brave and did so well.”
That seems to make Luca relax some and as soon as he’s let go of us, Caleb lifts him up and starts carrying him. The tall Alpha keeps up the low rumbling in his chest, keeps up the soothing sound, the only thing that Luca seems to notice right now.
We follow Derrick and Miles as they start walking. Our vans are waiting a couple of minutes away, but the tension is already starting to leave my body.
I know it’s not over yet, not by far, but our part is. Our part here is done.
A gunshot in one of the nearby alleys makes me freeze in place, just like Vera and Caleb. The people from Mathew’s team immediately surround us, creating a wall.
That’s not supposed to happen. That’s not supposed to happen at all.
It’s supposed to be over. There should be no more gunshots!
“Jorge?” Caleb’s voice is quiet as he slowly turns to me. “Can you hold him?” He carefully loosens Luca’s grip on him, which seems to take much longer than he wants to.
“Luca?” I try to make my voice sound as relaxing and as comforting as possible. “Luca? I’m here.” That seems to make him notice me and he holds onto me instead.
The guy is in a very bad place, very, very bad. I have no idea what he’s seen inside, or what burning down this place might have done to him. But it’s clear that it’s messing with his head a lot.
“Where are you—?” But as I refocus on Caleb, he’s already sneaking away, Vera at his side, Miles nearby, towards the sound of the gunshot.
Oh, for fuck’s sake!
That’s what the team is for, to check stuff out...
This isn’t part of our job anymore.
But I know that’s selfish.
Everyone here has people they love, family, friends. Just because they’re not part of my pack doesn’t mean that they should put their lives in danger for us. They have their jobs, their tasks, and taking on extra risks isn’t part of it. They’re not cannon fodder, they’re people.
And it’s not like anyone’s going to argue with Caleb when he says he’s going to do something...
When he tells them to protect Luca and me while he’s going to check things out, they listen, they don’t argue.
I hold my breath as I watch my mates slowly make their way over to the next alley, weapons ready.
Fuck.
I hate this.
I hate this so much.
Vera sneaks ahead of the other two, her frame small enough that she can squeeze between the walls and some trash cans. And then she’s gone from my view.
Fuck.
Watching on in silence, only able to look, not knowing what’s going on. It’s hard. It’s so fucking hard, and every step they take away from us makes my heart squeeze tighter.
Three more gunshots ring out, and Caleb and Miles race into the alley. I hear and watch them shoot at someone, at people, and my heart feels like it’s going to break out of my chest.
I can’t do this. I can’t. But I also can’t look away.
“Jorge.” Derrick is next to me, his voice calm, though he’s got his eyes on the alley that Vera, Caleb and Miles disappeared into. Then people from the team Derrick was with earlier pass us by, as quiet as the night, following the three. “Let’s go.”
“I can’t.” My eyes go back to the alley. My body won’t move.
I need to see that my mates are okay.
I need to see them.
I can’t leave until I’ve seen them.
Then Derrick pushes me to the ground, his hand heavy on my back as he curses. I hit the ground hard, trying to make sure Luca doesn’t get hurt, but it feels like every muscle in my body screams out at the sudden movement and even more sudden stop.
The next moment, the two people who were standing next to us are shot. Blood splatters in my face as I watch one of them fall down, a large gash in their shoulder and another one in their leg.
“Get up!” Derrick’s voice is insistent and even though I feel like I have no energy left to do anything, my body moves at his words.
He positions himself at my back, his back against mine, becoming my human shield. I feel the recoil as he shoots at someone behind us. “Get up. Get moving!”
I nod and as I scramble back up, it seems that Luca has also started to move again.
He’s still holding onto me tightly, but he’s walking, stumbling in the same direction as I am.
Down an alley I have no idea where it leads, away from Vera and Caleb, away from our mates.
And also not in the direction that Timothy’s van is, so also not in the direction of Mathew and Riley.
Fucking hell.
“Here. We can hide here.” Luca suddenly stops and points at a shape in the darkness.
Derrick shoots open the lock and we pour inside what appears to be the storage of some store. I can’t see what’s on the shelves, but it’s cool and quiet.
We might not be exactly safe, the people from the Hearts won’t stop trying to kill us just because we’re in here, but at least we’re no longer out in the open.
What the fuck happened?
What the fuck went wrong?
Where did those people come from?
And why didn’t anyone know they were there?
What the fuck?!