Chapter 28
28
Declan
T he door crashes open with an ear-splitting crack, and everything inside me shifts. It’s like the world slows to a crawl, every detail becoming painfully clear. The noise fades into the background, muffled like I’m underwater. I can hear the thudding of my own heartbeat in my ears, sharp and rhythmic, as adrenaline surges through my veins.
I see the first man. He’s raising his gun, his movements almost lethargic in my heightened state. Before he can even aim, I fire. The shot hits him in the shoulder, and his body jerks violently. He staggers, his gun clattering to the floor before his body crumples to the ground. I don’t wait to see what happens next. My focus shifts to the next target. I move before I think, my instincts guiding me, my body operating on autopilot.
There’s one person I’m looking for, and that’s Jade. I scan the room looking for her, unbothered by the bullets whizzing past me. Patrick and his men have me covered against the man shooting at me.
Finally, I catch a glimpse of Jade on the other side of the room. She’s scrambling across the floor, blood streaking her face, her movements frantic as she drags herself behind some kind of metal container. My chest tightens, my focus narrowing on her for a split second. Her eyes meet mine, wide and desperate, and it’s like a knife to the gut. She’s terrified. Hurt. And I wasn’t fast enough to stop it.
A man is standing over where she was moments ago, his head snapping toward the door as the chaos unfolds. He’s dressed differently than the others. Slick shoes, a tailored jacket, a flashy shirt. He’s not here to fight. He’s here to give orders. I know the type. Leaders always think they’re untouchable, dressing like they’re headed to some high-end club instead of a bloodbath.
He’s the one who’s brought these men here, who’s threatened Jade’s life. Him I’ll save for last.
But I’m not letting him go without a taste of what’s coming. My gun is up before he even sees me, and I fire. The bullet hits him in the knee, and he crumples to the ground with a guttural scream, clutching at his leg as blood spills out onto the floor. He’s not going anywhere now.
The room erupts as the Irish pour in, their guns blazing. Patrick’s men don’t waste time. They’re efficient, ruthless, sweeping through like a tidal wave and taking down anyone who isn’t one of ours. I duck behind a steel support beam, scanning the room for my next target. A man with a shotgun tries to flank one of Patrick’s guys, but I take him out with a single shot to the chest. He goes down hard, the weapon slipping from his hands.
The fight is brutal but quick. Patrick’s men outnumber Fabian’s, and it’s clear that Fabian and his nephew weren’t prepared for any kind of fight. They thought this would be simple, an in and out job, they had no idea that Jade would have this kind of fire power behind her. Bodies hit the floor, blood splattering everywhere. My ears ring from the noise, but I don’t stop. I can’t stop. Not until I know she’s safe.
The chaos dies down, the gunfire tapering off until there’s nothing but the sound of heavy breathing and the groans of the injured. My gaze sweeps the room, searching, counting. Most of Fabian’s men are dead or incapacitated, but there’s still movement, one man left.
Fabian himself, as it turns out.
He’s on the ground, propped up on one elbow, his face contorted with pain. Blood pools beneath his knee where my bullet hit him, his once-pristine suit now torn and stained. He looks up at me, his eyes narrowing with a mix of fury and fear. I walk toward him slowly, my gun trained on his face. Every instinct in me screams to pull the trigger, to end this here and now. It would be so easy. One squeeze of the trigger, and he’d never hurt anyone again.
But then I see her.
Jade’s face peeks out from behind the metal container where she’s hiding, her expression a mix of relief and horror. She’s watching me, her eyes locked on mine, and I know she’s seeing every part of me I’ve tried to bury. The part that used to have to survive on this kind of violence. The part that didn’t hesitate to kill.
I can’t let her see me like that. Not ever. It’s not who I ever wanted to be, and I refuse to step back into that role now. Besides, she’s already witnessed one murder, and it sent her running scared. I don’t want her to be afraid of me too.
I lower my gun slightly, just enough to shift my grip, and then I swing it hard, smashing the butt of it into Fabian’s face. His head snaps back with the impact, and he collapses onto the floor, unconscious. Blood drips from his nose, pooling around his head, but he’s still alive. Barely.
“Take him,” I say, my voice cold and steady. Patrick steps toward me, his eyes narrowing as he looks down at Fabian.
“You want us to take him alive?” he asks, clearly surprised.
“Yes,” I say definitively, glancing back at Jade. “He doesn’t deserve a quick death after what he’s done. Tie him up and deliver him to Los Guerreros. Let them decide what to do with him.”
Patrick raises an eyebrow but doesn’t argue. I can tell what he’s thinking, though. Los Guerreros is Fabian’s rival gang. They’ll do worse to him than I could ever even comprehend, and I’ll choose not to even think about it. That’s not something I would usually do, but Fabian threatened the woman I love. He will pay for it.
Patrick motions for his men, and they move in, binding Fabian’s hands and dragging him toward the stairs. His partner is already dead, his body slumped against the far wall, but I don’t spare him a second glance. He made his choice.
The room feels eerily quiet now, the tension hanging heavy in the air. Patrick’s men are gathering the bodies and splitting as fast as we entered. I turn back toward Jade, who’s still crouched behind the container, her arms bound behind her. She’s shaking, her face pale, but as soon as she sees me, she moves. She runs to me, her footsteps echoing in the stillness.
“Declan!” She cries, as I untie her bindings. She throws her arms around me. Her body trembles against mine, and I hold her tightly, burying my face in her hair. She smells like sweat and fear and the faintest hint of something sweet, like vanilla. It’s overwhelming, but I don’t let go. I can’t.
“You’re okay,” I whisper, my voice cracking, my words just as much for myself as for her. “You’re okay.”
She pulls back just enough to look at me, her hands gripping the front of my shirt like she’s afraid I’ll disappear if she lets go. Tears streak her cheeks, mixing with the blood smeared across her face.
“I thought,” she starts, her voice breaking. “I thought I’d never see you again.”
I cup her face in my hands, brushing my thumb gently over the cut on her cheek. “I’m here,” I say firmly. “And I’m not going anywhere. You don’t have to be afraid anymore.”
She nods, her bottom lip quivering as fresh tears spill over. I pull her back into my arms, holding her as tightly as I dare, and for the first time in what feels like forever, I feel a flicker of peace. She’s safe. She’s here. And that’s all that matters.
Patrick approaches, his face unreadable as he watches us. “We’ll handle the cleanup,” he says gruffly. “You should get her out of here.”
I nod, my grip on Jade tightening. “Yeah,” I say quietly. “Yeah, we’re leaving.”
“Wait,” Jade gasps, turning back to her hiding place and crouching behind it for a second. She reappears with Tawny, who looks more out of sorts than I’ve ever seen her. She’s pale, her cheeks tear-stained, and she eyes me with suspicion and fear.
“Who the hell are you?” she croaks, her voice hoarse.
“It’s okay,” Jade assures her, squeezing her tightly around the waist while I untie her hands. “We’re safe now. We’re alive and we’re safe.”
Tawny narrows her eyes at me, but they quickly widen again as she takes in the scene around her. “On second thought, I don’t want to know,” she says dismissively. “I just want to go home.”
“I’ll take you,” I offer, suddenly feeling guilty for forgetting about her in my hunt for Jade. “It’s the least I can do.”
“My car is out front,” she responds in a daze as she steps over a body. “I think I’ll survive. Plus, you need to get yourself looked at,” she says with a pointed look.
Suddenly she breaks out in hysterical laughter, her body shaking with the effort. Jade and I guide her to the stairs, but she waves us off as she begins her ascent
Jade looks back at me, concern etched all over her face. “Do you think she’ll be okay?” she asks, leaning against me.
“Give her some time,” I tell her honestly. “This was a lot for anyone. She just needs to process for a while.”
She nods and leans her head against my shoulder. We stand there for a moment, needing the stillness to ground us. Our moment is broken only when Patrick coughs, and I realize we’re in his way.
He gives me a curt nod before turning back to his men, barking orders as they start to clear the room. I don’t wait to see what happens next. I guide Jade toward the stairs, her hand clinging to mine like a lifeline. Every step is a struggle, my body aching from the fight, but I don’t let it show. She’s been through enough. She doesn’t need to see me falter.
When we get out of the basement, she looks around the store in wide-eyed horror. It’s not a pretty sight, and I know she must be worried. She clocks the blood on the floor leading to the storeroom and whimpers.
“Is Ron?...” she asks in a small, terrified voice.
“No,” I promise her, pulling her against my chest and pressing a kiss into her hair. “He’s okay. I made sure he got taken to the ER. He’ll be fine.”
She nods against me, though her entire body is trembling. I wish there was more I could do or say to make this okay, but all we can do is keep moving forward to get out of this hell hole while we still can.
The cold air hits us as we step outside, and I take a deep breath, the crispness of it grounding me. Jade shivers beside me, and I shrug off my coat, draping it over her shoulders. She looks up at me, her eyes soft and grateful, and for a moment, I forget about everything else.
“Let’s go home,” I say, my voice steady.
She nods, her hand slipping back into mine as we make our way to the truck.