Chapter Fifty-Seven
Brynne
I got the confirmation from Asher an hour ago, but I’m still trying to find a way to convince the guys to let me go alone. I don’t know how to get them into the convention without their names being on the list. I didn’t want to push Asher and have this deal fall through.
“Are you wearing that?” Matteo asks from the doorway. I turn away from the mirror and smile.
“Do you think I’ll blend in? I was thinking about
wearing the wig again,” I say. Matteo walks over to me and grabs the wig from my hand.
“No wig. You look better as a blond anyway,” he
smirks. “Are you going to wear that?” he points to the scarf wrapped around my neck.
“I figured it would be cold out,” I grab the scarf and snuggle it more.
“Are you sure this plan is going to work Brynne?” he
asks.
“It fucking better,” Damon spats from the doorway .
“It will,” I sigh. I storm out to the living room where Sawyer and Ryker are ready to leave. “Where are you two going?” I ask.
“The convention,” Sawyer says plainly.
“You’re not on the list, they won't let you inside the event,” I explain.
“Who said we had to be inside,” Ryker winks.
“What do you guys have planned?” I ask nervously.
“We aren’t letting you go alone. We’re going to take out the security guards outside and replace them. Sawyer got the list of guards and where they will be stationed,” Damon says firmly. “We are in this together little devil,” he adds.
I didn’t realize they were plotting behind my back all night. I’m not sure I’m behind this plan, but they weren’t behind my plan at the beginning either. Maybe we will always be butting heads when it comes to these jobs. As long as we still get to take out those fucking monsters then that’s all that matters. I look at each of them. “Alright, let's do this then,” I grab my bag and head to the car.
The guys take a separate vehicle, so Asher doesn’t realize I’m betraying him. I don’t fully trust him just yet, but this was the only plan that made sense to get me close to them. There are always too many eyes on these men at all times. I wasn’t going to let Damon go through with his plan of sacrificing himself so I could get my revenge. That will never be part of the plan.
Even though they say our pasts are merged and what I want is what they want, I don’t want them getting hurt just so I can get that. I don’t think I could enjoy killing Westmoore or Featherstone if I didn’t have the boys there to help. I arrive at the event and there is a massive group of people waiting in a gated area. There is a stage with a podium and a shit ton of guards around the whole event.
I start to get nervous about the guy's plan. I don’t know how they plan to take out four guards without being seen. My stomach flutters when I get to the gate. I take a breath and walk up to the guards. Here’s the moment of truth.
“Brynne Thornton,” I say. They look at the clipboard and then move to the side to allow me in. I guess Asher pulled through after all. Security checks my bag, and I walk through a metal detector. I figured they would have something like this here. I grab my bag and tighten the scarf around my neck. I blend in quite well in my cardigan and jeans. I look like any other reporter would.
Everyone is here with someone else and is talking with each other. Moments later I feel someone walking behind me. I try my best not to show that I’m a bit on edge. I don’t like to do my killings out in the open like this. I’m more of an intimate setting kind of girl. I spot Benny standing near the stage laughing with someone. When the other person turns around my heart almost stops.
Featherstone walks up to both of them. All three of them are here. Where is he? Benny wasn’t the worst one out of the four of them. It's shocking to think that when I look back on everything he put me through. He used to make me call him Daddy when they took me. I never knew his real name, but I remember his onyx eyes. They were the darkest shade of brown that they almost looked black. I used to think it was fitting for him since his eyes resembled black pits of nothingness. There was no way he was filled with anything but blackness on the inside .
I take a deep breath and turn around toward the
entrance. Maybe this was a bad idea. I bump into a muscular chest as I walk forward. “I’m so sorry,” I start. Then I look up to a familiar face.
“Where are you going, Baby?” Matteo asks. “Yeah yeah I've got her,” he says again. He touches his ear and
smirks. “These earpieces are pretty cool. Sawyer somehow got us to link together through a different wave or some shit like that,” he explains.
“What are you doing here?” I whisper.
“They are going to have security in the crowd. I’m going to be one of them. We all have eyes on you. You’re safe Brynne,” he urges me to turn back around and walk toward the stage. I steel myself and walk back toward the stage. I need to be as close as I can to Hachett. I’m not a victim, I’m a survivor. I repeat it over and over in my head. They don’t get the satisfaction of getting this reaction from me anymore.
They should be afraid of me, not the other way around. Security walks out on the stage and then Hachett follows. The crowd cheers for the mayor and he waves to us all. My stomach twists at his fake performance. How can someone so vile fake a normal life so well? Then I spot Asher standing next to Hachett on the podium. I knew he was part of his security, but I didn’t realize he was this close to him.
I don’t acknowledge him and glance to my left to see if I still have eyes on the three monsters I saw earlier. They’re gone and I scan the crowd to try to find them, but come up empty. I meet Matteo's eyes, and he is intently looking around me making sure I’m safe. I wish I knew where the other guys were. Hachett starts his speech and the crowd silences. They listen intently to each word he spews. He talks about bullshit and I try to see an opening behind the stage. If I can get there then I can pick him off when he is leaving the stage. I come up empty.
“Fuck,” I mutter. I look down at the ground for a second and I hear a gunshot. I whip my head back up and
watch Asher grab the mayor and push him to the ground. I turn around in a circle to try to find Matteo but the crowd is going crazy. I get flashbacks from the night Damon killed our foster parents and our siblings were screaming. Everyone runs around like caged chickens with their head cut off. Broad arms are around me and yank me toward the exit.
We push through people to try to get the fuck out of
here before we get spotted. “Was that Damon?” I ask. Matteo looks down at me for a split second and then we get pushed by a group of people. If he wasn’t with me then I would have been thrown down to the ground and trampled by now.
“That wasn’t any of us. Someone else must want this
fuck dead too,” he says. I glance back at the stage and watch as Asher walks Hachett to the side of the stage. He talks to the security guards and then points to me and Matteo. His smile is confirmation enough to know what he said. “Fuck,” Matteo growls. “We need to get the fuck out of here. The guards were ordered to take out the threat,” he explains.
“Who?”
His eyebrows knit together when he looks at me. “You, we need to hurry up. Security is all over the place,” before Matteo can say another word, there is another gunshot. This time I can hear yelling in Matteo's earpiece.
“Where are the guys?” I ask .
“They were spotted. We need to leave Brynne,” he
yanks my arm and we get just outside the fenced-in area of the conference.
“What do you mean they were spotted?” I yell. I try to yank my arm out of his grip, but he doesn’t let me go. He holds onto me with one hand and grabs the gun from his holster with the other. “Matteo, we have to go get them,” I stress. Another gunshot sounds from our right. Security guards are rushing people out of the area and also looking for me. A gunshot rings again, but louder.
“We have to go,” he hisses and breathes through clenched teeth. I look up at his face and he bites his lip in pain. I turn my head and see a group of guards running after us. “Run Brynne,” Matteo says and lets go of my arm. I turn toward him and see the blood soaking through his suit. No.
“You’re shot,” I say in a panicked voice.
“Run,” he yells and turns the gun on the guards. Two shots flash by but another one follows through and hits their mark. Matteo empties his clip and takes out all but two guards. He grabs the clip from his side and reloads his gun, but not fast enough. Another bullet hits Matteo in the chest and he falls to the ground. It's like everything is going on in slow motion and even my scream is muted to my ears.
Matteo's gun falls from his hands and I race to it. I
shoot and a bullet goes through one of the guard's heads and he drops to the asphalt. The last guard shoots again and it flies by my face and hits my ear. “Fuck,” I groan and hold my bloody ear. I look down at Matteo bleeding out on the pavement. Anger washes over me and erases all my other emotions. My pain vanishes and I pull the trigger and get another headshot. I look around to make sure no one else is coming for us before dropping to my knees next to Matteo.
Gunshots echo in the distance and I worry about the guys, but I can't have my focus anywhere else besides here. I grab Matteo’s face and he contorts in pain. “Please,” I cry. He reaches up and wipes the tear with his thumb.
“Don’t cry baby, are you okay?” he says quietly.
“Don’t worry about me. We need to get you help,” I say in a panic. I put my hand on his chest wound and applied pressure. He sighs in pain and I realize he got shot twice in the abdomen. I search for something to pack the wound but the only thing I can use is the scarf or my shirt. My mind is racing and I can’t think straight.
“Fuck this hurts and not in a good way,” Matteo tries to smirk, but it comes off forced. “Of course, Damon would make it look easy to get shot,” he tries to joke but coughs in pain.
“I’ll try to get help, hold on.” I go to release my hand, but blood seeps through my fingers as soon as I lighten my grip. Matteo reaches up and takes the scarf he gave me in between his fingers.
“You have no idea how much it means to me that you wear this,” he says through pain. Blood runs out of his mouth and down the side of his cheek. I can’t leave him, or he will bleed out before I get back. I can’t stay with him here like this either. There is nothing I can do without something to wrap around his other wounds. I need to get him out of here before more guards show up. People still run around trying to get out of the way of gunshots. I lost track of Hachett and Asher as soon as we got outside the barriers .
“You need to hold on Matteo,” I command. He can’t die. My mind goes back and forth on whether to leave and try to find the guys or to try to drag Matteo the rest of the way to my car. I go to stand but Matteo grabs my hand and yanks me down just as a bullet flies by my shoulder.
“God damnit!” I yell. I roll on the pavement to face
Matteo and he tucks a strand of hair behind my ear. I look into his chestnut eyes. My heart beats erratically and my stomach rolls at the thought of losing him.
“Did you know your brain lives on for seven minutes after you die?” he says with a hoarse voice. His face is pale, and I know he has lost too much blood.
“What?” I say frantically. I try to look where the bullet came from, but I don’t see anyone.
“You will always be my seven minutes Brynne.”
“Matteo you’re not going to die,” I say firmly. I won’t let it happen. I’ll get Matteo out of here, alive. None of my boys are going to die, I won’t allow it.
“I love you Brynne, no matter what Damon says, we know what love is and I know I love you,” Matteo takes his bloody hand and caresses my cheek. A tear slides down my cheek and falls on his chest where our brand is.
“I love you. I’m going to get help,” I kiss his lips and as soon as I open my eyes again, his are wide and I’m getting pulled backward. Arms are wrapped around me and I kick my feet to try to get free. I search the area for anyone and come up empty.
“Don’t touch her,” Matteo croaks. He tries to move, but he is too injured. I watch as he tries to sit up but falls back down to the pavement. He tries again and falls .
“Get off me. Let me go,” I scream. I try to find the guys, but I don’t see anything besides Matteo lying on the pavement fighting every bit of pain he must be in to try to get to me. I push against their hold on me, but they grip me tighter. I knock my head back in hopes of connecting with their face, but I can tell my captor is much taller than me. My head hits a chest and whoever has me huffs. I helplessly watch as a man walks over to Matteo struggling to move. No. He points his gun at Matteo’s face. He stops trying to get to me and looks right at me.
“Please no,” I beg through my sobs. “Please,” I yell.
Matteo finds my eyes and smiles. He has accepted his fate, but I don’t. I will never be able to survive if they get taken from me. I love each of them differently and I don’t think I could survive without them now that I’ve had them. I didn’t truly know how lonely I was until they came into my life. The guy puts his finger on the trigger and smirks.
“No!” I scream at the top of my lungs. I’m thrown into the back of a van and then there is a gunshot, and everything goes black.