Chapter 29
CHAPTER TWENTY-NINE
HENDRIX
I’d never understood the saying ‘silence is deafening’ until now.
Now the silence is swallowing me whole. Every step of mine echoes through the apartment as the creak of old floorboards beneath my boots sound unnaturally loud.
The place is nothing but a shell now. Cupboards are ripped open, furniture is overturned, drawers are emptied across the floor.
We’d torn the place apart looking for clues, looking for her, but nothing.
Not a single fucking thing. My gun stays level as my eyes sweep the kitchen, the hallway...
then they stop. The bedroom door. Something prickles at the back of my neck.
“Drix?” Ghost murmurs behind me. I raise a fist, signalling him to hold as the smell hits me. Copper. So much copper. Blood. Fuck! My heart slams painfully against my ribs. No... Please, not like this.
I edge forwards, every instinct screaming at me to slow down, while every other part of me wants to barrel in there.
Ghost falls in beside me. Neither of us speaks.
I round the corner, the room comes into view, and my entire fucking world stops.
Blood. Jesus Christ... There’s blood everywhere.
Splattered across the floor, across the wall, across the radiator.
Storm... My BB... Her head hangs limply to one side, her skin ghostly pale, her dark hair matted with sweat and blood, and the chain still hanging from her wrist.
“No...” Ghost breathes beside me. It isn’t a word. It’s a broken man.
“No... no... no...” I’m moving before my brain catches up.
I hit my knees so hard pain shoots through them.
I don’t feel it. “BB...” Nothing. I cup her face with shaking hands.
“Storm.” My voice cracks. “Baby...” Please.
Please don’t do this. Not after I finally got to love you.
My fingers fumble desperately for her pulse
Come on... Come on… Nothing. My stomach drops. Then there’s just the faintest flutter beneath my fingertips. A pulse, not strong, but it’s there. Air tears back into my lungs so violently I almost choke on it.
“She’s alive!” I roar.
Ghost’s knees hit the floor beside me. “My baby...” His voice is barely a whisper. He reaches out like he’s afraid touching her will make her disappear. “My little girl...”
Storm’s eyelashes flutter and a tiny groan escapes her. Then those beautiful eyes open, clouded with pain, but alive. They find mine and a weak smile tugs at her split lips. “You…” she rasps, “… took your fucking time.”
A laugh bursts out of me; half relief, half hysteria. “You know me, BB.” My voice shakes. “I like to take my time.”
She coughs out the tiniest laugh. Ghost glares at me. “If you flirt with my daughter right now, I’ll shoot you myself.”
Despite everything, Storm smiles. “There he is.” I lean my forehead against hers for one precious second before shrugging out of my kutte.
My hands won’t stop shaking. Focus. She’s bleeding.
I rip off my T-shirt and press it hard against the gunshot wound on her shoulder. She hisses through clenched teeth.
“Sorry, sweetheart.”
She shakes her head. “Worth it.”
Ghost cups her face, his thumb stroking her cheek. “My baby girl.”
“I’m okay...” she whispers.
“No, you’re fucking not.”
“You swear too much.”
A watery laugh escapes Ghost. “Just like your fucking mother.”
Heavy boots thunder down the hallway; Enzo.
He drops beside her so fast he nearly knocks me over.
“Move,” he demands, desperate to be by his sister’s side.
I shift aside, watching as he cradles Storm’s face between both hands, resting his forehead against hers.
“You don’t get to leave me with our fucked up parents. ”
Storm smiles weakly. “Don’t let Mom hear you say that.”
His laugh catches halfway into a sob. “Shut the fuck up.” He kisses the top of her head.
The rest of the brothers pile into the room. Nobody speaks. Nobody needs to. Then it starts.
CRUNCH. The sickening sound echoes around the room. Everyone turns. Rage stands over Zeke’s body, and his boot comes down again. CRACK. Blood sprays across the floor.
“Fuck you!” Rage roars. Another stomp. “You hear me?” CRUNCH. “You don’t touch our family!” Another. “You don’t touch one of ours!”
Ghost sighs heavily. “Rage.”
Another stomp.
“RAGE!” Ghost barks.
His boot freezes mid-air, his amber eyes slowly turning towards Ghost. “What?”
“Not now,” Ghost demands.
Rage looks down at what used to be Zeke’s face. Shrugs. “Fair.” He wipes his boot on Zeke’s shirt. “Weren’t worth keeping anyway.”
Despite myself, I almost laugh. Almost. But it’s Storm. My Storm. “Can we all admire Rage’s artwork later?” I snap. “My woman’s fucking bleeding out.”
Ghost nods immediately. “Get her out.”
“Easy,” Enzo says, standing. “Close your eyes, Stormi.” He raises his gun towards the chain.
“STOP!” Acid barrels into the room. He grabs Enzo’s arm, shoving the gun towards the ceiling. “Gas.” Every head turns. He lifts his shirt over his nose. “I can smell it.” Silence. Fuck. “You fire that gun...” His eyes sweep the apartment. “... We all die.”
Storm coughs weakly. “He knew...” We all look at her. “He knew you’d come.” She swallows painfully. “He knew you’d never stop looking. It was a trap.”
Acid nods. “A slow gas leak.”
“Why didn’t it go up when she shot him?” Enzo asks.
“It wasn’t concentrated enough yet.” Acid scans the room. “It will be soon.”
A cold chill crawls down my spine. The bastard planned every fucking second. “What if I cut it?” Rage asks, holding up his machete.
Acid shakes his head. “Metal on metal.”
“Sparks, bad. Anyone got bolt cutters?”
Ghost glares around the room. “Do any of us look like we carry fucking bolt cutters?”
Beast walks to the window. “I’ll smash it.” He drives his fist into the glass, but it barely cracks.
Hawk sighs. “Reinforced.” Everyone looks at him. “What? We’re on the eleventh floor.” He shrugs. “I fucking read.”
Dad smirks. “Could’ve fooled me.”
“Fuck you.” Hawk flips him off.
“Enough!” I roar.
The room falls silent, and I look around at every one of them.
“We’re standing here arguing while she’s chained to a fucking radiator, bleeding and breathing in toxic gas!
” My voice cracks. “I nearly lost her once.” I look back at Storm.
“I’m not fucking doing it again.” Ghost steps beside me, and Enzo joins my other side. Three men; one purpose.
Ghost points towards Hap. “Find the super. Get the gas shut off, and if that bastard hasn’t got bolt cutters...” Ghost grits his teeth “It’s in his best fucking interest to find some.”
Hap disappears without another word.
Storm chuckles weakly behind us. We all spin around. “At least,” she winces. “If I die...”
“No.” I drop straight back to my knees beside her. “No.” I cradle her face. “Listen to me.” Our foreheads touch. “You don’t get to leave me.”
She smiles. “Bossy.”
“You’re damn right.” My throat tightens.
“I’ve loved you my whole bloody life.” Tears sting my eyes.
“I’ve waited for you. I’ve watched you love someone else.
I’ve watched that bastard nearly take you from me.
” My voice breaks. “I’m not doing this again.
” I kiss her forehead. “So, if you’ve got any stupid ideas about dying...
” I shake my head. “Forget them. We’ve still got a wedding to argue over.
You’ve still got to steal my surname. We’ve still got babies to make. ”
A tear slips down her cheek. “And sweetheart...” I grin. “I’ve only scratched the surface of all the filthy things I’m planning to do to you.”
Ghost growls. “Drix...”
Without taking my eyes off Storm, I smile. “Sorry, Prez.” A beat passes. “Not really.”
Storm laughs. A proper laugh this time. God... I’d never heard a more beautiful sound.
Heavy footsteps thunder back down the hallway. “Got ‘em!” Hap pants, throwing the bolt cutters across the room.
Rage catches them one-handed. “Move.” One snap, and the chain falls away with a heavy clang.
Before it even hits the floor, I’ve already scooped Storm into my arms. She curls into my chest with a pained sigh.
Ghost steps in front of me, and as he kisses her forehead, he looks me straight in the eyes. No President. No threat. Just a father.
“You bring my daughter home.”
I nod. “I will.”
His hand grips the back of my neck. “If she so much as sheds another tear...” His voice falters. “Don’t let it be because you weren’t there.”
“I won’t.” I tighten my hold on Storm. “You never have to worry about that again.” I turn and run, because I’d waited my whole life to hold this woman in my arms, and I wasn’t about to let go.