Chapter 40
Chapter
Forty
Sage
“Sage, he's gone. We have to go." Anton's despaired voice pounds at my head. But I'm not fucking moving. My throat tears new raw skin as I scream. "Shit, we have to stop her screaming."
"Chet's supposed to be here any second," Freddie says.
I vaguely register them moving around me, but all I'm focused on is the lifeless form in my arms. Nic's body is getting cold. He's not meant to be cold. I have to keep him warm. I hug myself into him. I'm not letting him go. I won't.
"Chet's not here," Isla says. "Look."
She's got control of the remote. I turn my tear soaked face on Nic's body, continuing to rest my cheek against his abdomen as I watch the scene play out on the screen.
Isla rewinds slightly, so I can tell this has happened in the past. A limo pulls up to the gate, a singular hand coming out of the back window to buzz the front gate.
The gates don't open though. What happens instead, is an enraged Alexei sprinting down the driveway at full speed, beaming for the car and firing off endless amounts of ammo.
He avoids all the carnage of DeMarcos fighting Rushkoffs and instead charges straight for Chet's limo and starts screaming through the fence.
Eventually, someone gets out of the car and comes to the gate, putting out a calming hand like they're trying to tame Alexei.
Looking like they're at least exchanging words.
We can't hear what is said but it gets heated.
Alexei clearly doesn't like what he's being told.
He reaches through the bars of the front gate, pulling the guy in and snapping his neck.
The limo disappears quickly after that.
"Guess Chet's not coming," Freddie says.
I'm still sobbing over Nic's body. Nic's body... Nic, who Alexei Rushkoff killed. I see red. My love. My light. Left this world. Because of that fucking cunt.
"Someone else is," Isla says. She forwards the video this time. Minutes later, Alexei is sitting to the side of the front gate with his back resting against a stone pillar and his head in his hands. A barrage of other vehicles pull up, red and blue flashing lights with the FBI logo on the side.
Alexei looks over his shoulder, shakes his head and then presses a button above his head. The front gates open and the FBI vehicles speed in.
That mustn't have been long ago because the flashing lights now start to come through the window.
"He didn't let Chet in, but he sent the fucking FBI," Anton grates out.
"I have to go," Isla says, running out without saying another word.
I clutch onto Nic, crying and wailing.
"Sage, we have to go," Anton begs, reaching for me but I bare my teeth at him, ready to bite if I have to.
"I'm not fucking leaving!" I scream.
Boots pound up the stairs and then there's shouting. Men in tactile gear file into the room and FBI rifles train on us. I can briefly hear the sounds of them arguing with Anton and Freddie in the background while I hold on to Nic. Though I don't care enough to listen.
"You've got a traumatized girl and one agent down, back the fuck off!" Anton yells, his hands in surrender.
Someone else comes into the room then, someone who's clearly important because when he tells the men to put their rifles down, they do.
He goes right to Anton. "Is it?..."
Anton chokes slightly. "Special Agent Baker," Anton says. "He's down."
"He's gone," Freddie adds through a tight throat.
"We'll have to take him," the man says.
There's a moment of silence while I hold on to Nic's chest. The bleeding has stopped now. He's gone completely cold, his eyes still open looking at the ceiling.
On a whimper I close them. And then press a kiss to his mouth, but it feels cold. It lacks the life and passion that Nicholas poured into me every time we touched.
"N-no," I cry out, slobbering all over the place. "Please come back."
I think about the last time we kissed. It must have been last night, before we went to sleep.
Did I even kiss him this morning? I ran from him.
I gasp in horror at what I've done. If I'd known the last time was the last, I never would've...
I - I would've savored it. If I had my time again, I'd listen.
I'd never get out of that bed and look in that fucking drawer.
I'd never run. I close my eyes on another sob.
I wish I could go back. I'd do anything. I'd do anything.
"Nicholas belongs to us now," Anton says. "What's it gonna take to make this go away?"
"Let's have a conversation," the man says and the guys who were in the room move away, leaving me and Nicholas alone with Freddie watching over us.
"I'm so sorry, Nic. I never should've doubted you," I cry. "Please, I need a second chance. I'm sorry. I l-l-love you."
Freddie sits down on the other side of Nic and strokes my hair as I sob into Nic's empty chest.