Chapter 57
Chapter Fifty-Seven
Zac
Isit there for no more than five minutes before Claudia’s quiet voice cuts through the room.
“Emilia’s gone.”
My jaw tightens. Of course she has.
Shoving the chair back, I storm out the door, the slam echoing behind me. My boots crunch over broken glass as I step into the alleyway. She’s quite a way ahead of me, those stupid heeled boots wobbling, pace angry and unreasonable.
She’s out of the alley and onto the street that leads to the Married Sector before I catch up with her.
“Emilia!” I call, voice blunt.
She glances over her shoulder, glare full of fire. “What?”
“Do you have any idea how childish you look right now?” I snap. “Storming off, throwing a tantrum—”
“I’m not having a tantrum,” she bites back, stopping dead and whirling to face me. “I’m fed up with you treating me like I’m useless. Like I can’t do anything.”
“That’s not what this is, and you fucking know it,” I shoot back, stepping closer.
She shakes her head, walking around ten yards before hissing over her shoulder. “Yes, it is.”
“You’re just not experienced—”
“And the rest of you are?”
“Emilia, for fuck’s sake, I’m just trying to keep you safe.”
“Stop! Stop, stop, stop,” she yells, spinning on me again, her cheeks red. “Zac, you’re a broken fucking record.”
“I know,” I fire back, voice cracking.
She stares at me like she can’t decide whether to scream or not.
Swallowing, she steps towards me, lifting a hand and resting it on top of my chest, her eyes fixed on the point of contact.
“I will never be safe as long as the State is in power. None of us will. Not you or Claudia. Not Jordan, or Bridget, or Kieran, or fucking Anna.”
The names slam into me, one by one, each one digging deeper and deeper until they finally sink in. I swallow, my throat thick.
“You have to let me in,” she says quietly.
“I… I’m trying.”
“Try harder.”
The silence that follows is almost painful. Her eyes are pinned to the buttons of my black Grandad top, fingers curling slightly over my pec.
I can’t stop myself.
“You’ve really got a thing against Anna, haven’t you?”
Her head snaps up. The hand drops. “I think that girl made up her mind about me before we even met,” she says, tone blunt, but edged with something sharp.
“Just like Nina did.” She turns on her heel and strides away, footsteps deliberately loud against the pavement, disappearing onto the next road before I’ve even had a chance to process what she said.
Nina… Rayden’s wife?
I frown, legs spurred into action as I chase after her. “What are you saying?”
“You know what I’m saying, Zac.” Her voice drops. Catching up to her side, her jaw clenches. “Good old Emilia, stealing everyone’s men.”
The air between us shifts, pulsing with something I don’t want to name. Something that tastes like dirt in my mouth. Something that begs me to grab hold of her, slam her against one of these houses, and remind her just how good I can make her feel.
Me.
Not him.
My heart pounds as my stomach twists, and I tilt my head, reaching out and yanking her to a stop. “You want Rayden?” I ask, voice rough.
“Oh, for fuck’s sake,” she snaps, throwing her hands up. “Listen to yourself! You say you don’t want drama, but look at you. Do you even hear where your mind goes?”
“Yeah? What about yours?” I shoot back, stepping closer. “Anna, you say?”
“She—”
“I’ve never had sex with Anna.” Her head snaps up, mouth dropping, eyes wide like she can’t believe what she just heard.
“I… What?”
“I’ve never had sex with anyone,” I admit, spitting the words out.
Her whole body stills. “Zac—”
A sudden commotion cuts her off, and both our heads snap towards the noise—where this road meets the next street.
Our street.
People are running—some sprinting in the direction of our house, others fleeing in the opposite direction.
I don’t think.
I act.
Sprinting towards it, I hear Emilia’s heels clattering against the tarmac only a second behind me.
Turning the corner, I grind to a halt as four Enforcers slam Jace onto the ground, his body hitting the road with a sickening thud. Kayla screams, thrashing against Rayden, but he holds her back, straining from the effort whilst also yelling at the Enforcers to stop.
Emilia bolts.
I’m right behind her.
Sam’s arms wind around Kayla, trying to help Rayden, as one of the Enforcers lands blow after blow to Jace’s head, his boot smacking against flesh with a sickening thwack. Blood splatters across the tarmac.
“What the fuck?” Emilia screams, charging forward. One of the Enforcers steps directly in her path, shoving her back with brutal force.
I lunge, yanking the feisty blonde back against my chest. “Emilia! Stop.”
“What are you doing?” It’s Emilia’s friend, Heidi, who yells. She shoves towards the chaos, trying to reach the crumpled figure on the ground. An Enforcer steps towards her, his hand smacking her face, and she hits the pavement with a cry.
“Heidi!” Emilia screams, wrenching free from my grip. She flies towards her friend, falling to her knees and yanking her up, pulling her away from the chaos. They stumble together, back towards Kayla, Rayden, and Sam.
A crowd has gathered along the street, doors open, couples pouring out of their homes in shock, some clutching one another, others frozen in disbelief.
One of the Enforcers steps over Jace, leaning down and grabbing a fistful of his hair, yanking him onto his knees.
“Let him go!” Kayla screams, voice cracking. “Jace!”
Emilia lunges once more, her eyes wild, but I slide in front of her, planting my feet and shaking my head, jaw tight. She better not fucking dare.
I pivot, shielding her from the enemy, and take a step closer. Emilia’s hand brushes my arm, attempting to tug me back.
“What the fuck do you think you’re doing?” I yell. The Enforcer nearest draws his baton, holding it outstretched towards me. A threat I care nothing for. “He’s done nothing wrong,” I snap, surging forward and slapping the baton aside.
“Get the fuck away from him!” Rayden is suddenly at my side, eyes wide with despair as they dart from Enforcer to Enforcer.
The one standing over Jace steps back, shifting his arm behind him and pulling something out.
Something solid. Something metallic. Something worse than a fucking baton.
Kayla screams at the sight of the gun, and Sam wrestles to hold her back.
Emilia’s fingers curl around my bicep, clutching tight and desperately.
Heidi sobs somewhere beside her, and Rayden lets out a low, pleading whimper.
Some of the other couples push and shove, yelling as the entire street erupts into panic and uproar.
The Enforcer lifts the gun, aiming it at Jace’s head. Blood drips down the side of his face, his eyes utterly defeated as they lift, unintentionally meeting mine. I move closer, but two Enforcers grab me, stopping me dead.
I’m useless. Powerless. My fists clench, trembling with fury.
Jace mouths something at me, and for a moment I stop struggling, straining to catch his words. My brow furrows as he opens his mouth again.
Take care of Kayla, he mouths. Instinctively, I nod, jaw tight as my muscles lock.
His eyes flutter closed, and the world narrows. I fight against the Enforcers once more, slamming my weakened arms against them, panic filling my chest, almost choking me. Emilia yells from behind me, raw and ragged. Rayden is struggling, too, and Kayla’s scream pierces through the street.
The Enforcer’s hand hovers over the trigger.
He smirks.
And then the gun fires.
The shot reverberates around the street, cutting through the screams, the yells, the chaos. Everything stops.
Jace’s body falls to the cold, hard tarmac.
Dead.