Sadistic Ascension (Rise of Phoenyxx #3)

Chapter 1

Ghost

Utter chaos unfolds as I stand there, rooted to the spot, helpless to stop what’s coming.

We run full pelt towards Jax’s car. Adrenaline rushes through me.

We did it! We escaped that horrible place.

We managed to get Bryan, and Patients 3 and 6 out of there. The latter two are interesting, to say the least.

The reunion of Valley and Bryan tugs at my heartstrings. I want that with my Malishka so badly.

Then, Hunter and his sister finding each other again blows my mind. Patient 6 is Cynthia!

Now, the rustle of the trees announces someone coming. My eyes widen as I make out Purge’s father with his full entourage. He literally roars when he sees us, going straight for Purge, who isn’t fucking having it anymore.

Patient 9 intercepts him, thankfully. It distracts him from getting closer to Purge.

It's still scary, though. If he gets his hands on Purge... fuck.

I frown as I hear a car coming from the opposite direction on the small, deserted, two-lane road. This is not a main road. Anyone who’s going anywhere other than The Retreat shouldn’t even know this road is here.

The car slows down. I glance over at everyone congregated by Jax’s huge SUV.

Jax is standing by the driver’s side door.

Valley and Bryan are in the middle. Hunter and Cynthia are a bit in front of them.

The guys are huddled up in between the trees and the car.

I'm between them and Malishka; with Malishka closest to the road itself.

Patient 3 is standing slightly behind her.

The car slows even more; the sound of “pop, pop, pop” filling the air, echoing loudly through the area.

I furrow my brow in confusion. Why are there shots coming from that car?

I whip my head around when I hear Cynthia scream in terror.

“No, no! I just got you back!”

Harris slides to the ground, blood blooming over his abdomen.

Everything in the world seems to come to a screeching halt, as the one thing I cherish above all is brutally ripped from my aching arms.

“Hunter! No!” Malishka screams, and confusion flits over her face. Something is very wrong.

I rush to her side as she slides to the ground; my body curled around hers. “Malishka!”

She isn’t moving, though her breath is heaving, and her eyes are frantic.

“I don’t— I don’t understand...” she attempts to say.

My hands feel wet and warm, and I yank them back to see my love’s life’s blood pouring from her back.

“Help! She's been shot in the back! HELP!” I holler loudly, panic threatening to overtake me.

Malishka's breathing gets choppy, and I can feel her fading right in my arms. Those beautiful emerald-green eyes start to slide closed, but she fights it.

“Wait, I forgive you,” she chokes. “All of you. I love you, Ghost. Take care of 3…” She pauses, gasping for breath. “Please promise me...”

“No. Don't say that, Malishka. You can’t leave me. Please.”

“Promise me—”

Oh God. I can’t.

“I promise,” I whisper; a rasp in my broken voice. My entire body shakes in my grief.

I can’t lose the light in my life, my sun, my everything.

Patient 3 falls to his knees, grabbing onto her, his hands scrabbling all over her.

“N-n-o...” The guy tries to speak. He’s mute, from what Malishka told us.

Valley and Bryan reach us at the same time as Malishka’s body gives up the fight, and her eyes close.

“Fuck, no!” Synn roars like a dragon as he comes skidding over to us, landing on his knees next to us.

I barely notice the car that took those shots speeding away.

Purge rushes up with Razor and Trikk on his heels.

“Your father?” Razor asks him.

“He took off like the pussy he is,” Purge spits.

Frost comes next, pushing Synn out of the way. He speaks softly to me. “Ghost, let me have her. I need to check her. Please, brother.”

I can’t speak around my mournful sobs. Shaking my head, I tighten my grip, rocking Malishka’s frail body back and forth.

I hear Jax’s voice from close to us. “Son, please let Frost have her. We need to check her and get her and Harris the hell out of here. Okay?”

Looking up at Frost, I blink when I see the tears streaking down his face. The shock of seeing his emotions is almost too much to bear. I shakily nod and pass her gently to his waiting arms.

He frantically pats her down. “The bullet entered her back, a little to the right of her spine. I don’t... I don’t see an exit wound.” Frost makes a strangled sound.

Patient 3 screams in rage. He attempts to take her from Frost, but Jax stops him. “Get her in the car, now. We already have Harris loaded inside. We need to get far away from here. There's no time to waste.”

Frost stands up with Malishka cradled in his arms and places her onto one of the back seats. He slides in next to her, and I'm right behind him.

“Go on, get in,” I hear Jax saying softly to Patient 3.

The car jostles a bit as he practically dives in behind us, leaning forward to touch Malishka.

Jax puts the car in gear, gunning the engine.

He grabs his phone, and one-handed, dials a number, putting it on speaker. The call connects, and he frantically says, “Thor, call Dr. A; tell him to get ready for two incoming.”

“What? Who?” Thor blurts.

“Harris and the girl—Phoenyxx.”

“No, man. That’s my buddy.” Thor sounds broken. “I’m on it, though, Boss Man.”

“Thanks, Thor. Tell him the ETA is ten minutes,” Jax tells him.

I turn to Malishka, taking her limp hand. I let out a strangled moan, using all my willpower to pray she is okay.

Frost makes a sound, and I look at him. “What?”

“She looks too still.” He picks up her other wrist, placing his first two fingers against it. “Shit.”

“What? Does she have a pulse?” Jax hollers, not taking his eyes off the road.

“Barely,” Frost answers, his face scrunched up in stress.

“And Harris?”

My panicked eyes dart back and forth between my girl and Harris.

Cynthia is wailing. Oddly, she stops suddenly, going silent; seeming oblivious to it all.

Trikk and Purge are in the seats closest to 6. Razor and Synn are up front with Jax.

Purge leans in to check Harris’s pulse. “It’s strong, but thready,” he reports.

“Good,” Jax says. “He will hopefully pull through. In the meantime, you boys need to put pressure on those wounds. We need to slow the bleeding down as much as possible.”

A loud sob breaks the air, and I swear inwardly. I forgot that Valley and Bryan are still with us. They're in the very back of the SUV.

Valley scrambles over the seats, knocking us in our faces as she passes.

“Nyx,” she cries, throwing her arms around Malishka.

Bryan jumps up to sit beside her, clutching her hand in his, offering silent support.

“Fuck this shit,” Trikk curses, and he climbs over the seat, pushing me out of the way. “Bambi. Come back to us.”

I lunge to push him out of my way, but Frost’s voice stops me. “Let him have a turn, brother.”

I don’t say a word, just get as far back as possible, and palm my blade. I cut shallowly up my arm, trying to remember how to breathe.

Please, God—make her be okay. She's the love of my life.

I can’t live without her.

Synn

I am biting my tongue so damn hard, I taste the sharp metal of blood. I swallow it down.

I am done just sitting here, spinning around every two seconds to check on Pazessca.

Jax is practically speeding down the road, and it’s tossing me back and forth. Fuck seatbelts.

Hopping over the seats, I reach where Pazessca is lying so still.

“Move,” I grit out, at whomever. I don’t care. I just need my girl.

Trikk reluctantly climbs up, taking the seat I just vacated.

“Pazessca,” I growl low in my throat. I place my hands on her chest, trying to reassure myself with her heartbeat. It's there, just so faint. Too faint.

“Hurry the fuck up,” I bark to Jax.

“Synn,” Valley whispers from the other side of my girl. “She’ll be okay. She's the strongest bitch to ever walk the earth.”

I grunt and nod. Nothing I don’t already know.

My eyes cut towards Harris, where Cynthia is currently crying loudly. Purge is still putting pressure on one of Harris’s wounds, Razor putting pressure on the other wound.

“How’s he doing?” I ask them. I'm a bit shocked I even give a shit, but I do. Harris has been a huge help. I guess we can even consider him one of us...

“He’s hanging in there,” Purge responds.

“Yeah, he’s got a lot to fight for,” Razor adds, looking back at me with a small smile.

My gaze flits over towards Ghost, who’s holding and comforting the weirdo mute, Patient 3. Good for him. I don’t think I have it in me to care about a stranger right now.

“We're rolling in to the Doc’s office now. Get ready to transport Harris and Phoenyxx,” Jax calls back to us.

Thank fuck.

We screech into a deserted back parking lot.

The back door of the building opens, and an older man with greying hair and glasses wheels out a gurney, pushing it up to the car. He goes back and grabs a second gurney, bringing that to us as well.

The doors pop open on Harris’s side, and Jax helps Purge and Razor wrestle him from the car, and onto a gurney.

Finally, the door opens by Pazessca.

I jump out, reaching back in to gently pick her up. Valley tries to help, with Bryan lending a hand. I just growl at them and put her onto the gurney by myself.

“Go, go,” I yell, running alongside the gurneys as the others push them both inside.

The Doctor scurries ahead, throwing the door open wide. We wheel them in, one after the other.

I look around the sterile area, taking in the equipment and tools lying near the gurneys.

It seems the Doc knows what he’s doing. He'd better, or else I’ll fucking kill him.

I take my Pazessca’s weak hand in mine. “Fight, Baby Girl. You hear me? I love you so much, Pazessca.”

The Doctor pushes past me, snapping out, “I need room. Which one needs the most urgent attention?”

“Phoenyxx,” we all yell.

He nods. “Son, please stand aside. I can’t help her without the proper room to do so.”

I nod, respecting that.

I stand with my brothers, her best friends, and the new guy. I start to pray to a God that I don’t even know will hear me or answer me. I'm not exactly a godly man. But for Pazessca, I'll try anything.