Chapter 31
31
JOSH
I roll Brian’s body off of Caleb’s, placing him on his back on the floor. I search the floor for the switchblade he had to cut his shirt off to see where he’s shot. “Tell me she’s okay,” I yell over my shoulder to Logan. I know he’s only a few feet away, but I am crumbling inside at the thought of her being hurt.
“She has a nasty lump on the back of her head, but she’s breathing. Focus on Brian, help should be here soon. I called when you guys pulled up. How is he?”
I pull his slit shirt to the sides watching blood pump out of his shoulder with each heartbeat. Pulling my shirt off, I press it to his wound. Gently lifting him, I look at his back. “Left shoulder shot, no exit wound. He’s losing blood too fast.” I put more pressure on his shoulder, reaching over to put my fingers to Caleb’s neck. “Caleb’s gone.”
Logan grunts in acknowledgement. He’s gently shaking Kelli’s shoulders, pushing her hair off her face, trying to wake her up. “She fought so damn hard. Did you see him? He had one foot in the grave before we even got here. She did so good.”
I look back over at her again, but have to look away. “Seeing her like that makes me want to shoot him again.” Her face is bloody and swollen, scratches and the red of bruises forming on her arms and legs.
“Come on, baby girl. Wake up for me. Show me those stunning blue eyes,” Logan’s voice is rough behind me. Her soft whimpers break through the silence as she slowly comes to. I take in my first full breath in over three hours. Three hours. That’s all he had her for, and my entire life felt like it was ending. The far-off sound of sirens reaches the room as Kelli’s soft voice asks, “What happened?”
Turning to see her ocean blue eyes awake, I break. The tears that had been threatening to fall begin streaming down my face onto the shirt I am holding to Brian. She’s really okay. We have her. Help is here for Brian. Caleb’s gone.
I look at Logan, his wet face mirroring mine. He’s still stroking her face, whispering that we will all be okay into her ear. Voices downstairs come resounding through the house as we shout at them to help us up here. They get Brian onto a stretcher, which is when Kelli realizes he’s been shot. The medics checking her over try to get her on a stretcher, too, but our girl is not to be messed with. She is by Brian’s side in an instant, breaking apart.
I send Logan in the ambulance with them, promising to meet them at the hospital after I get things taken care of here. I need a moment to get myself together. Today was so much. Too much. I almost lost the love of my life and my best friend. I killed a prior team member today. I can’t process all that in front of them. Caleb fucked up; he did horrible, inexcusable things to my girl and Brian, but he was sick. He hasn’t been mentally well in over four years. We all knew it, and yet, we didn’t ensure he was getting the help he desperately needed. I would have to live with that knowledge for the rest of my life. Ashley would be so disappointed in me, and that hurt. Yet, I would do it all over again in an instant if it meant saving my girl. Fuck, I’d kill anyone to keep her safe.
Brian is going to need help after this, and he won’t be getting that help alone. His martyr bullshit is ending now. His guilt needs to be dealt with because he will try to put Kelli’s kidnapping on his shoulders alone. I won’t let his pain hurt those around him anymore. Brian is going back to therapy whether he likes it or not. I think all of us going, separately or together, is going to be something I make mandatory.
Today would haunt all of us in different ways, and there is no way I will let it tear us apart the way Brian let it do with him and Kelli. He is so in love with her that he was happily going to trade his life for hers today. He owes it to himself and to her to heal and fight for her. She deserves to have all three of us. He has a lot of groveling to do, but we’ll help him do it. Our girl deserves everything she desires in the world, and my brothers deserve to stand in the light of her love.
There would be a long talk happening with Brian at the hospital, but first, I needed to make sure everyone is okay.
I watch as the coroners put Caleb in a black bag, carrying him from the house. I told the officers everything I knew, telling them to make sure that all of this evidence was given to the Boston PD for Kelli’s case. Then, I got in Brian’s Jeep, going straight to check on my family.