Chapter 15
Chapter Fifteen
Isabelle
No. No. No.
This can’t be happening. After doing what Angel tells me to do, I hang up with Tombstone and look from Hellhound to Daemon. He’s got his eyes scanning the area, but his hands are pressing against the wound at my man’s gut.
Tears spill down my cheeks, and I look around Angel to see past the corner where the shooter is shooting from. Narrowing my gaze, I realize who the attackers are—my parents.
Fucking parents who aren’t even my real parents.
What the ever-loving hell?
Stiffly, I stand, ignoring all three men as they tell me to get back down. Hellhound even tried to move, but I was quicker than all of them. I run past Angel straight to my parents and scream. “Stop. Just stop. Leave me alone.”
My mother curls her lip up and shakes her head. “You are supposed to take care of me. Of him. You’re ours, and you are meant to take care of us. Pay our debts. We took you in, and this is how you repay us.”
At her screeching words, my stomach turns, and it’s all I can do to keep from puking right then and there.
Something inside me flips, and I can’t control my movements.
I launch myself at her taking her to the ground.
I feel hands at my shoulders trying to yank me off the woman, but I shrug them off.
I repeatedly slam my fake mother’s head against the concrete sidewalk.
Sirens are heard, though I’m not paying attention.
One minute I’m beating on the hateful woman. The next, I’m lifted off her. “Let me go,” I screech, kicking and screaming.
“Calm down, Críona,” Hellhound growls, turning me to face him. He shoves my face in his chest just as two shots ring in the air and ring in my ears.
Suddenly everything goes eerily quiet for a moment.
“Fuck,” Angel mutters next to us, and Daemon moves in. “We ain’t gonna be able to hide this shit.”
“Nope, but we’ll handle it,” Hellhound grunts.
“Brother, you’re fuckin’ bleeding all over your woman,” Daemon states.
“I don’t care,” I mumble, holding on to my man, hoping I’m not hurting him.
“Isabelle, we’re gonna need you to keep quiet and go with what we say,” Angel mutters sternly, getting my attention.
I lift my head and narrow my gaze on him. “What’s that supposed to mean, huh?”
“We gotta handle the cops, and there’s gonna be questions . . .”
“I don’t care about the questions. If they want to ask them, let them. The truth is self-defense. Better yet, they turned on each other, shooting one another at the same time. Like I say, I don’t give a shit. What I do care about happening is you and Hellhound are taken care of first and foremost.”
“Sweetheart,” Angel says gently.
“No.” I shake my head and step away from Hellhound to look at both of them.
My man and the man who became like a brother before I knew I had real ones.
“You both could’ve died,” I yell and look at Daemon.
“All three of you could have. Angel and Hellhound were hit. You could’ve been in the same boat.
If it wasn’t for me, none of this would’ve happened. ”
“Críona, calm down,” Hellhound tries.
“No. No. No.” I drop to my knees and cry, wishing I could turn back time. I mean, my man was hit because he stood in front of me. And he’s still strong, ignoring the pain to take care of me.
“Brother, I got her,” Daemon says, coming to my side and scooping me in his arms. “Calm down, babe. We’ll get them taken care of—both of them.
I nod, still crying in his arms.
Everything goes by in warp speed, from the ambulance coming with the police to the trip to the hospital.
Styxx and Scythe stayed close, guarding over me while we waited for Hellhound to get out of surgery.
Stella reported that everything was good, and if he woke up after surgery before morning, he’d demand to go home just as Angel is already tried.
His wounds were bad, but I still freaked out, and they admitted him for my peace of mind.
Once Hellhound was in a room, they took me to him. I broke into tears, and nothing would stop them. Several of Hellhound’s brothers hold me while Stella gives me something to calm down. Not even a moment later, my eyes droop, and I pass out with Daemon’s arms around me.