Ember
LEAVE - POST MALONE
Ice cubes clink against crystal glass, creating a dull plinking sound. Axel adds a more than generous measure of Hyland’s best whiskey then slides it to Blaine. The amber liquid disappears in one desperate gulp.
“Another?” Axel holds up the bottle.
Silent, Blaine nods sluggishly.
“Coming right up. Want one, dimples?”
“Yeah.” Using my index finger, I trace a vein in the marble counter in front of me.
“You should both try to eat something.”
The mere prospect curls my lip. “I don’t think I can stomach it.”
“Blaine?” Axel casts him a wary look.
This time, he shakes his head. Still silent.
“I’ll throw together some sandwiches,” Axel decides, mostly to himself. “In case you’re hungry later. It’s about all I’m good at making anyway.”
“Did you hear from Hyland?” I accept the liquor then drink deeply.
In the kitchen, Axel bustles about collecting ingredients. He seems wide awake despite the late hour. By the time we cleared the scene and transported casualties to London’s trauma centre, the sun had long disappeared.
“They arrived at the hospital to relieve Hudson and Gunnar about an hour ago, no sign of trouble. We’re waiting on the fire department’s report. Apparently, the blaze is still burning.”
“A lot of product to fuel it.” Blaine summons his first smoke-tinged words. “Some sort of accelerant must’ve been used.”
“Seems so,” Axel agrees.
“I should be at the hospital, not hiding out here.”
“That’s the first place your father would look if he wanted to take another shot.” I almost give myself whiplash, rotating my head to gawp at him.
“I don’t care. Let him try.”
“You’re hurting, Blaine. Being rash doesn’t help anyone.”
“Spyder and the other survivors are there alone!” His bar stool crashes against the kitchen floor where it’s thrown off-kilter.
The fact there’s a handful of his crew still alive is a miracle in itself. I didn’t anticipate anyone else being pulled from the wreckage, let alone alive. To make matters worse, Spyder revealed some were taken hostage before he succumbed to unconsciousness.
“No, they’re not.” Axel folds his arms, flexing tatted skin. “Our team is there providing additional security along with Sabre’s finest. They will be protected.”
“Protected,” Blaine scoffs. “Like we’ve been?”
Swirling whiskey around my glass while he begins to pace the length of the room, I knock back another shot, wincing at the burn. After breathing in fumes, my sore throat isn’t happy about the drink choice. But frankly, my nerves are equally fried, and they need the relief.
If given half a chance, I’m in no doubt that Blaine would be camped out in that emergency department. The same would’ve occurred to his father. This was a crippling blow in their war, but I’m not going to let Blaine’s vulnerability give Madden even more of an advantage.
Instead, I have to make my peace with watching him pace up and down so aggressively, it’s a wonder he doesn’t wear a hole into the penthouse floor. While throwing together some sandwiches, Axel eyes him too. We’re alone with a ticking time bomb until the others come home.
“I’m sorry I couldn’t wait for the rest of you,” I whisper to Axel. “We had to move fast.”
“I know, babe. I didn’t love it, but I understood.”
“Your brother stuck to me like glue the entire time.”
“Then he received my threat.” Axel flashes a toothy, shark-like grin.
“You requested him for backup?”
“When you didn’t answer your phone, Hyland called the directors. I asked Hudson to send Gunnar in. He’s a violent psychopath, but on our side, that’s a lot of firepower.”
The fact that Axel had enough trust in his twin to send him into battle at my side speaks volumes. It didn’t seem possible a mere couple of weeks ago. Something changed when he heard Gunnar’s testimony.
“Here.” Nudging a plate towards me, Axel nods encouragingly. “Please try to eat something.”
“Ax, I’m not hungry.”
“For me? You’re super pale.”
Sighing, I pick up the cheese sandwich then force down a bite. His eyes narrow on my over-dramatic chewing.
“Brat.”
“As advertised,” I mumble around a mouthful.
“That’s true. Next time you go dashing into a firefight without us there to cover you, I’ll lock you in that storage room without the benefit of my dick.”
Cheese and bread lodge in my throat, causing me to cough. Axel picks up his own sandwich, biting into it to hide his tired smile.
With half my food eaten, I slide from the barstool to tentatively approach Blaine. He’s still stomping around in an aggravated whirlwind. I have barely enough time to shove the uneaten half of my sandwich into his hand.
“Eat,” I demand. “You need your strength.”
“Sweetheart…”
“It wasn’t a question.”
His heavy sigh follows me back to the bar where Axel watches with a cocked brow. I shrug, sliding back onto my seat and recapturing my drink to continue sipping. Whiskey and exhaustion have my skeleton sagging over within seconds.
“Will you come to bed?” Axel’s honeyed jewels sparkle with hope.
“Not until the others are home.”
“It could be hours, Em. At least get some sleep.”
“I’m more worried about Blaine right now.”
The man in question has forced down the hunk of cheese-filled bread and resumed marching when the penthouse’s security system releases a high-pitched siren. Blaine and I stiffen into statues as Axel ducks into a kitchen cupboard to yank free a gun that’s kept stashed.
“Who is it?” I gulp down a bubble of fear.
Flicking off the safety, he checks his phone then deflates. “My brother.”
“What? Here?”
“Someone must’ve sent him. Don’t move.”
Feet spread in the middle of the sunken living area, Blaine looks ready for a brawl, his red-stained hands clenched into fists. I try to steady him with a look while Axel answers the door.
“What are you doing here?” I watch as Gunnar follows Ax inside.
“Added protection.” He rolls up his sleeves. “I’m here to watch you three.”
“We don’t need your protection.” Blaine looks like he bit into a lemon, snarling in Gunnar’s direction.
“After what I’ve seen today, I’d beg to differ, Phantom. Take the damn protection.”
Axel rolls his eyes, moving into the kitchen to pull out fresh bread for another sandwich. He doesn’t even hesitate. Gunnar stations himself in a precisely chosen corner, baulking at the plate Axel extends to him.
“What is that?” His nose wrinkles.
Axel glowers at him. “A fucking cobra. What do you think it is?”
“Looks a lot like a sandwich to me.”
“Figured you may be hungry too. Eat up.”
“You’re feeding me now?”
“Don’t make me regret it, asshole. Eat.”
Seeing the deadly Hunter himself appear uncertain causes inappropriate laughter to bubble up. I’ve watched this man snap necks with a pinkie finger. But it’s a simple sandwich from his estranged brother that gives him pause.
“It isn’t poisoned,” I snicker.
“Sure about that?”
“If I had made it, maybe it would be.”
“Hah. I appreciate the honesty, 768.”
“Still not her name,” Axel growls at him. “How many times do I need to tell you to eat?”
“Alright, fine.” Gunnar grimaces but accepts the plate. “Thank you.”
“You’re welcome.”
Watching them exchange pleasantries is too weird for me. I tap out to hover near where Blaine is trying to wear out the carpet, pondering how to wrestle him down for a few hours rest. He’s far too wound up to sleep without being knocked out.
“What do you need?” I linger near him, fighting the urge to wring my hands.
“My father’s location and a nuclear arsenal.”
“Blaine, it’s almost midnight. We’re exhausted. What is it going to take for you to rest?”
“Go sleep, Ember.”
“Not without you.”
His temple throbs, the vein engorged. “I can’t until we receive word from the hospital. People I care about were pulled from that fire, clinging to life.”
“Yeah, I get it.”
“I need to know if they’re going to make it.”
“But running yourself ragged isn’t going to help them.” I blow out an exasperated breath. “We all need to be rested and prepared to plan our next move.”
“What next move?” He tosses his hands up. “That monster has taken everything from me!”
When I attempt to approach him, Blaine retreats several steps, a shaking hand outstretched in objection. I try not to let the flash of hurt show on my face.
“What do you need?” I force myself to repeat the question calmly.
“I want to smash something.”
“If you’d just calm down and come to bed—”
“If I stop now, she’ll haunt me forever.” Heartbroken onyxes flash over me, begging for understanding. “Raye was my friend, and now she’s dead. I couldn’t keep her safe.”
“This is your father’s doing. He’s the responsible one.”
“She was my second in command!” Blaine lashes out.
“You didn’t put her in harm’s way.”
“Yet she’s still dead!”
Watching him splinter apart at the seams unravels my sanity faster than I care to admit. Blaine’s always cool. Calm. Our calculating, strategised force of nature. Grief and turmoil have turned him inside out.
“Fine.” I roll back my shoulders. “You want to hit something? Let’s spar.”
He cuts me a disbelieving glance. “I’m not going to hit you.”
“What makes you think I’d let you?”
“Not a chance. You were seizing on the floor not so long ago.”
“I’m willing to do whatever it takes to get this rage out so you can sleep. Besides, it wouldn’t be the first time we’ve fought.”
“Blaine’s right,” Axel calls out. “You’re in no shape.”
“I’m perfectly capable!”
“And I’m not risking it.” Blaine’s voice flatlines.
In the resultant silence, a plate clatters, then footsteps near our position. Gunnar wipes crumbs from his chin, eyeing Blaine like a piece of meat he’d happily sink his teeth into.
“I’ll fight you.”
“You?” Blaine recoils.
“What? You afraid?”
“You’re no challenge to me, Hunter.”
“Then you have nothing to fear.” Gunnar winks at him. “Let’s go.”
Rubbing my tired eyes, I heave a sigh. “This was a bad idea.”
In the kitchen, Axel chuckles, watching the men appraise each other. “You suggested it.”
“Clearly I’m sleep deprived and making poor decisions.”