Chapter Twenty-three Amethyst
The gunshot. Deafening. Echoing. My ears ring. Everything slows. Then—
“KADE!" I’m screaming. His name. Over and over.
Movement at the doorway catches my eye. Someone is running into the room. I see the rifle it’s high-powered. Still smoking. Then, I see the face and its like my brain short circuits.
Marcus.
My heart stops.
Marcus?
No, no, no, no.
That’s impossible.
He’s dead. He has to be dead. I handed him over. To the Raven. To her husband. Weeks ago. He should be dead. Or locked up. Interrogated. Executed. How is he—
Why is he—
Here.
At Enzo’s facility.
Marcus shot Kade.
Kade.The rifle.
The blood.
My brain refuses to connect the pieces. Refuses to make them real.
My brain can’t process. Can’t understand. He was captured. Handed over. How is he alive? How is he HERE?
Realization crashes through the confusion. Cold. Sharp. Brutal. He’s the leak. The little birdie. Marcus. It was always Marcus. He’s moving toward me. Fast. Knife in his hand. I try to move. Can’t. Still tied.
Still—
He grabs the ropes. Cuts. Fast. Efficient. The bindings fall away. My wrists. My ankles. Free.
Why is he—
The Raven’s husband is in the doorway running towards us.
He tackles Marcus. Hard. They hit the floor. Struggle. Brief. Violent. His fist hits Marcus.
Once.
Twice.
Marcus goes limp. Unconscious.
I’m moving. Stumbling. Out of the chair. My legs. Weak. Shaking. Blood loss. Enzo’s cuts. Don’t care. Have to—
Kade.
I run. Stumble. Catch myself on the door frame. He’s there. On the floor.
Blood.
So much blood. Pooling beneath him. Spreading across the concrete.
Too much.
Way to much.
“Kade!"
I drop. Knees hitting concrete. Hard. Pain. Don’t care. I’m over him. Hands on his chest. Pressing. The wound. Right chest shot. The rifle shot. Went through the vest. Marcus was too close. Too much power. Blood. Hot. Slick. Pouring through my fingers.
“Kade. Kade, stay with me."
His eyes open.
Barely.
Unfocused.
Distant.
Like he’s already somewhere else.
“Stay with me. Please."
Movement. Behind me. The Raven’s husband. Marcus slung over his shoulder. Unconscious. Limp. I look up. Meet his eyes. One second. Then back to Kade. His eyes are closing. Fluttering. Fading. No. No no no.
“Kade!"
I press harder. The blood won’t stop. Won’t— His chest. Rising. Falling. Shallow. Too shallow. He’s dying. Right here. In front of me.
The words tear out of me.
Raw.
Broken.
Terrified.
“I love you.”
I don’t know if he hears. I don’t know if he’s still conscious.
I don’t know if I’m already too late.
“No. No, Kade, please—"
Hands. On my shoulders. Pulling. I fight.
“No! I’m not leaving him!"
“We’re not leaving him." A woman’s voice. Calm. Professional.
The Raven’s operative. Two more. Moving past me. To Kade. Checking pulse. Checking breathing. Moving fast. Efficient.
“We need to move him. Now."
They’re lifting him. Careful. One under his shoulders. One under his legs. Blood dripping. Trailing. The woman. Still holding my shoulder. Looking at me. Assessing. “You’re injured."
“I’m fine."
“You’re bleeding."
“Help him. Help Kade."
I try to stand. Follow them. My legs. Give out. Buckle. I’m falling. She catches me. Arm around my waist. Holding me up.
“Easy."
“I have to—"
“We’re going. Come on."
She’s moving. Half-carrying me. I’m stumbling. Vision blurring. Edges darkening. Blood loss. Enzo’s torture. Catching up. Finally. But I can’t stop. Can’t—
We’re in the hallway. Moving. Fast.
The operatives ahead. Carrying Kade. His head. Lolling. Unconscious. Blood. Still dripping. Leaving a trail.
Outside. Cold air. Hits my face. Shocking.
Clearing my head. Slightly. A van. Back doors open.
They’re loading him. Laying him down. Flat.
On a stretcher. One operative. Climbing in.
Opening a kit. Medical supplies. IV. Bandages.
The other. Cutting. Kade’s vest. Straps.
Velcro. Ripping. Pulling it off. His shirt.
Soaked. Red. They cut it. Scissors. Fast. Exposing his chest. The wound. Right side. Blood. Pulsing. Pumping.
“Get her in."
The woman, still holding me starts lifting me into the van. I’m inside. Sitting. Slumped against the wall. Can’t take my eyes off him. The operatives. Working. IV in his arm. Tape. Securing it.
Nobody says anything. That’s what terrifies me. No reassurance. No promises. Just faster hands. More blood. More gauze.
The van door slams shut. The engine roars to life then, we’re moving. Fast. Speeding away as I watch.
I watch his chest.
Waiting.
Watching.
Rise.
Fall.
Rise.
Fall.
Did it move?
I can’t tell.
I can’t fucking tell.
She doesn’t say anything. Just keeps working. The IV. Dripping. Fluids. Blood replacement. Maybe. I don’t know. I watch as they shove a tube down his throat. Then a machine is hooked to the tube. A respirator I assume.
I look down. At my hands. Blood. Covering them. His. Mine. Mixed. Can’t tell which is which. My vision. Blurring again. Darkening. I’m fading. Losing consciousness.
No. Not yet. I force my eyes open. Focus. On him. On Kade. His face. Pale. Too pale. Lips. Gray.
The bandages are already red.
Already soaked through. The operative curses under her breath and reaches for more.
Presses harder.
Blood still seeps through her fingers.
“Come on.” The operatives voice is sharp now.
Urgent.
Different.
“Stay with us.”
Another pair of hands appear. Then another.
Someone is opening another kit.
More supplies.
More blood.
I don’t know if she’s talking to him. Or me.
Maybe both. The van. Swerving. Speeding.
I brace myself. Against the wall. My body.
Screaming. Pain. Everywhere. Enzo’s cuts.
The bruises. The blood loss. But I don’t look away.
Can’t look away. From Kade. Please survive this.
My eyes. Heavy. So heavy. Closing. I fight it. Force them open.
Again.
And again.
The darkness drags me under. And the thing I see—
Before it takes me—
Is Kade.
Too pale.
Too still.
Covered in our blood.
And for the first time since I met him
I’m afraid he won’t come back.