Gio’s scream cuts off, turning to gurgles as he drowns in his own blood.
I stand, looking down at him in disgust before I finally take the stolen gun and aim it at his head. I pull the trigger and the gurgling stops, but it’s not enough. Shot after shot after shot, I empty the clip into the motherfucker’s head, his body jolting with each new bullet.
“Okay, Rí, I think you got him,” Mac says when the shots turn to clicks.
Slowly, I lower my arm.
“And that’s for Remi.”
82
YOURS
KOEN
I head home.They discharged Remi from the hospital while I was out, somewhere around 2 a.m.
My brothers brought both Remi and Briar back to the loft in Boston, and after a quick shower, I find Remi sleeping peacefully in the guest bedroom.
Briar is keeping a quiet vigil. She’s dragged the armchair over to the side of the bed, and there she sits, resting her head on the edge of the mattress, silently watching the rise and fall of Remi’s chest.
Standing in the doorway, I watch them both for a minute or two before I speak.
“How’s she doing?”
Briar startles at the sound of my voice, and her eyes are cool when they take in my shadowed form half lurking in the hall.
“You left.” There’s a trace of accusation in her tone, and hurt shines in her eyes.
“I had business to attend to.”
“Right.” She looks away from me.
“Can we talk?”
She shifts uncomfortably.
“Privately?” I add, looking over a sleeping Remi, not wanting to wake her up.
“I don’t know,” she hesitates, “I don’t want to leave her…”
“I’ll have Liam sit with her. Give you a break? You need sleep, too, Briar.”
For a second, I think she might fight me on it, but to my surprise, she relents, trailing me out of the room. She must be more exhausted than I thought.
“Meet me in my room,” I murmur, as I stop at Liam’s door.
She nods absently, walking past me, her eyes heavy.
A few minutes later, I walk into my bedroom.
Briar’s standing in the middle of it, looking out at the city, her arms wrapped around herself. She’s still wearing my hoodie, the one she had on earlier today.
I move closer, reaching out to touch her cheek, but she flinches away from me. A deep, unfiltered and raw pain tears through me at what I’ve done.I became the monster she always thought I was.
“I’m sorry.”
Her gaze snaps up, and she just stares back at me as if in disbelief of the words she’s hearing come out of my mouth.
