His eyes blink once, staring right at me and it seems as if something settles over him, a kind of quiet rage I’ve only ever seen Bast wear when I’ve been in danger. It sinks a heavy sense of dread in my stomach. The blood covers him but he’s alive, I know it covers me too, I can feel it on my face, on my clothes and my own hand is still bleeding.
Beyond the door, a car door slams loudly, startling me enough I turn my attention away from Christian for just a second.
But that second was a mistake.
When I turn back to him, he has his gun raised and is pointing it at me, and his mouth is moving but there is only a garbled sound coming out and then he pulls the trigger.
Chapter Forty-five
Iignore the guys as they try to call me back, I haven’t been able to fucking breathe since I received that photo of Willow. She was pale and bleeding from a cut on her temple, eyes still drooped low as if it was taken after she’d only just woken up.
He fucking hurt her.
He made her bleed.
I am going to rip him apart, by the time I’m done no one is going to recognize him.
The car door slams behind me and my feet are moving before I even have timeto think about it.
Only I freeze on the narrow steps up to the balcony level where I know their room is when a gunshot echoes through the deserted space.
“Willow!” I roar her name and get to moving again, frantic to find her. I kick in doors until finally, fucking finally, I see her red mess of hair.
She’s curled in the fetus position on the floor and there is blood everywhere. It’s splattered up the wall, across the bed sheets. So much blood.
“Red,” My voice cracks as I drop to my knees beside her. I don’t even think to check for Christian, I know very well this is a trap and why he gave me the motel address, even though we already had it. He can shoot me in the fucking back of the skull for all I care, I just need to know she’s breathing, that she’s safe.
“Willow,” I plead, arms coming around her prone body but then she moves, uncurls her hands from the top of her head and stretches out her knees so she can turn that pretty face toward me. There’s blood all over her but she’s alive, she’s awake.
“Sebastian?” Her lashes flutter as she blinks, as if not quite believing I’m here.
“I’ve got you,” I promise.
“Bast!” My name is a cry and then she’s in my arms and she’s holding me so tight I can’t breathe.
Behind me I hear the guys enter the room.
“Holy shit,” Killian breathes.
I cradle the back of Willow’s head as she cries softly into my shoulder and turn to him, but he just motions to the wall on the other side of the bed.
“I killed him,” Willow starts to ramble, “I had no choice. He was going to hurt you.”
“It’s okay,” I soothe, “I’m here now.”
She suddenly pulls away from me, her eyes bloodshot and neon, “It’s a girl.”
“What?”
“We’re having a girl; we’re going to have a daughter.”
I swallow thickly, “How–”
“Oli let it slip,” Tears roll through the red splatters on her cheeks, “We’re having a girl, Bast.”
And for the first time in what feels like days, I smile.
A girl. We’re having a fucking girl!
