Just as I think that, Marcus cuts in.“We’ve got a problem. Something isn’t right. We’re not seeing any guards, and we’re practically on the front steps now.”
“We took care of the few that were on the outer perimeter without a problem.”I don’t recognize the voice, so I assume it’s one of the guards, but fuck, none of this makes sense.
“We’re flying blind here,” Hollis growls, his hands pausing on the keyboard. “Fuck. Do we pull back?”
“Negative,”Marcus says.“We’ll proceed carefully. But we are getting the Bosses back.”
Hollis settles, and I breathe easier. I’m not used to seeing him unsure, and I wonder if Doc let him come back to work too soon. The men start disappearing into the house, calls of“Clear,”coming quick. Silence coats the room again, and then suddenly, Leandro is slamming his hand against the desk.
“PULL BACK! Pull back, now!” Leandro calls out. “Ten, Cristian, do you have them? You all need to get out! There are explosives!”
There’s frantic chatter, and I watch as some men come pouring out of the front, but I can’t keep a headcount going. There’s no response from Ten or Cristian, and I let my weight settle more heavily on the table. My legs aren’t steady at all.
“Ten, come in!” Hollis yells, and then the world explodes.
I fall into the chair as fire licks across the screen, explosion after explosion overtaking the scene. Smoke rapidly fills the area, until I can’t make anything out, and my stomach churns. Fuck.
Did they all get out? Did they manage to get Roman and Lio?
“Come in, Goddammit,” Hollis snarls, but he closes his eyes, as if he’s unable to watch what’s happening. Then again, there’s nothing we can make out anyway…
“Fuck. Are the comms down?” I whisper, hoping there’s a reason nobody is responding. But Leandro and Hollis don’t answer me. So I hold onto that thought, needing to believe that’s the issue, and that the silence isn’t something more, something far worse.
Hollis opens his eyes and stares at the screen with a bleakness that only increases my nausea. What the fuck? Have we lost? We can’t. That’s…that’s not possible. I glance around and meet Carter’s worried gaze. His skin has the same green tinge to it that mine must have, because how did this happen?
We’re finally united. We’re whole. Did we go through all of that just to lose? Did the Senator find a way to win? The movies don’t say what to do when the villain wins. Books have never told me how to process losing the war. And yet, here I am, sitting with what may be the only ones of us left. And if so…what the fuck can we even do?
Our hearts…they were there on the ground, and all I can see is fire and smoke. No voices call out, the silence absolute. Fuck.Please, tell me this is only a nightmare, because I can’t think of anything worse…I’d rather Jax have killed me than this, anything than this…
My foot hurts, but the pain there is negligible compared to the pain in my heart at seeing my best friend, my love, my Anima Gemella so distant and lost. I don’t care that he was forced to hurt me, I’ve been through worse. I just don’t know how we come back from this.
I may be okay with what happened, but Lio isn’t. His soul is too soft and tender for the deviousness of our enemy. Just because he’s Death, and one of the strongest people I know, it does not mean he’s impervious to the pain and suffering of his loved ones.
Being the one who had to create the pain? Yeah, my friend is not okay. Which meansI’mnot okay.
“Anima Gemella?” No response, and I swallow at the silence between us. “I’m okay, Lio, I promise. Niente si metterà tra noi. Io e te siamo per sempre.” I wonder if he can hear thedesperation in my voice. I'm not sure if I care if he does or not. I just need him to be okay.
Tears burn my eyes, but I refuse to let them fall. These fuckers don’t deserve to see my pain, not when they tried to tear the soul from my friend’s body. I don’t care what I have to do, that is thelastthing they’ll ever take from us.
Cocking my head at some distant sound, I try to strain my hearing. It’s been so silent in our cell, I half expected it to be soundproof, preventing us from hearing anything that is happening beyond the locked door. But when I hear the sound again, I change my mind, not wanting to hope, but needing to at the same time.
“Do you hear that?” I ask.
Everything is silent for a long, heart pounding moment, and then I hear it again, this time closer. A discernible sound that has my breath catching in my throat.
Gunshots that are this easy to hear can be a good or bad thing. Our family riding to our rescue is a relief, but at the same time, fear rises up at the thought of any of them getting hurt.
“We’ll be home soon, Anima Gemella,” I say. “Then your Daddy can cuddle us while Hol gives a lecture to end all lectures.” I almost smile at that, happy to see the fire in Hollis’s dark brown eyes if it means we’re all together again.
I look over at Lio, and I think he’s finally going to respond to me, if the way he lifts his head and licks his lips is any indication, except before he can, there’s the distinct sound of explosions…
The world shakes and I tip over, unsteady as more explosions go off. The acrid smell of smoke seeps into our room, and I share a worried glance with Lio.
If those sounds I heard were gunshots, if the cavalry has come to the rescue, did we just lose our only hope for escape?
Another smaller explosion, this one the closest of them all, has my throat closing as the fear is too profound to push down.My heart pounds and I tug at the thick manacles around my wrists. The hand I broke previously spasms, letting me know it doesn’t like those movements.
More smoke begins to seep under the door.
