Hunter matters.
Mattered.
And this fuck never cared.
“Maddox!” Gage shouts, and I vaguely hear the distinct sound of bullets firing. “Madd! Enough!”
“It’s not enough,” I whisper, black and red dots dancing in my vision until they’re all I see. “Not enough.”
I think I hear more guns and maybe a scream, but it’s not her, I know that, so I ignore it. She’s too busy grieving.
Not enough.
Not enough.
Never—
“I need you, Madd! We need you here!”
I shake my head, pulling my fist back once more. Gage grips my hand, squeezing me so hard, I freeze. My head whips toward him, a vicious snarl trapped in my throat.
“Wh—” My words die when I see my brother’s wide, terrified gaze locked on mine. The first thing I notice is that he’s no longer empty. I swallow, tasting copper, and the second thing I notice is that I’m not either.
I’m mad.
So fucking mad, I’m shaking.
So mad I never even realized I was straddling Eric and that his face no longer exists.
But Gage…
“We have to go, man!” He’s begging, and that helps to wash away some of the darkness, too. “We have to find her. Nyx is in trouble, and Ella’s missing.”
He runs a hand through his hair, turning it red, and my fist falls.
“What happened?” I shove to my feet, stumbling over Eric. I kick him again for good measure and grip Gage’s face. Moreblood. So much blood, it looks stark against his tan skin. “Are you bleeding?”
Gage freezes, and his eyes narrow. “Look around, bro,” he breathes, his voice too quiet, nearly disappearing in the…
In the…
“One thing at a time…”
I look around, and my knees lock up at the sight, but Gage is there, like he knew I’d fall. How the fuck did I miss this? Bodies are sprinkled around the parking lot. There are guns being raised, bodies jolting, but the right sound never comes.
Silencers. Black tac-gear. Bodies. So many bodies.
What happened?
My mouth opens to ask the question even as my eyes frantically scan, looking, searching for the people I love most, but before I can get a word out, a sharp pain blooms across my chest.
I suck in a breath and stumble backward. Gage’s eyes go wide, and seconds later, his gun is raised, and he’s shoving me behind him.
My gaze drifts down my body as the burn turns to fire, and I try to shake it off, but I can’t. My brows crash together as I hear Gage yelling, yelling, yelling…
My fingers trail over the blood rapidly spilling from just above my ribs, staining my white shirt red just like Hunter’s.
A chuckle leaves me as the world spins. “I got shot.” I laugh again because my voice sounds funny.
