“Dad!” Kai's scream tears through the chaos.
The Iron Wolves are on Helena before she can recover. Tank picks up the gun while two others pin her to the ground. She's screaming, thrashing, but it doesn't matter anymore.
I can't move. I can't breathe.
Kai crawls to his father's side, ruined ankle forgotten. Hands press against the wound, blood seeping through his fingers.
“Stay with me.” His voice is breaking. “Dad, stay with me.”
Victor's eyes flutter open. Face grey, breathing shallow, but he's conscious. His gaze finds Kai's face.
“Alexander.” His voice is barely a whisper. “Are you... is she...”
“She's fine. Emma's fine. You—“ Kaiden's voice cracks. “Why did you do that?”
Victor's lips twitch. It might be a smile. “She's... important to you.”
“So you took a bullet for her?”
“For you.” Victor's hand finds Kai's, grip weak but trying to hold on. “Should have... protected you. Before. Should have...”
“Stop talking. Save your strength.” Kai looks up, his eyes wild. “Someone call an ambulance!”
Maddox already has his phone to his ear, barking instructions.
I drop to my knees beside Kai, hands joining his on the wound. The blood is warm. Too warm, soaking through my fingers.
“He's going to be okay,” I say, even though I don't know if it's true. “The ambulance is coming. He's going to be okay.”
Victor's gaze shifts between me and his son. His eyes close, but his chest keeps rising. Falling. Rising.
Kai's head drops forward, forehead pressing against his father's hand.
“Don't die,” he whispers. “We're not done yet. We have so much... I never...”
I wrap my arm around his shoulders, holding him as sirens wail in the distance, growing closer.
Helena has gone silent, pinned to the ground, staring at nothing. The woman who orchestrated all of this, who nearly destroyed her own son, reduced to nothing.
The first rays of true dawn break through the warehouse's grimy windows, painting everything in shades of gold and grey.
We stay like that, the three of us, until the paramedics arrive.
When they load Victor onto the stretcher, Kai doesn't let go of his hand.
CHAPTER 47
THE AFTERMATH
KAIDEN
The private hospitalfloor is quiet. The kind of silence money buys when you want to keep the press away and your secrets close.
I stare at the ceiling and try not to think about what happened.
It doesn't work.
A knock at the door pulls me back. Emma slips inside, two cups of coffee in her hands, hair pulled back in a messy ponytail. She looks exhausted. Beautiful, but exhausted.
