"Detain him," I snap at my men. "Don't let him fucking move."
I'm at Sera's side immediately.
She's curled on her side, one hand pressed to her stomach, the other braced against a bookshelf. Her face is pale. Streaked with tears and blood. Her ear—Jesus Christ, part of her ear is missing, blood matted in her hair.
But that's not what makes my heart stop.
It's the blood between her legs.
Too much blood. And it's too early. She's thirty-three weeks pregnant. This isn't supposed to be happening.
"Sera." I drop to my knees beside her. "Sera, look at me."
Her eyes are unfocused and glazed with pain.
"Adrian—" Her voice breaks. "The baby," she cries out, curling in on herself. "Something's wrong—I can feel it?—"
"I know. I've got you." I'm already scooping her up in myarms. I can feel the blood, warm and sticky, flowing freely. Fuck. Fuck. Fuck.
"I'm getting you to a hospital. Right now."
"It's too early." She's sobbing, trying to grab at me in her panic. "Adrian, it's too early. He's not ready. He's?—"
"He's going to be fine. You're both going to be fine."
I don't know if that's true.
I don't care.
I'll make it true.
I carry her toward the door. My men part. Someone's already called for backup. For cleanup, but I don't stop to coordinate.
Don't stop at all.
Just get her to my car.
Luc is there. He sees us and his face goes white. "Jesus Christ?—"
"Open the door," I bark.
He does, and I'm sliding in the backseat before I can think.
"Drive," I yell. "Mount Sinai. Now. Run every light. I don't give a fuck."
The car peels away from the curb.
Sera is shaking in my arms. Crying. "Adrian, I can't, he's not moving, something's wrong—" She cuts off, crying as another contraction hits. I'm terrified of looking between her legs. Will I see my son, or will he be a corpse...
I nearly vomit. Keeping it together only for Sera's sake.
"Just breathe. Focus on breathing." My hand is on her stomach. I can feel the tight, hard contractions. "We're almost there."
"I'm bleeding." Her voice is small. Terrified. "I can feel it. I'm bleeding and the baby?—"
"Don't think about it. Just stay with me." I press my lips to her forehead. "Stay with me, Seraphina. Don't you fucking leave me."
"I'm scared." Her face, streaked with blood and soot, is pale. She's lost a lot of blood.
