I feel shattered.
I don't know how long we stay like that. Him holding me. Me falling apart. Leo somewhere in the background, talking quietly on the phone. He's been steady. A rock. I'm grateful for him.
And yet, the moment we escaped the carnage, all I wanted was Adrian.
Funny how that works.
This morning, I wanted to stab the man, but after everything, he was the only person I wanted.
Finally, the sobs slow. My breathing evens out, and I pull back slightly, just enough to look up at Adrian.
His face is pale. His jaw is tight. His eyes are darker than I've ever seen them. The silver is like molten steel, and I can tell that he's angry.
And yet, he's holding back his emotions for me. The knowledge that he's in control allows me to break, and I realize that this is the first time in my life where I can just feel instead of having to keep things together.
"What happened?" he asks quietly, caressing my jaw. "Tell me everything."
I swallow hard. Try to organize my thoughts. But they come in flashes—disconnected images I can't quite make sense of.
"Everything happened so fast," I begin, my voice shaking. "Leo gave me ten minutes with Gabe. We were arguing about the wedding when I heard something. Then bullets. Everywhere."
I'm trembling now, the memories crashing over me.
"Leo threw me to the ground. There was an explosion. Smoke. He got me to a bedroom and told me to hide." I close my eyes, but that makes it worse. "I thought everyone was dead. The gunfire was so loud, and then it stopped, and I just waited."
Adrian's hands tighten on my shoulders, grounding me.
"Leo came for me. He was covered in blood—so muchblood—but he said it wasn't his. We ran through—" I gag. "Through bodies. Everywhere. One was missing half his face. Blood on the walls. The couch was on fire."
I have to stop. Have to breathe.
"There was an attacker in the stairwell. Leo killed him. Just—so fast. One second the man was there, the next he wasn't."
"Did he hurt you?" Adrian's voice is deadly quiet.
"No. Leo didn't let him get close." I inhale the scent of him—leather and mahogany. It calms my nervous system. "We ran to the car. Leo drove like we were being chased. Maybe we were. I don't know. Everything was blurry."
"And Gabriel?"
The question makes me flinch. "Gone. Jumped out a window during the attack. Just jumped."
Adrian's expression darkens.
"Is he alive?" I ask. "Do you know?"
"Not yet. But if he is, we'll find him."
It sounds like a threat.
I pull away from Adrian, wrapping my arms around myself.
Everything smells like smoke. It's probably us, and the scent is making my headache.
"Leo got you out," Adrian says. "That's what matters."
I close my eyes. Take a breath. Try to center myself.
But all I can see is blood. Bodies.
