Isla is on Paltrow’s back. Her bloodied feet are off the floor as she scratches at his face and attempts to strangle him with her bound hands. My heart is already in my throat when Paltrow lets up from kicking Garrett, just long enough to turn his back to the wall and then slam her into it. She cries out as he forces her hands over his head and lets her drop to the ground.
Then, he sees me.
And he sees the men crowding into the small space behind me.
His eyes narrow as he realizes the odds have shifted, and there are multiple guns pointed straight at him.
“You’re going to fucking die painfully for touching them,” I snarl.
His hand goes out, reaching for Isla, and she presses herself smaller into a ball against the wall.
The contact of my fist on his jaw is solid and real and jolts me back into my own body.
I can deal with what Garrett and Isla have suffered once the threat to them is gone. When there’s only the three of us in private, I’ll hold them while they cry and heal. I’ll encourage them to use this thing they’ve gone through together to strengthen their bond with each other.
But now, all I can see and feel and think about is annihilation.
“You didn’t fucking learn,” I say, taking in the burn that creeps up Paltrow’s neck.
Like a man with nothing to lose, Paltrow comes out swinging. But it’s easy to take down an exhausted man, and from the state of Garrett and Isla, they fought him hard.
Atom and Grudge are fast to step in and restrain him. “We’ve got him. See to your family.”
I shake my head. “I want to kill him.”
Grudge nods. “We can do that.”
With Catfish’s help, Isla stands, her face streaked with tears, and I open my arms to her. She limps into them, and clutches my cut. “I knew you’d come,” she says.
Her whole body is wracked with sobs as she buries her forehead against my chest.
We stumble to Garrett and kneel down next to him. Isla clambers to my side, and we both take one of his hands. His eyes are glassy with shock, but he’s breathing. There’s so much blood, it’s hard to tell what his injuries are. Taking care with the cuts and bruises on his knuckles, I bring his hand to my lips.
“Bear,” I manage to say, and then, words fail. Everything fails.
The restraint of my tears.
The flood of relief.
My ability to stay upright.
I put an arm around Isla and hold her tight as she sobs.
“How bad is it?” I ask Garrett, my eyes tracking all over his body. “Are you shot?” It’s hard to tell with all the blood.
Garrett shakes his head a fraction. “He’s got…worse aim…than Smoke.”
Despite the terror, and the fury, and the way Paltrow is trying to get out of Grudge and Atom’s grip, it brings a chuckle from the brothers.
“When you’re well enough,” Smoke says, “I’m gonna kick your ass for that comment.”
“Should be ready…by summer,” Garrett says through gritted teeth.
Taking Isla with me, I lightly drop my head to Garrett’s chest.
His hand threads through my hair. Something I thought I’d never feel again. When I lift my head, I kiss Garrett gently, then Isla.
I slip out of my jacket and wrap it over Isla’s shoulders. “Be brave for just a few more minutes, Sunshine,” I say, and she nods at me tearily.
