I open my mouth to say goodbye. To tell her I love her. But I don’t have the strength to speak.
Felix presses both hands to the gunshot wound on my stomach. He’s covered in my blood. “No, no, no, no. Don’t do this to me. Don’t you fucking leave me, Tyler. Don’t you dare die on me. Notyou. Not like this.”
I don’t answer. I can’t. Breathing is hard enough.
So, this is how everything ends. I’m not mad. All I want is for my brother to smile at me one last time.
A third person joins Felix and Harper, trying to help me. Felix shoves them away, growling, hysterical. “Don’tfuckingtouch my brother. No one touches him except me and Harper.”
“Stay with us,” Harper begs me with glassy eyes. “You don’t get to leave me like this. I love you. We’re supposed to be together again. You’re supposed to be with me and Felix. It’s you and me, always. Thethreeof us, always. That’s the life we’re supposed to have. You told me not to have hope, but Idohave hope.”
I look at Harper one last time, managing a small smile, then turn to my brother, using my last ounce of strength to say goodbye. “At least I did one thing right, saving you.”
“Don’t close your eyes, Tyler,” Felix begs. “Don’t you dare fucking leave me.”
He’s the last thing I see before my world turns black.
CHAPTER TWENTY-SIX
HARPER
Tyler’s blood stains my hands. No matter how hard I scrub, the red won’t fade from my nails.
There’s blood splattered up Felix’s arms and smeared across his white dress shirt, but he refuses to wash or change clothes. He paces the staff corridors of The Scarlet Mirage, waiting outside the infirmary, clawing hands through his hair and muttering words I can’t decipher.
As soon as Tyler passed out, Felix got him into the back of his car and ordered the driver to get us to the speakeasy, to the doctor on his payroll. Theo shut down the venue in preparation for our return, then raced off to deal with the explosion. Now, it’s been two hours of hell, waiting to hear if Tyler will survive the bullet wound.
Every time the floor creaks within the infirmary, my heart stops. Whenever footsteps echo from the other side of the door, I expect the worst. Tyler lost so much blood. I’ve never been so fearful in my life. As for Felix, I’m never seen him so frantic. He cradledTyler in his arms throughout the entire drive, yelling at the driver to go faster.
“Fuck. What is taking so long?” Felix shouts, pacing faster. He’s shaking. A complete mess.
I knew Felix would care that Tyler got shot, despite the anger he’s harbored for years. He’d put their issues aside to help his brother. I just didn’t expect his reaction to be this intense. He was so possessive, never letting Tyler out of his arms. He’sdistraught.
I take Felix’s hands, trying to calm him. He slips from my grip, bending over and bracing himself against his knees. “I can’t lose him, Harper. I need Tyler. I need my brother and I’m a fucking idiot for not realizing until now, when it could be too late.”
“We need to have hope.”
Right as I speak the words, the doctor steps into the corridor. Felix and I rush up to him.
He nods at us, pulling off bloodied gloves. He’s an older man with grey hair and looks exhausted from the work he’s performed on Tyler. “By some miracle, the bullet missed vital organs. Tyler will make a full recovery.”
I’m so relieved I start crying. The happiest tears I’ve ever shed. Felix slumps against the wall, clutching his head and swearing in relief.
“Can we see Tyler?” I ask.
“He’s sedated. But yes, you can see him. I’ll need to monitor him for the next few days.”
I rush into the infirmary. My heart breaks when seeing Tyler lying on an operating table, pale and still, hooked up to machines and with bandages wrappedaround his torso. But he’s alive and that’s all that matters.
My knees almost give out when I reach him. I take his hand, the one with the scar that matches mine, and press it to my lips.
“Tyler, I don’t know if you can hear me, but I need you to know I love you. I love you so much.” Brushing damp hair from his face, I kiss his forehead. “I’m here to take care of you. I’ll nurse you back to health. You’re safe and loved.” I whisper endless words of devotion, losing track of how many minutes I’ve been sitting with him.
“He’ll stay here with us, Harper. He won’t leave.”
I turn to Felix’s gentle voice, finding him in the doorway with one shoulder against the frame. Despite the good news, he’s tense from stress.
“Tyler won’t leave? I don’t understand.”
