“Shit,” Taff barked, finally leaping into action. Gunfire echoed as Taff’s face loomed over mine. “Hold on, Dom. You hold the fuck on now, you hear me?”
I didn’t respond. My mouth wouldn’t work. My hands would though. I lifted one to graze my neck. Wetness met my fingers, but I still felt the need to check. My entire frame shook as I held my hand in front of my eyes to confirm what I already knew.
I’d been hit.
The numbness was spreading. Not a good sign. I tried to drag in a full breath, but someone had filled my lungs with cotton. Dimly, I was aware of orders being barked into radios. Something being pressed hard against the side of my neck. Flashes of panicked voices surrounding me. I latched on to one—the most familiar.The echo of the one I so desperately needed to hear right now.
“What the fuck happened?” the voice roared. “Tell me he’s okay.”
“I’m working on it,” Taff snapped back, his hands busy on my neck. “Medic’s on the way but…”
I didn’t know if his voice trailed off or if I just lost the ability to hear him. God, I was so tired all of a sudden. Fucking exhausted. If I closed my eyes then maybe?—
Someone slapped my cheek, hard. “Wake the fuck up, Dominic! Don’t you dare close your eyes on me.”
I forced my eyes open. Who was waking me up? I just wanted to sleep.
Another slap. “Dominic, please. Don’t do this. You can’t. Not now.”
“Ryan?” I croaked. That didn’t make sense. Ryan couldn’t be here. He belonged thousands of miles away. Somewhere safe, where this hellscape couldn’t touch him.
A choked sob. “Ryan, yes. You need to stay alive to see Ryan.”
Max.Max was speaking. Not Ryan.
Reality slammed back into me. It took so much effort to lift my arm, and it sent pain ricocheting through me, but this was too important.
I tapped Max’s front pocket. “Ryan.”
“No.” Max’s expression was full of panic. “I don’t need to give it to him, Dominic. You’re going to get through this and tell him yourself. You fucking got that?”
I tapped again. No noise came out, but I mouthed his twin’s name.
“I’ll do it,” Max said fiercely, clutching my hand. “You know I will. But I won’t need to, okay? Keep fighting, Dominic. We don’t quit. That’s not what we do. You’re a fighter, and you keep fighting.”
Right now, I didn’t feel like fighting. My eyelids were heavy, my body numb.
I saw Ryan’s smile.
It soothed me as darkness swept in.
RYAN – ALSO TWO YEARS AGO
A phone ringing in the middle of the night was never a good sign.
I bolted upright, groping around on the unfamiliar bedside table for my device. My mouth went dry as I read the name on the screen.
Frank
There were only two reasons why he’d be calling me at this hour. Either he’d fallen off the wagon, or…
I couldn’t even let myself think it.
I answered and pressed the phone to my ear hard. “Frank?”
“Where are you, kid?”
His voice was clear. Sober. Which meant…
