“Riley—”
“I promised Ronan I would take care of you, and I don’t plan on breaking that promise. So, stay here, and stay hidden.”
Ciara’s green eyes are wide with fear, but I force myself to pull my hand free and get to my feet.
My legs are trembling so badly I have to hold onto the dresser as I make my way toward the door.
It feels idiotic to be moving toward the sound of the gunshots, but if something has happened to Ronan, it’s up to me to protect Ciara. I might not legally be a Sullivan, but I consider myself one in every other way, and I know that Sullivans do whatever it takes to protect their family.
And Ciara is my family.
I slowly peel the door open and edge out of the room, making sure to keep my footsteps as quiet as possible.
The gunshots seem to have stopped, but I know the worst will be far from over.
The first thing I see when I reach the stairs is blood. It’s everywhere. Splatters of it cover the walls, and a large puddle of it is seeping into the dark wood flooring of the living room.
“Oh, my god,” I gasp.
Dr. Allen lies sprawled among the pool of blood with his chest torn open by at least a dozen bullet holes.
Ronan is kneeling beside him, his hands pressed desperately against the wounds, but blood continues to seep out of them.
Mari crouches beside him, her own hands covered in blood as her body violently shakes with the force of her sobs.
“Riley.”
I can’t move.
I can’t breathe.
“Riley. I need you to hold pressure on these wounds.”
I blink, and Ronan is staring up at me with nothing but determination in his eyes.
Shaking, I descend the stairs.
I’m so consumed by what I just saw that I almost trip over the two bodies lying in a heap at the bottom.
“Quickly, Riley!”
Bile burns my throat as I stumble over the bodies to where Ronan is crouched over Dr. Allen.
“Put your hands here,” he orders.
I sink to my knees beside Dr. Allen, trying to ignore the strangled sobs coming from Mari, and place my hands on one of the bullet wounds in his side.
The amount of blood pooling beneath him is enough to tell me that he’s gone.
“Ronan…” I look down into Dr. Allen’s unseeing eyes.
Ronan’s jaw tightens as he presses down harder on one of the wounds, not hearing me.
“Ronan, it’s no use. We can’t save him.”
Mari’s answering cry echoes around the still house, but it’s enough to pull Ronan out of whatever dark place he disappeared to.
“We need to get out of here. Now.”
