Another noise grabs my attention. A big burly man comes rushing out from behind one of the bookshelves. I twist my torso, shooting twice as another shot rings out. His fat hands fly to his throat as blood pours from his throat from the side. The shot wasn’t from my direction. I direct my attention back to Alice and grasp her hand, placing the most pleasant smile I can on my face. She fought after all. Charlie’s… Charlie’s sister is a warrior. He would be so proud. “Now, you listen to me. You are not going to die on me. Do you understand? I promised my husband I would get you, and that’s what I'm here to do. I will not have one more person die because of us today—” Her eyes flick to the man on the ground. “That’s the exception, darling. Now, here’s the deal. We are keeping that shard of glass in you. Do you know why? Perfect. Now I don't have to explain that it’s what’s keeping you alive soyou don’t bleed out.”
I look around and notice with the way one of the fallen bookshelves broke, we could use the side of it as a makeshift bed to get her out. Parker sees what I’m looking at, and I don't have to tell him anything. He immediately goes through the debris and pulls it out, making the rest of the bookshelf collapse onto itself. I look down at Alice. “You know what to do; stay as still as you possibly can.”
She nods, but she’s gone as pale as a ghost, and her breathing has slowed to an alarming rate. We move her as easily as we can without shifting the shard of glass. On a three, Bianchi and Rossi lift her, but she reaches for me and grabs my hand as tight as she can, but it isn’t very tight. When I peer down, her lip is trembling and tears are streaming to the sides and into her hair.
“None of that, love, we’re almost there. Did I tell you my mother believes you might be my sister? Err, my brother’s sister—but it may as well make you mine. Charlie was wonderful. A badger at times, but overall the best brother one could have. He would have loved you. You’re quite the fighter… and… so very brave.” I shut up before my voice begins to tremble and my chin wobbles. I do not let go of her hand.
Not even when we’ve reached the bottom step and all is quiet and we pass Maksim’s men, who are pulling corpses off the floor and verifying every single Syndicate member is good and dead.
I don’t let go of her hand when Maksim gets to us or when his eyes go wide at the shard of glass in her chest.
I don’t let go when we’ve gotten into a vehicle large enough to hold all of us until we get to the Winters’ estate.
I do not let go of her hand… even when she lets go of mine.
Chapter Thirty
Parker.
“Sabrina, baby, she’s gone.”
Her shoulders slump forward just a bit more and begin to shake. She’s the only one who’s stayed by her body after ordering the capos to bring her into the manor while Maksim is being checked out by one of the doctors Elena had on retainer. Thankfully, none of our guys were seriously injured or killed. Most of them have flesh wounds that Damon is helping with. I take a seat beside Sabrina and put an arm around her waist, tugging her to me as close as I possibly can.
She hasn’t let go of Alice’s hand—or Raven’s—this entire time. With the way she’s shaking, I don't know if either of us is the right person she needs to speak to, so what I am going to do… is let her feel everything she needs to feel. She leans into me, finally letting Alice’s hand go, pulling up the sheet we covered her with and placing her hand beneath it. Raven places a kiss on her temple and stands, giving us a moment alone. Sabrina sits back and shakes her head while wiping away her tears. She tries to talk, but the words are too broken and her voice too hoarse.
“You don’t have to talk, baby, just feel everything you’re feeling and sit with it. But if you need me to grab Damon, just let me know.”
“I don’t even know what I’m feeling. I’m angry, frustrated, happy, and so… so sad,” she sniffs. “I’m ecstatic I’m not there anymore, that I took Kane’s life, that Maksim is safe and with us, but my god, Parker… I amfuriousit happened in the first place. I am so angry with myself for not telling you I love you sooner—like it was this grand huge thing, when the reality is, I almost lost you and you never would have known. I am so angry with myself for letting what Kane did to me almost cost me allowing myself to fall for Maksim. And you. And I am so fucking sad that Alice died and I never got to know her. I am so sad that I never… got to tell her thank you." She covers her face with her bloody hands. “And she didn’t get to see that she made it out.”
I rub circles on her back, then up and down her spine, feeling her relax just a bit more as she cries softly beside me. “Did you know you have the tendency to talk in your sleep, baby?”
She uses her sleeve to wipe her nose. “I do not.”
I chuckle, “You do. And you snore like the cutest little lawnmower when you’re super tired.”
“I DO NOT!” She glares at me, eyes like blades of seaglass rimmed red. Then her face softens. “Do I really?”
I nod with a smile on my face. “You really do. And I love it. You wanna know why?”
She blinks at me, waiting for me to continue.
“Because you’ve been telling me you love me in your sleep foryears, Bri. Even before what happened with Kane. I remember one night after a party I pulled some fuckhead you were dancing off of you because you were too drunk, and on the way home, you very confidently told me you were going to have my babies. Granted it was right before you threw up in the car, but every time you told me some outrageous shit like that, I knew you meant it. Even if you weren’t ready to tell me you love me to my face while you were sober or awake, every single one of your actions spoke volumes, baby.
“You protect with your heartbecauseyou protect your heart, and I wouldn't have it any other way. Would I have liked to have heard it sooner rather than on my deathbed? Yes. But you have made sure I felt cared for, loved, and treasured far longer than you probably think you have. You were worth waiting for, Sabrina.”
She lets out a wail and throws her arms around my neck, pulling me down to kiss her, but I stop her and open her little bloody hands. “You just rubbed these all over your face. How about we get in the shower, then I’ll draw you a bath?”
She inhales deeply with a hiccup. “Oh…kaayyy. Parker?”
“Yeah, baby?”
“How many did we save?”
I swallow. “Not enough.”
I give her a few minutes to collect herself, allowing her to turn back into the icy woman/mob wife they know her to be. Except she slips that mask on with a little more difficulty this time. After getting up, we pass Niko, who’s been waiting for us outside of the room. “Hey, Boss Lady.”
Sabrina stops in her tracks. “Yes?”
