“And you?” I need her to understand that if what she’s saying about me is true, then it’s true for her as well.
She presses her lips together and gives a firm nod. “I’m not a monster.” Her eyes flick down to the corpse of Ethan. “But he was.”
Now that’s something we can both agree on.
“Come on,” I say as I stand. “We should get moving. I’m sure those gunshots didn’t go unnoticed by either the living or the dead.”
Ollie nods and staggers to her feet. I grab her arm before her knees give way beneath her and hold her until she’s steady on her feet. Once I’m sure she won’t crash down into a pool of blood, I release her and set about grabbing the discarded weapons.
The extra two guns are nice to have, even if they’re older and not well cared for. I make sure that the safety is on for both of them before shoving them into the pockets of my combat trousers. I then grab my own gun and shove it back into its holster before grabbing Ollie’s bow and knife.
“Here,” I say, handing them back to her.
She gives me a grateful smile before sliding the knife back into its sheath. With both of us reunited with our weapons, we make our way out of the bloodbath the side street has become different from when we entered only ten minutes before.
Impossible Risks
Rhys
“Would you sit thefuck down?” Theo says for what is probably the tenth time as I pace back and forth in front of him.
I ignore him—just like I have been since Alex and Ollie left several hours ago—and continue pacing. My stomach is a knotted mess of dread, fear, and frustration that makes it impossible for me to sit still. Especially when everything inside me is screaming that I should be out there with them. Theo, however, sits on the table behind the cash register without a care in the world.
“Rhys, pacing like this isn’t going to make them come back faster. All it’ll do is increase the chances of you reopening one of your wounds.” I can hear the exasperation in his voice as he slips from the table and grabs my uninjured shoulder, stopping me mid-stride. “I know it’s hard to stay behind, but you need to trust them to keep each other safe.”
My lips curl and I shake my head. Neither Alex nor Ollie are experienced in combat. Sure, Alex is a big guy and can throw a mean punch, but he’s never been out without Theo or me by his side, guiding him. And Ollie—while she’s fierce and resourceful—has had no training what-so-ever. If either of them gets into an altercation, the chances of them coming out of it unscathed are small.Toosmall.
My hands clench into fists at my side and I suppress a growl of frustration as my injured shoulder and arm twinges. Objectively, I know this won’t help my recovery and that I’d be a liability while out, but the rational side of my brain isn’t running the show at the moment.
All I can picture is their unmoving bodies lying in a puddle of their blood, their eyes open and unseeing. Or worse, them captured by the Scourge and enduring horrific torture and abuse at the hands of those monsters.
And there’s not a damn thing I can do to stop that with this stupid fucking shoulder.
It’s a little disconcerting how quickly I’ve come to care about the fiery, stubborn princess even after I swore off women. She’s wormed her way under my skin and she’s not moving anytime soon. No matter how much I try to convince myself that she doesn’t want me in that way. Doesn’t help that there’s a sense of rightness at both Alex and Theo caring for her just as much as I do. Even more than when we were with Willow.
So she better be fucking alright, otherwise I’m going to follow her—even into the afterlife—and punish that perfect ass of hers.
The sound of boots scuffling on the pavement has me pausing. Theo and I reach for our weapons just as the back door to the shop opens and Alex and Ollie shove their way through the doorway. The relief crashing over me is short-lived when I see them both drenched in blood.
They both look like they’ve been through hell. Alex is covered in blood, and there are several bruises forming on the side of his face. Ollie, while less saturated in gore, doesn’t look much better. Strands of her hair fly wildly from her plait, and the front of her shirt is ripped to where her black sports bra is visible.
“What the fuck?” I snarl as I stride over to Ollie and grab her shoulder. “What the hell happened? Where are you injured? Who did this to you? They better be fucking dead, otherwise I’m hunting their asses down and killing them myself.” The words tumble out of me as I scan her over, trying to see where she’s injured.
Ollie rolls her eyes and shrugs off my hand. “I’m fine. None of this blood is mine and yes, the guys that did this are dead.”
I grind my molars and glare at her, hating how blase she is about being attacked. “Did you...?”kill them. I don’t dare say the words out loud, just in case it triggers a panic attack.
She presses her lips together into a thin line and nods, understanding my question. “I did. Webothdid.“ Her eyes flick to Alex and soften.
I follow her gaze to the man who’s been my best friend for over twenty years. “And you? Are you okay?”
His lips twist into a grimace and he shrugs. “As okay as I can be, considering the circumstances.” He flexes his hands, and that’s when I see his bust knuckles.
Oh fuck. Did he have to beat on someone? His dad was an abusive piece of shit and he’s terrified of becoming just like him, regardless of what Theo and I say.
I eye him more critically, looking for the guilt and disgust on his face, but I don’t see them. Does that mean he didn’t have to kill someone with his bare hands? Or has he somehow overcome his demons?
Speaking of demons, Ollie doesn’t seem all that bothered by taking yet another life today. Not like last night, where she was almost catatonic until I forced her into action. Maybe they helped one another after the altercation and that’s why neither one of them looks on the verge of a meltdown.
