Page 40 of Always A Villain (Revenge Duet #2)

Everything inside me splinters.

I shift my stance slightly, adjusting my grip on the rifle. My body is screaming for action, for blood, but I don’t move. Not yet.

Then —

Griff moves.

Fast. Precise.

A single gunshot cracks through the air, shattering the chandelier above us.

The whole world devolves into chaos. Glass rains down, cutting through the air. Creed stumbles, his body jerking, and in that instant, I don’t hesitate. I fire, the shot tearing through the air.

The bullet hits him square in the head. He’s dead before he hits the floor.

But it doesn’t fucking matter.

Not when I see her fall.

That motherfucker never let go of the trigger.

She crumples to the floor, blood pouring from her. Too much fucking blood.

NO!

I drop to my knees, yanking my mask off before I even realize I’m moving. My hands press against the wound, but it’s everywhere—slick, warm, pooling beneath her.

“Griff! Get the fucking chopper. Now!”

“On it!” He’s moving, but I don’t know if it’ll be fast enough.

I shake her, my breath shoving out in ragged bursts. “Rory! Stay with me, baby.” My fingers press harder, my hands soaked, but it’s not enough.

Fuck. Fuck. FUCK.

“Fuck!” I can’t lose her. I won’t. I press down harder, desperate, willing her to stay.

Her pulse—weak. Faint. But it’s there.

I don’t care about the pain in my side, the blood seeping from my own wounds. I don’t care about anything but her.

“Please. Please don’t leave me.”

Tears blur my vision. I don’t even realize they’re mine until they mix with the blood soaking into her skin.

“I love you, Rory,” I rasp. “Don’t fucking leave me. I need you.”

She can’t die. She can’t. I can feel my world slipping away, blackness closing in around me.

“You’re crushing me,” she mumbles, her voice so faint I almost don’t hear it.

I freeze. My heart stops, then slams back to life.

“Rory.” Her name barely makes it past the lump in my throat.

Her eyes flicker open, blue piercing through the blood smeared across her face. A weak, tired smile tugs at her lips. She lifts a trembling hand, brushing her fingers against my cheek.

“You came for me.”

“Always.” The word catches in my throat. “I’ll always come for you.”

She winces, her whole body trembling. “Axel…it hurts.”

“I know, little siren.” I hold her tighter, feeling her body going limp against me.

Her breaths come shallow, uneven. Too fucking weak. The blood won’t stop. It’s slicking my hands, seeping through my fingers.

“Rory, you can’t die.” My plea is guttural, breaking me apart. “We have a whole damn life ahead of us. Do you hear me?”

She barely nods, her body shuddering. “It hurts,” she whispers again, a single tear slipping down her cheek. I kiss it away.

I press my lips to her forehead, feeling her breath falter against me. “Stay with me, little siren,” I beg, my chest caving in on itself. “Just stay with me.”

I slam my earpiece.

“GRIFFEN! Where the FUCK is that chopper?!”

“Two minutes,” Griffen bites out.

Two minutes might as well be a lifetime.

“RORY!” Spencer drops to his knees beside us, hands hovering, eyes wide with panic.

“Spence?” Her voice is barely there.

He leans in, forcing a shaky smile, but his fear bleeds through. “Rory…you’re going to be fine, okay? Just…hang in there.”

Her head lolls back against me, her eyelids fluttering.

“I’m…I’m just so tired…”

Grabbing her chin, I force her to look at me. “You don’t get to be tired. Not now. Look at me.”

Her gaze barely holds.

“Tell me where we’re getting married, baby.”

A faint, broken laugh escapes her. “My mom’s villa...”

Her fingers tremble as they brush my face. I catch her hand, grip it tight.

“I love you, Axe,” she whispers, and more tears burn my eyes. “I should’ve told you sooner…but I was afraid.”

“Shh…it’s okay.” I kiss each of her knuckles. “You’ll have all the time in the world to tell me.”

Her hand slips.

I grab it .

The chopper’s rotors whir above us, too fucking slow. I fight to my feet, hauling her into my arms, her warmth fading.

“Stay with me, Rory.” The words rip out of me roughly.

Dust swirls, the wind cutting like a blade. Spencer stumbles beside me as Griff charges forward.

“I’ve got her,” Griff says. He lifts her from my arms, and the second her body leaves mine, a hollow, clawing emptiness nearly knocks me off my feet.

Spencer grips around my waist, dragging me toward the chopper. My feet move, but my eyes lock on her—limp in Griff’s arms, blood trailing behind them. Kane on his heels, barking and snarling, trying to lunge closer, but Griff keeps shoving him back with his boot.

“Griff!” I bellow, my vision tunneling, body shaking from the force of my own rage. “Don’t you dare let her fucking die.”

If she dies…

The thought doesn’t finish.

Because I know what happens next.

I’ll kill everyone. The Dolore, their families—every last one of them will pay in blood. I’ll carve them apart, piece by fucking piece.

The wind howls as we reach the chopper. Griff climbs in first, laying Rory on the floor, pressing his hands to her wound, her blood pooling beneath her. Kane tries to leap in after her, whimpering, but Spencer grabs his collar and drags him to the back.

“Status?” the pilot barks through the comms.

“Bullet wound, lower left abdomen,” Griff snaps, blood pouring between his fingers. “Nearest hospital, NOW. ”

The chopper lifts. The world tilts.

Arsen crouches beside me and grips my arm, his gaze sharp. “Jesus, Axe. You’re bleeding out.” He presses down on the wound at my side, his hands slick with my blood. “The Reaper doesn’t drop over a few fucking bullets.”

It’s not the bullets that’ll kill me.

It’s her.

I drag my eyes to Rory. Her chest barely moves.

Somewhere behind me, Kane breaks free—clawing his way into the cabin. He pushes past Spencer and scrambles toward her, whining as he noses at her hand. When she doesn’t move, he lets out a low, broken whimper and starts licking her face.

My grip tightens. My whole body shakes.

Fight, Rory.

Don’t you fucking leave me.

I’ll tear this world apart before I let you go .