Page 339 of Conquered

“Good,” he replies, glancing over at Kai with a shrewd look before taking two big steps and pulling him into a hug. “You did well, caro mio.”

I watch as Kai takes a shuddering breath, wrapping his own arms around the older man and hugging him right back. A sense of calm washes over me at the sight of Kai not only accepting an embrace but returning it. He’ll be alright.

“Right, boys,” Ash states, jogging up the stairs with damp hair. “We’re on the home stretch. Enzo, you take that final bag, burn it with the others. Give us thirty minutes, then call the cops.”

“Si,” Enzo agrees, taking the bag from me and then heading out of the door. He pauses when he reaches the threshold, turning and looking back at us. “I’m proud of you, boys, and honoured to watch you become the men you were always meant to be.”

My throat tightens at his declaration, and I notice the others shift and stand a little taller at his words. With that, the older man walks out, leaving us to implement the final part of the plan. The part that I’m dreading if I’m being honest.

“Come on, let’s get this over with,” Ash says with a sigh, clearly feeling the same reluctance as the rest of us.

We enter the living room once more, collecting the glasses that our elders dropped, and Kai takes them to the kitchen to rinse them out. Jax sorts us new drinks, this time with enough GHB to knock us out for an hour or so, just enough time that if all goes to plan, we’ll wake up in hospital after the cops have found us all. If it doesn’t go to plan…well, who the fuck knows what happens then.

Jax hands us our glasses, giving Kai his when he returns.

“Bottoms up,” I toast, raising the glass and slugging the measure back in one go. Best to just rip that band-aid off, I always think. I grimace with the burn of good quality scotch, wincing slightly at not taking the time to appreciate it fully.

“See you on the other side,” Ash comments, drinking his next, not even making a face as he swallows. He’s used to drinking this shit more than any of us, his father practically bottle-fed him on it.

Jax doesn’t say anything, just throws his back like a badass before setting his glass down on the side table. Kai is the final one to bring his glass to his lips.

“Here’s to a new life,” he says, drinking it down.

The drug doesn’t take long to take effect, and I feel a pleasant buzz start to loosen my limbs just as we hear a door crash open.

“Whath the fuckth?” Ash slurs, all of us unsteadily rising to our feet as the door to the basement flies open and Jax’s dad is just fucking standing there, blinking and weaving around, gun in hand.

Everything happens too fast then, his unfocused eyes catching my gaze as I’m the closest to the door. The gun raises, and all I can do is watch as he levels it at my chest. My ears register the loud bang, my body jerking, and I watch as Rafe topples back down the stairs.

My ears are ringing, and I sluggishly shake my head, catching the red that’s spreading across my left pec.

“Wellth, f–fuck,” I stutter, looking back up to see horrified looks on the faces of my brothers before their eyes roll and they fall to the floor. I follow them down, darkness taking me in its embrace before my head hits the floor.

CHAPTER THIRTY-THREE

LILLY

Iwake up with a jolt, my heart pounding and a feeling that something isn’t right making the hair stand up on my arms. A snuffling sound next to me brings my head down to see my baby, Violet, snuggled next to me, my body curled around hers protectively. Taking a deep inhale of her addictive baby scent, my panic subsides somewhat, but I can’t shake that feeling of unease.

Needing the toilet and something to drink, I decide to get out of bed, but can’t bear to leave Violet behind, so I pick her up and take her with me. She stirs a little but soon settles into my embrace, and it feels as natural as breathing to carry her in my arms, but also weirdly alien. I can’t believe that she’s here.

Padding quietly downstairs, I’m surprised to hear the murmur of voices, and even more so when I round the staircase and find the twins and Mai in the living room, all with concern written across their faces.

“What’s wrong?” I ask, my voice lowered but my mouth really dry with all the possible scenarios running through my head. “Tell me.”

“Loki’s been shot,” Roman states and my body goes ice-cold and numb, instinct alone making sure that I don’t drop Violet, pulling her small body closer as if to protect her from the news.

“W–what?” I rasp, sinking down on the same sofa that I leaned on a few hours ago to give birth.

“We don’t know all the details, just that something went wrong and Loki got caught with a bullet,” Rowan elaborates, his knee bouncing.

“W–where is he?” I ask, pulling Violet closer to me, breathing in her scent which is the only thing helping me to stay calm right now.

“The private hospital, back in Brompton Lakes.”

“We have to go there then,” I say, standing back up and turning to head towards the stairs to get ready.

“Lilly, you only gave birth a few hours ago,” Mai interjects, a note of concern in her tone. “It’s a three-hour drive.”