Page 54

Chapter Twenty-Two

Jolie

The surrounding noises slowly come into focus . . . a low beeping sound . . . muttered voices . . .

Cracking my eyes open, I blink rapidly at the bright light buzzing above my head. I try to lift my hand, but it won’t move, so I twist my head around and take in my surroundings. Machines are hooked up to my body and there’s a distinct smell of disinfectant in the air. Instead of my beautiful dress, I’m wearing a cotton gown. All telltale signs that I’m in a hospital. But why? How? The last thing I remember is feeling dizzy and falling. Where are my guys? They wouldn’t have left me alone.

There’s a low ticking sound that I can barely hear over the machines, and it catches my attention. Angling around a little more, I glimpse a nurse with her back to me, typing away at a computer. I clear my throat loudly to get her attention. She startles with a squeak and turns to face me.

“Oh good, you’re awake. How are you feeling?” she asks, leaving the computer and coming to the bed to give me a once-over. I don’t give a fuck how I’m feeling.

“Where is my team? I want to see them,” I snap, pulling on my restraints.

“Your team isn’t here. I will get someone to come and talk to you. I’m just filling in while they’re on lunch.”

“Can you at least unstrap me?”

“I’m sorry I can’t do that.” She shakes her head. “I’ll be right back.”

Before I can even open my mouth to stop her, she scurries out of the room.

Using all the strength I can muster, I pull on the straps again, but it’s no use. There is no way to get out of this bed unless someone unstraps me. The nurse comes back within minutes and informs me she needs to check me over and then someone will be down shortly to talk to me.

Think, Jolie. The guys are not here and there’s no way they would have let you out of their sight.

I went to my party. I was dancing and having fun with my friends. Betty. She was pissed at me when I saw her in the bathroom. I went back to dancing, and I felt dizzy. Then there was a blackout, or did I just pass out? No, if I had passed out, the guys would have taken me home. Creed and Chester wouldn’t have left my side until I was awake. They would fight over who would take care of me. This isn’t right.

The double doors slide open, and I turn my head towards them as Mr Z walks in. I should have known the bastard was involved.

“Good afternoon, Zircon,” he says. The smile on his face is vastly different from the one I’m used to seeing.

“Fuck you, let me go!” I scream, thrashing around in my bed.

“No need to be crass.” He tsks.

“Why are you doing this?” I cry out, my voice cracking.

“That’s the easy part. You lied to me... you all did. I’m not stupid. I’m always one step ahead of you, so imagine my surprise when I found out Team Hades was alive and well. You couldn’t expect that to go unpunished.”

“They’ll kill you,” I spit.

“Of that, I have no doubt. Maybe once they hear me out, they might spare me, but some things must be done for the greater good.”

“What are you talking about?”

“All in good time, my dear, but right now, you need to rest.”

“No need. They will track me here and I’ll be going home soon.”

“They already know where you are. Everything is going to plan. This will be a breakthrough.”

“What breakthrough? Why won’t you tell me anything worth knowing?”

“Sedate her and keep her that way. It will be easier on all of us. I want updates when she is ready.”

“She should be ready within a few hours,” the nurse says, pulling out a syringe from her pocket and injecting it straight into the port of my IV bag. An icy blast sears through my veins and my eyes slowly flutter closed.

Consciousness returns to my body, but I’m all out of sorts as my heart pounds and nausea washes over me. I blink my eyes open but find I’m still in the same room. What is he doing to me?

The sounds of screams reach my ears, and nurses rush around in a panic, tightening the already turbulent anxiety in my gut. “What’s going on?!” I croak out, thrashing around on the bed to which I’m still unfortunately strapped.

“We can’t stay. They found us. He said we were safe in this section. That it was undetectable,” one says as she types away on the computer, before racing out of the room.

“What’s going on?!” I scream. “Somebody help me!”

The door she just ran through opens again and Brennan steps inside like an avenging angel. His face is nothing but a blank mask as he raises his gun with his finger on the trigger.

“No,” I scream, sobs breaking out.

It’s too late—the nurse that was still in my room slumps to the floor with a bullet hole in her head. Brennan is void of all emotion as he looks at her; I’ve never seen him like this, my sweet cardigan-turned-suit-wearing Brennan.

“Brennan,” I whisper hoarsely, my voice scratchy from screaming.

His head snaps to me, and whatever was running through his mind disappears. He holsters his gun and races to the bed, undoing the restraints at my legs. Once my legs are free, he moves up my body, unbuckling the straps holding down my wrists with shaky hands. The moment both of my arms are free, I slide from the bed and into his arms. He catches me easily, pulling me flush against his trembling body and smooths my hair down the back of my head.

“I’m so sorry,” he whispers in my ear. “I’m so fucking sorry.” His embrace is tight, easing the tension in my body, and his scent of worn leather and whiskey calms the anxiety in my stomach.

Gunshots echo just outside the door, making me cling tighter to him. The door to the room opens and Brennan reaches for his gun as we both turn to look. Kai pokes his head in, and a look of relief crosses his face as his sage-green eyes lock onto mine.

“Hey, Princess, now isn’t the time to be slacking off. We have an army of men headed our way. We need to get you out of here.” He takes in my body wrapped around Brennan and smiles. “Nice outfit.”

I look down at the gown I’m wearing and shake my head.

Gunshots ring out again, and Kai ducks back out the door. Brennan shifts my body to the side, pulls out his gun, and heads for the door.

“I can walk.”

“I’m not letting you go, Angel. Never again.”

This is the first time he has ever called me Angel, let alone used anything other than my name. My eyes tear up and I bury my head in his neck. I may not be an angel, but for Brennan I will sure as hell try.

He pulls the door open and pokes his head out, ready to take down our enemies, but finds the hallway clear. Kai and Davis are both standing further down the hall, guns drawn and dead bodies scattered at their feet.

“She’s safe! Everybody retreat,” Kai shouts. But then his brows drop and his face contorts in anger.

“Don’t be fucking idiots, get out of there now!” Davis growls out.

Thoroughly confused, I look to Brennan for an explanation and notice he has an earpiece in, like the ones we used on our assignment. Everyone must be wearing one.

I reach up and pluck the little device from Brennan’s ear and shove it into mine.

“Please don’t do anything reckless.”

“Tenshi?”

“Yes, it’s me. Creed, please just leave.”

“It’s not that simple,” he mutters. “We need to put a stop to this before it escalates.”

Another voice comes over the line. “Baby, we’re not leaving until we have his head on a platter. Chester, Creed, and I will try our best to make it back to you, but if we don’t—I love you.”

A loud screech pierces my ear.

“Laughn!” I scream, fighting to get out of Brennan’s hold and go after them.

“It’s no use. They’ve terminated contact with us and have gone rogue. We stick to the plan and get her out of here,” Boston says, rounding the corner of the corridor. “This level is clear. We have to get down to Marlow. Let’s go.”

Khale comes running around the corner and stops next to Boston. “Jolie.” He nods his head and turns away from me, heading back the way he just came.

As a unit, we move through the hallways until we reach a lift. Once inside, I try to get Brennan to put me down again, but he growls in my ear and tightens his arms around me. As the lift reaches the level below us, the guys create a wall in front of me.

“Get her down to Marlow. Don’t worry about us,” Boston tells Brennan, who nods in affirmation.

The doors slide open, and I peek over their heads, taking in the carnage before me. Colt and his team are standing behind a hastily rigged barricade in the centre of the room, bodies tight with tension, heavily armed and guns drawn. Large double doors on the opposite side push wide and they open fire as black-clad people rush in. Bodies fall to the ground before they even make it a foot into the room.

“Fucking cunt,” Colt yells as blood gushes out of his shoulder and he takes cover, ducking behind a desk.

“Colt!” I scream. He pops his head around the side and looks at me with a huge smile.

“Just a flesh wound, Cupcake. Chicks dig scars.” He disappears again, then pops up to open fire on the men still trying to take us down. Everyone covers Brennan as he races across the room with me and pushes through a door leading to a set of stairs.

Brennan keeps me glued to his chest as he flies down the steps two at a time. His body stills on the landing as the sound of pounding footsteps echoes through the hallway. He makes a slight whistling noise, and I listen intently as it’s repeated back. Leland appears seemingly out of nowhere and races towards us. “It’s clear all the way.” He points over his shoulder. “Get to Marlow and get the hell out of here! The rest of us will exit through the front of the building.”

Brennan nods as Leland moves past us and up the stairs.

After double checking that the hallway is clear, Brennan tightens his arms around me and takes off. We keep moving until we finally reach a door at the very end of the hall. Brennan knocks twice and shouts that it’s him. Marlow opens the door, ushers us in, and closes it behind us.

“We have to go,” Brennan tells him.

“No, I want to find Laughn, Creed, and Chester first,” I demand. “I need to know they’re alive.”

Marlow walks back over to the screens that fill the wall and types away at the keyboard, causing the screens to flicker images of different areas of Olympia. They have to be here somewhere, and if anyone can find them, it’s him.

“Fuck,” Marlow swears, scouring the screens. “I can’t see them anywhere. They could be out already.”

“We can’t wait any longer. I’m sorry,” Brennan murmurs in my ear as he moves us through the room. I look over his shoulder, frantically searching the screens, but Marlow presses a few more buttons and they all go black.

We pass through another door and darkness envelops us. Their footsteps bounce off the walls as we move further through the tunnel, and it becomes so pitch black that we can’t see anything in front of us.

“Wait for me.” It’s Case’s voice. Of course they need him. “I’m here—I just had a few setbacks.”

His hand brushes my back as he moves to take the lead, and it isn’t long before we hit fresh air. Brennan’s car is parked just off to the side of the tunnel entrance. They all pile in as Brennan places me into the backseat. Case slides across the seat and takes my hand, and I squeeze his in reassurance that I’m actually here and not still somewhere in the facility.

The drive back to Creed’s house is filled with silence. No one speaks or dares to utter the words we’re all no doubt thinking. The reality that some of our team may not make it back is too painful to voice aloud.

We pull into the driveway, coming to a screeching halt. Looking around, it appears we are the first ones back.

Brennan, Marlow, and Case jump out of the car and all rush to my side to help me get out. Before they have a chance, I push the door open and slide out, rolling my eyes.

“Guys, I can walk.”

They all take a step back from me. Marlow and Brennan turn on their heels and move towards the house, but Case sidles up next to me and stays by my side.

I blow out a breath and feel a sense of relief when I walk through the doors. Jimmie is in the foyer as we pass over the threshold. His eyes widen when he sees us and he rushes over to me.

“You’re okay! I’m so sorry. I didn’t know,” he apologises, making my brows furrow.

“Didn’t know what?” I ask.

“That his bitch knew we were alive,” Case snaps, stepping in front of me and blocking my view of Jimmie.

“Oh my god, you’re back,” Sinclair screams, flying into the foyer with Blayne and Summer hot on her heels.

“Where is everyone?” Blayne asks, glancing around us and towards the door.

“Everyone should be on their way back soon,” Brennan says as he and Marlow come back to join us.

“Was anyone hurt?” Summer asks.

“Not enough to kill them,” Marlow assures her. “Some have flesh wounds that will be sorted out once they get back. Blayne, go down to the morgue. Creed keeps everything we will need to patch everyone up down there, so get it set up. Summer, go help her, you might learn something.”

“Marlow,” I hiss. “Be nice.”

“I am being nice. Blayne can sew a bullet hole up better than most. She can give Summer some tips because we’ll need all hands on deck.”

“I’ll go too,” Sinclair states. “I took sewing lessons. How much harder can it be?”

Blayne snorts.

“I’ll show them to the morgue. Marlow, take Jolie upstairs and get her dressed so her ass doesn’t catch a breeze.” Case chuckles as he smacks my ass softly.

My hands fly behind me to cover my bare ass. I didn’t even stop to think that I might be naked underneath the gown. Pinching the material together, I glare at Case, which only makes him laugh harder.

“I’ll start calling the teams and make sure everyone is out of the facility and on their way back,” Brennan says and leaves the room.

“Jimmie, there is tracking software on my laptop. Pull it up and track every member that isn’t here and report to Brennan,” Marlow instructs.

A wave of pain slices through my chest, sending me to my knees. I cry out as it continues to batter at my rib cage. Tears fall from my eyes as realisation dawns that the pain I’m feeling has to be one of the guys.

“Jolie!” Marlow yells as he follows me to the ground and wraps me in his arms.

“Someone’s dead!” I sob, clutching my heart as my body trembles. “No, no, no. I can’t lose any of you. Please, save him!”

Marlow stands with me still in his arms, whispering soothing words, but they’re drowned out by the sound of my blood pumping in my ears.

“Someone get me eyes on the rest of the team!” Marlow barks out, causing everyone to jump into action.

Still clutched in his arms, Marlow carries me through the house and up into my room. He sits on my bed and rocks me back and forth as I continue to cry. My sobs slowly turn into hiccups as my entire body goes numb.

The moment my tears cease completely, Marlow stands and turns, placing me on my bed. Walking over to my wardrobe, he pulls out some clothes for me to wear.

He comes back over and lays the clothes out on the bed, then helps me to my feet. Reaching around my body, he undoes the knots in the back of the gown, pulls it down my arms, and lets it fall to the floor. I stand before him, naked, but my mind is nothing but an empty void. His eyes roam over my body, making sure that I’m not hurt. He reaches for my underwear and helps me step into them. Once I’m fully dressed in a pair of cotton shorts and a hoodie, he looks up at me.

“I thought we might have lost you. Did he hurt you?”

“No.” I squeeze my eyes shut and shake my head. “I think he was running some tests on me. I was out cold most of the time.”

“That’s good. Let’s get you downstairs and fed.”

“But . . .”

“No buts. Just something small, please, for me.” His hazel eyes bore into my soul, pleading with me.

I nod my head, and he takes my hand, leading us down to the kitchen. I hop up onto the stool while he pulls out some bread and makes me a Vegemite sandwich. He slides the plate across the bench when he is done, and I take small bites as he watches me. Voices carry into the kitchen from the front of the house and we both snap our heads in that direction.

I’m on my feet in seconds, abandoning the sandwich. We both run into the foyer where people have started to arrive.

Summer throws herself at her guys; they all crowd around her, hugging her fiercely. She eventually pulls back to check them over.

Blayne and Sinclair do the same when Colt walks through the door covered in blood.

“Everyone with injuries head down to the morgue. Blayne, Summer, and Sinclair are going to clean you up. Jimmie is going to take notes. Everyone else in the living room,” Brennan demands, leaving no room for arguments.

I wait, staring at the door and rubbing at the hollow feeling in my chest.

They have to be okay.

I leap forward when Boston strides through the door, followed by Kai, Davis, and Trace.

“You’re okay,” I cry.

“Of course we’re okay, Star,” Trace says, reaching out and pulling me closer.

“You’re bleeding.” I reach up to touch his split brow. He hisses but doesn’t stop me. I look to Boston. “Any news on the others?”

He shakes his head.

Trace is sent downstairs as Brennan tries to argue with Boston to get his leg looked at, but he refuses, insisting that it’s just a scratch. It is not a scratch—a bullet grazed his damn leg.

Ziyon is the next to walk through the door with a handful of his security. Brennan greets him and takes him into the living room.

“I didn’t even see him the entire fucking time. There is something sketchy about him,” Kai grumbles next to me.

I end up in the living room seated on the couch and staring out the window, waiting and hoping each car that pulls in is them. Other teams have turned up, strangers that I don’t know. Brennan has someone writing the names of anyone who didn’t make it, doing head counts. But still I wait, the background noise becoming a blur. My eyes grow heavy, yet I refuse to sleep.

A loud noise overhead has me blinking my eyes and I’m surrounded by darkness. I must have fallen asleep. I sit up and look around. The room has emptied, but the noise is persistent. Brennan walks past and notices that I’m awake.

“What’s that noise?” I ask.

“A helicopter,” he replies.

I spring from the couch and run past him, pulling the front doors open. People file out behind me, but I ignore them. Creed is walking across the front lawn, Chester just behind him with Laughn thrown over his shoulder. I crumble as my chest collapses. He has to be okay. Creed sees me go down and runs the distance between us, lifting me to my feet and wrapping me in his arms.

“It’s okay, Tenshi. He’ll be fine. He lost a bit of blood and is weak, but we both know he’s too damn stubborn to die.”

I nod as he talks. Chester keeps walking, and I turn as Creed releases me so I can follow right behind him. He takes Laughn down to the morgue–which is now empty–and lays him down on the cold bench. Creed pulls things out of cupboards, and Chester cuts Laughn’s shirt and pants off. He has random bullet wounds scattered across his body. I sit in silence, watching as they work to get Laughn sewn back together. After the final stitch is in place, they look over at me. I move closer and stand by his side, reaching out and taking his hand in mine.

He squeezes my hand. “Baby,” he whisper-croaks.

“Didn’t you knock him out?” I ask incredulously.

Creed laughs. “Nope, that asshole nearly got us killed. He can suffer the consequences.”

In the end, they give him a sedative, and move him upstairs and into his bed. I crawl in next to him, being careful of his injuries, and fall asleep by his side.