Page 54

Chapter 54

Juliette

Five Minutes Before

Colin narrated everything like a podcaster calling a UFC fight. I was relieved he didn’t seem terrified, but it also terrified me that he wasn’t scared.

“Holy shit! Did you see that?” Colin was on his feet, standing behind Gwen and Izzy, gripping the backs of their chairs as he watched the different camera angles they had displayed. “Damnnnn.”

I didn’t even bother to correct his language. At this point, why?

I wasn’t watching along with him. The rocking of the yacht was already messing with my stomach, but add the anxiety of knowing my loved ones were out there risking their lives? Nope, I was good.

Honestly, I would’ve preferred even more of an ignorance is bliss situation, but my son’s play-by-play wouldn’t allow that.

“Holding up?” Izzy glanced at me on the couch, and all I could do was offer a fake nod. “They’re inside the house. It’ll be over soon,” she assured me.

So Colin’s said.

“Ope, a guard is rounding the corner with a knife.” Colin practically vibrated in anticipation, shifting back and forth on the balls of his feet like he was about to Mike Tyson his way in and take on the enemy himself. “Uncle Alessandro’s got this. Ohhh snap .”

I peeked at the screen as Alessandro dodged a knife aimed at his ribs. He stepped inside the attack, trapped the man’s knife arm between his forearms, pivoted, and twisted to dislocate the guy’s shoulder before slamming him into the wall. After an elbow to the attacker’s throat, Alessandro slit it.

“Lovely.” I definitely regretted my curiosity. “This is not COD , by the way,” I reminded Colin.

“You’re right. Those assholes aren’t zombies who can get back up again,” he replied, unbothered.

Yup. He was mentally reframing this into a game. I had a feeling if he didn’t, his anxiety would gut him the way it was me. Coping mechanisms for the win.

“They’re moving like phantoms, taking everyone down one by one,” he added, eyes locked onto the action.

“You’re my brother’s kid, all right,” Izzy said with a nod of approval while poking him in the side. “You’ll make a hell of a fighter one day.” She made eye contact with me and instantly winced. “Sorry.”

“It’s fine.” I waved a dismissive hand, even though casual was not something I could easily pull off. “His choices are his.”

Colin peeked over at me, brows raised in clear so you’re saying there’s a chance mischief.

I shut that down real quick. “When you’re eighteen and out of my house, that is.”

As Gwen guided the teams, Izzy encouraged Colin to come around on her side, then pointed at something. “Sebastian’s about to go to work. His target’s grandfather is the one who had my mom kidnapped back in the day. Long before I was ever born.”

“Well, screw that douche, then,” Colin gritted out.

My sea legs weren’t the best, but I managed to make it over to join them, unsure why I wanted to risk making my stomach turn even more.

I made it in time to see Sebastian fire point-blank at a man’s forehead like it was nothing.

I redirected my focus to another screen to avoid watching Sebastian kill people.

Bad idea. A man was rushing Enzo in the kitchen, wielding a meat cleaver of all things. Enzo didn’t hesitate. He grabbed a knife from the butcher’s block and threw it like a dart. The blade sank deep into the guy’s thigh. The guard staggered back, and in the same breath, Enzo reached for his pistol and put a round in his head.

“My brother . . . the chef,” Izzy muttered, her commentary on par with Colin’s.

“The guy’s leg is twitching. Is that normal?” I sputtered.

Colin nodded, completely unfazed, as if he were suddenly an expert on post-mortem muscle spasms. “You should know, though, right? Nurse and all.”

“I’m not normally in the room when . . .” I let my thoughts go, wasting my breath.

I returned my attention to Delta Team in time to see Emilia go full “Lara Croft” on a guy. Well, those were Colin’s words. And okay, I had to admit, watching a badass woman taking down threats like it was just another Monday was impressive.

Emilia flipped her pistol in her grip and fired upside down under a guy’s chin. At the same time, Sebastian intercepted another enemy—coming at Emilia with a machete—only to turn it on the guy himself.

“Oh no. No, no, no!” Colin suddenly shouted, pointing at another feed.

My stomach dropped at the sight.

Daniel had cut himself loose, and shit, he had a gun. He was trying to escape the room, forcing Lennon along with him.

“Alpha Two, we’ve got a problem. Daniel and Lennon just left the house. They escaped the Rizzos in the chaos, but it looks like he’s taking her toward the cliffs.” Gwen’s voice carried through the comms, and Colin cursed before abruptly turning toward the deck like he was about to run for it.

Did he forget we were at sea?

I blocked his path and held up my arms as Constantine responded over the radio, “On it.”

The next few minutes were a blur.

Colin’s entire demeanor changed with Lennon now in danger. My stomach flipped again when things went south, and Constantine announced he had to go cliff diving.

But it was Enzo’s words a few minutes later that did me in.

“Alpha Two’s down. He’s been shot. He fell into the water. I’m going after him.”

Before I could react, before I could even breathe, Colin launched forward to go up on deck, and I couldn’t stop him this time. When I caught up with him, he was about to dive into the water.

Wyatt got to him first, yanking Colin back by his shirt. “We’ll drive. It’ll be faster.” He signaled to one of the operators to get behind the wheel and pull up the anchor.

“But they’re still under fire,” the guy protested, looking back and forth between us.

“Dad needs Mom,” Colin said in desperation. “She’s a nurse. She can save him.” He turned to me like I could fix this. Like I could order us into the middle of a war zone.

Maybe I can? I had to try. “Get in the cabin and take cover,” I told Colin, barely recognizing my own voice. Then I spun on the operator, my pulse roaring in my ears. “Get us to Constantine right the hell now!”

Wyatt gave him a sharp nod to do as he was told, then turned and took position behind the mounted machine gun. We’d shoot our way onto the scene if need be.

I grabbed Colin since he’d yet to budge and ushered him back into the cabin. The anchor came up, and the boat launched forward before it was even fully out of the water.

“Tell me he’s okay.” My voice cracked. “Tell me he had on a bulletproof vest, so he’ll be fine,” I demanded to Izzy, my vision blurred with tears.

“He had on a vest, but I—I don’t know.” Izzy’s voice wavered as she shared, “Enzo and Hudson are searching for him now.” Tears streamed down her face, matching mine.

“He saved Lennon. Risked his life for Daniel, and now . . .” Colin buried his face in his palms, collapsing onto the couch, rocking himself.

I dropped next to him, hooking my arm around him.

“This is Alpha One. All threats are down. The location is now secure.”

That was good. That had to be good.

“Echo Team, you’re not coming in hot. You’re clear for the extraction,” someone said over their radio. “Foxtrot has the skies covered, and there’s zero movement on the ground.”

“What’s Alpha Two’s status?” Izzy asked.

Static filled the line.

No response.

Before I could process anything, Colin shot to his feet, going for the deck again, and I went with him.

As we neared the cliffs, I clapped a hand over my mouth at the sight before me. I hung on to Wyatt with my other hand so I didn’t fall.

Enzo was kneeling on the rocks, and Constantine was stretched alongside him as he removed his vest. Hudson and Alessandro were also there. Lennon and Daniel stood frozen on the rocks behind them, watching in stunned silence.

You have to be okay. You promised.

“How long do you think he was under?” Colin’s voice came out hoarse.

“Over a minute and a half,” Wyatt answered grimly, his gaze flicking to mine with a quick that’s-not-good look.

Yeah, I was well aware. “Go faster! Please.”

“We can’t get any closer. We’ll have to sw?—”

I jumped in before Wyatt could finish, ignoring the other operator shoving a life vest my way. Colin came in right after me, outswimming me.

By the time I made it over, Enzo was still hunched over Constantine, pumping his chest to perform CPR.

Please let him cough up the water before I have to intervene.

Hudson reached down and helped me onto the ledge as Colin shot up over on his own.

“Don’t you die on us, dammit!” Alessandro yelled, then switched to Italian, hurling his helmet aside as I stumbled over to them. Then, as if words failed him, he collapsed onto the rocks and turned his face skyward, sending a plea to God to save his brother.

I dropped beside Constantine, opposite Enzo.

“Nothing’s working. He’s unresponsive,” Enzo whispered, his voice raw as he let me take over. He fell back onto his heels, hands pressed against his thighs. “No pulse. The vest took the round, but he was under too long before I could get to him.”

Constantine’s skin was too cold. His lips were turning blue.

I pressed two fingers to the side of his neck, searching, praying , but?—

Nothing.

No pulse, just as Enzo had said.

I went straight to chest compressions, becoming a nurse, not a woman in love. Because if I let the emotions take over, I’d lose him.

From the corner of my eye, I saw Colin beside me, Lennon at his side.

“Dad, please, don’t die,” Colin choked out.

I counted out loud, my arms burning as I pushed hard into his chest, forcing blood to keep moving, forcing air into his lungs.

Flashes of our time together—from this weekend to seventeen years ago—rushed to my mind. A memory for every compression.

“Dad, please, I—I love you, you can’t leave us.” Colin’s confession of his love obliterated what was left of my control.

A sob ripped through me, my tears spilling onto Constantine’s chest. “I love you,” I whispered as well. “Stay with us. We need you.”

No response.

Just . . . nothing.

I barely noticed Izzy there now, too, as wet as I was. “Don’t you dare die on us.”

“You’ve got to save him,” Enzo demanded.

I focused on Constantine. On keeping him here.

Colin kept crying. Kept screaming and begging. “God, please save my father. If you do, I promise I’ll be good. Forever. You have my word. Please, just let my dad live.”

I pushed harder. I refused to stop.

Then, an idea hit me. One that wasn’t of this world.

Bianca’s note. It brought this man back into our lives, and I needed her words to bring him back to us now.

Through my mess of tears, I recited as much of the scripture his sister had written as I could remember, my voice catching on every other word.

Izzy met my gaze, her expression shifting. She began repeating everything I said.

Tears flooded my face, but I didn’t stop.

“He’s gone,” someone said. A voice I didn’t recognize. “He’s dead. You have to let him go.”

Maybe it wasn’t real. Maybe it was the Devil himself, whispering in my ear, trying to make me quit?

Give up.

No!

“You’re not allowed to die,” I choked out, pushing even harder in desperation. “You made a promise, and I won’t let you go back on your word.” Another sob tore through me. “So no, dammit. You’re. Not. Leaving. Us.”