Page 51 of When Hearts Unravel (The Orchid #6)

“Cottontail,” the man murmurs.

Bree’s shoulders relax. She mouths, “That’s the code word. He’s legit.”

Blowing out an exhale, I nod.

She steps out of the shadows, and the man scans her before approaching. His steps falter when he sees me behind her.

“She’s my friend. Got caught in the crossfire,” Bree says.

Jacques nods. “Not surprising. These things rarely go according to plan. But we can deal with this. Let’s go. No time to waste. The Association sent assassins into the gala.”

He lowers his gun and beckons us to follow him. We walk at a rapid clip, my sweaty hands losing grip on the crowbar. But something tells me the night isn’t over yet, so I clutch it to my side as we hurry through the darkness.

Before we turn a corner, another shadow comes into view. Someone shorter. More slender.

“I’ll take her from you,” the shadow murmurs.

A woman steps into view, pointing a gun at us. Bree gasps, and I freeze.

She’s young, early twenties. Clad in all black. If it weren’t for her blond hair and pale skin, she’d blend into the night.

Leveling her weapon at Jacques, she motions to Bree. “Hand Gabriella over to me now before I put a bullet in your head.”

Without warning, Jacques pulls Bree in front of him, like she’s a human shield.

“You’ll have to go through her first,” he rasps.

My jaw drops. What? Isn’t Jacques on our side? Isn’t he supposed to protect Bree?

“I knew Elias had a snake on his team,” the woman says. “If Gabriella dies, you die.”

“If she dies, you get nothing. The Association always gets what it wants. And they’d take care of my family.” Jacques presses the barrel of his gun against Bree’s head. She whimpers and trembles in his grasp.

Shit. My mind spins a mile a minute, trying to catch up on what’s happening in front of me.

Jacques is a mole. We’ve walked right into The Association’s trap.

The woman laughs, her eyes taking on a maniacal glint.

“You’re funny. You think The Association will take care of your family?

Like how they took care of me and Cora after they killed our mom?

Our dad worked for your bosses. He was a lieutenant.

And how did they repay us? They killed my mom and hunted me and my sister for years.

You think your family will be spared? Please. ”

She suddenly stops laughing, the change in demeanor unsettling. She cocks her gun. “Maybe I’ll just have to take a risk. If she dies, then it’s one less Caruso in this world.”

“No!” I scream. “Bree’s innocent. She’s on your side. Don’t do this!”

The woman flinches, like she’s finally noticing me there.

Jacques uses the distraction to his advantage. He pushes Bree toward the woman and makes a break for it. The woman snaps to attention and fires off a few shots in rapid succession. She misses. Jacques retaliates and fires off a shot, but it’s too wide.

And Bree is standing in the bullet’s path.

“Bree, watch out!” I cry, pushing her away, putting myself in harm’s way.

I brace myself for the pain, but out of nowhere, a large mass plows into me as the sound of a bullet entering skin and muscles reaches my ears.

Someone blocked the shot for me.

The mystery man who saved me then turns around and aims his gun at Jacques.

The man fires off a single shot, and Jacques collapses on the ground.

Bree screams, and my ears ring from the gunshot.

The mystery man groans and falls to the ground.

I quickly spring into action, first running to Jacques. Traitor or not, the doctor in me always sees to the injured first.

But it’s too late.

Headshot between the eyes. Jacques is dead.

Then I dash to the mystery man’s side to see where he was shot.

My heart stops when I see his face.

Because I recognize the thick hair, the beautiful gray eyes now clouded in pain.

Rex.

He threw himself over me just like he did in Pyrgos Village, and this time he wasn’t so lucky.

“Rex!” I cry out, seeing his white shirt coated in red. My hands move on autopilot, unbuttoning his tux, checking to see where the blood is coming from.

Where’s the wound? Is it a through and through?

He groans as ragged breaths saw out of his lungs.

“Olive,” he whispers. “Thank God you’re o-okay.”

“I’m here. I’m a doctor. I’ll save you. Don’t you worry about a thing.”

Tears blur my vision as I pat him down. Please tell me it didn’t hit any vital areas, please.

A relieved sob wrenches out of me when I find the bullet wound.

A through and through hitting his shoulder, inches away from his heart.

“You’re okay. Shoulder wound. Through and through. You’re okay.” I swipe my blurry eyes with my arm and quickly reach inside my dress to yank off my strapless bra.

I press it on his wound, keeping a firm pressure. It’s the most sanitary thing I have around, considering my dress is dirty and ruined.

Blood gushes out, more blood than I’d expect from a shoulder wound.

Shit. Did the bullet nick an artery?

Fuck. Fuck. Fuck.

My pulse races, but I force myself to calm down. Focus on the patient. Stem the bleeding. Get help. Blood loss is my most pressing concern right now.

“Bree, reach into his pocket, grab his phone, and call the police.” My voice is clear and I’m thankful for that, even as I’m dying inside.

Bree leaps into action.

Amid the chaos, a pair of black boots suddenly fills my vision. I glance up, finding the blond woman who nearly got us killed gaping in shock. She drops to her knees, her face crumbling when she sees Rex on the ground.

“Casey? Oh my God, what have I done?” she whispers.

My fingers falter, and for a moment, my world stops spinning. A low buzz rings in my ears as her words echo like the sound of a gong.

Casey? Why is she calling Rex, Casey?

Casey is Rex’s best friend.

What the fuck?