Page 139 of Full Throttle

Then, I was being shuffled again as I heard a male grunt from the other side of the couch. Cain moved by me, his gun pointed down to the floor, his chest heaving. Then, in that moment, I heard Cain scream.

He didn’t scream in victory. He didn’t scream for me.

He screamed his brother’s name.

I rushed to the bench and looked over the edge, my hand flying to my mouth as a cry came from my throat.

Kavi was on his back, wincing in pain as blood oozed from the gunshot wound in his shoulder—

Xander was laying right beside him, blood not only oozing from the multiple bullet holes in his chest, but also trickling from his mouth. Leon and Dontell were there in an instant, while I remained frozen in shock as the love of my life dropped to his knees beside his brother, his shaking hands hovering above the bleeding wounded in his chest and abdomen.

“No, no, no, no,” Cain pushed out.

“We need medical in here now!” Leon barked, the order going straight to Collin and James, wherever the fuck they were. Mina was behind me, her arms wrapping around me.

Kavi grunted, bending his leg and trying to push off with it. Rage compelled me then and without looking away from Cain, I raised my gun, trusting my blind aim and fired. The bullet flew through Kavi’s knee, and he fell back with a howl of agony.

“Get him out of here,” I hissed at someone—anyone.

Cain was now shaking Xander’s shoulders, his brother's dark eyes open and void. I shoved Mina off and moved, hopping over the back of the bench and dropping on the other side of Xander.

“B—baby, we have to h-help him,” Cain said to me, stuttering through his shock and panic. His hands were covered in Xander’s blood, and when I looked up to his face, his eyes were red, filled with tears.

The sight gutted me inside out.

I started shaking as I reached out to him, grabbing his bloodied hands in mind. “Cain, babe, look at me,” I called out, my voice unsteady as Leon and Dontell dragged Kavi out.

A second later, I heard new voices, and then the room was filled with the FBI, dressed in full tactical gear. Then, I heard James’ voice right beside me. “Let me help, sweetheart,” he said in my ear.

Cain looked back down to Xander and then back to me, not registering that James was even here. “We h-have to h-help him,” he pushed out, his voice ragged and laced with torment.

“Move, Nikki,” James ordered, his hands on my shoulders now. My fingers loosened around Cain's hands, and I was pulled away from him. Then, James was there, in full tactical gear, ripping off his helmet, revealing his head of mess dark hair that reminded me of Xander’s.

The agent called out, ordering his team around, and then Cain was moved away. I watched him from across the room as he stared down at his brother, and then I watched in real time as the boy I grew up loving, the man I followed, the love of my fucking life, snapped. He was moving then, storming out of the room. I pushed past the agents and called out for him, but he was gone.

He was heading straight for Kavi.

Once I was in the bar full of bodies, I weaved my way through as he walked out of the bar. I pushed through the door to find Cain being held back by Leon and Dontell, Collin standing in front of him in a black suit with a gray button up, his tattooed hands in his pockets. I looked around him to find Kavi being loaded onto a stretcher.

“I’m going to kill him!” Cain roared.

Collin’s nostrils flared as he took a single calculated step to Cain, thrashing in Dontell and Lee’s hold. “Not here, Mr. Donovan.”

All at once, Cain seemed to still, his breath halting. Collin’s eyes snapped to me. “Do not leave his side until we are back in St. Louis, that clear?”

I nodded, moving around to face Cain. I cupped his face in my hands, trying to get his attention, but he was still staring at Kavi, who was being rolled away on the stretcher.

“Devils Den is flooded with cops and feds,” Mina said, jogging up to us. “James said we have three minutes to get out of sight. He’s not going to be able to cover for us—this is above him now.”

Cain’s eyes snapped to mine as my thumbs stroked his bloody cheeks. “Stick with me,” I begged.

He nodded, not saying anything, and a second later, the boys let him go.

“We’re leaving the cars in the parking garage,” Dontell said. “Where we came in is closer.”

“Let’s go,” Leon ordered.

They started jogging away, but Cain turned around and looked into the bar, still as a statue. The sight was heartbreaking, and I swallowed a sob. I linked my fingers with his, his brother’s blood coating both our hands now. “Cain,” I begged, tugging him. “Cain, we have to go.”

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