Page 25 of Isaac

But I know it'll be too long before help arrives, and every second counts with a bullet lodged in Flynn's body.

And then amidst this clusterfuck, Jeremy starts walking away.

"What the fuck are you doing here?" I hear him grit out as I allow Marco and Hector take charge of Flynn’s body to get him inside to the warehouse.

I follow Ricky's gaze and spot a figure a little further away, leaning against the brick wall next to the club's back door. A lit cigarette is dangling from his lips. He's partially hidden in the shadows and I can’t see his face, but I know who he is.

Hawk.

"Who the fuck told you you can be here?" Jeremy snarls, pointing his gun at him.

I glance back at Hector and Marco.

"We got it, boss," Marco confirms. "Just need that doctor here soon."

I nod and turn around, then follow Jeremy.

The three of us silently exchange gazes when I reach Hawk. The tension in the air is undeniable, bowstring-tight.

"He’s going to bleed out in the next ten minutes," Hawk says calmly, taking a drag of his cigarette before flicking it away.

"Somebody fucking asked your opinion, asshole?" Jeremy growls, shoving his Glock at Hawk’s shoulder.

There’s silence again and I use this moment to assess the man in front of us. Is he the stupid kind or is he the kind that knows when to mind his own business?

"I have medical experience," he says quietly. "I can stop the bleeding until your doctor gets here."

I don’t know if I like how calm he sounds or if it pisses me off. Besides, it’s fucking suspicious. I’m certain Jeremy agrees with me. Because when he glances at me over his shoulder, he says, "Boss, I don’t like this fool," his finger hovering over the trigger.

I shift my eyes back at Hawk, part of me latches on his offer to help because Doc lives fucking far… He needs at least thirty minutes to an hour to get here. And Flynn doesn’t have this much time. Every goddamn second counts.

"I patched up a lot of my boys back in Afghanistan," Hawk says, oblivious to the fact that Jeremy’s holding his gun on him.

And while I force myself to think rationally, desperation and fear—fear of losing Flynn—claws at my insides.

"Up to you." Hawk shrugs, his gaze locked on mine. "But your guy…he’ll die before help arrives."

Jeremy lifts his Glock and points it at Hawk’s cheek. "How about you die first, asshole?"

"Fine." Decision made, I step forward, my eyes never leaving Hawk’s. "Let’s do this," I whisper at him into the tight space of the few hot inches between us. "If you stop the bleeding, we forget this ever happened. If Flynn dies before Doc gets here, you die with him."

"Okay," he says simply.

Jeremy pulls his gun back. "And don’t even think about trying anything funny."

So, then it’s decided.

I’m letting someone new, someone I don’t trust one bit into my circle.

I don’t like strangers knowing about my business. But I don’t have a choice. I have to do everything in my power to keep Flynn alive and if it means I’m risking being exposed, I’ll do it anyway.Because without people like Flynn, all this that I have doesn’t make sense, doesn’t matter.

And every second wasted on arguing is another second closer to losing Flynn.

We slink off into the dance of the night, a trio of shadowy silhouettes pressing on with an urgency toward the looming presence of the warehouse.

Out front, I'm beating the path, Hawk latched onto my footsteps like a dedicated echo and Jeremy is hugging our rear end, his Glock ready to sprint into action if necessary.

He’s not usually this trigger-happy but I can understand why he can’t keep his cool. He and Flynn are tighter than blood brothers - thrown together in some godforsaken foster home they forged a bond that held even when fate tore Jeremy away.

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