Page 171 of Five Fingers of Death

Those beautiful eyes filled with tears as she stared at me, pleading for me to stay. I was fighting like hell. My chest ached and the desire to just let go grew stronger, but for her, I would walk through hell.

“Love…you.”

“Don’t do that,” she cried. “Don’t tell me goodbye!”

There was some kind of siren wailing, pissing me off. My eyes slipped closed and the darkness took over.

I gasped, my hand flying out in search of hers.

“I’m here,” she answered, sitting on the edge of the bed. Tear-filled eyes met mine as she leaned forward and pressed her lips to mine. “You’re okay.”

“Not worried about me,” I grumbled, holding her hand tighter. “You were gone.”

She chuckled, wiping a stray tear from her eyes. “Funny that you’re criticizing me for being gone when you’re the one who got yourself shot. Care to explain that one?”

“I’d like the answer to that as well,” Fox rumbled from the corner of the room.

I hadn’t noticed him there until I heard his voice. Fuck, I must have been really out of it to not see another person in the room.

He shoved out of his chair and walked over to the bed, his cool demeanor gone as he cocked his head at me. “So, you want to tell us how the hell you ended up shot?”

“Cash,” I muttered, sighing as I rested back.

“What the fuck do you mean?” Fox snapped.

“Exactly as it sounds.”

The whole room grew quiet around me and I peeled my eyes open, watching the confusion flicker across Kate’s face.

“Why would your brother shoot you?”

It didn’t matter the reason. He had done it and it was over with. It was time to move on. “When do I get out of here?”

When Kate didn’t immediately answer, I peeled my eyes open.

“That’s all you have to say?” she snapped. “Your own brother shot you and you ask when you’re getting out?”

“Kate—”

“You could have died!” she shouted, pushing off the bed. “You did die. Twice! I had to wait in a fucking waiting room while they tried to stitch you back together, and you can’t even tell me what the hell happened?”

“There was no other choice,” I bit out, refusing to get into this right now.

“There’s always a choice.”

“That doesn’t sound like Cash,” Fox mused. “Then again, nothing sounds like him since he shot his brother.” A smile flickered across his face. “What do you know? He’s shot two of his brothers. Interesting.”

“Interesting?” Kate snapped. “It’s not interesting. He could have killed Garrick!”

“Hudson,” Fox corrected. “The walls have ears.”

“I don’t care! This has to stop! I can’t take it anymore,” Kate cried. “How many times am I going to lose you? You swore this wouldn’t happen again!”

“And then you sent me off to help my brother,” I gritted out. “You wanted this.”

“I wanted you to be safe,” she argued.

“There’s no safety when you’re dealing with men like this, Kate. You fucking knew this when you met me. I warned you?—”

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