Page 120 of Lucky Boys
“I know.” I had no idea what that poor girl went through but I could only imagine. My own past was right there, under the surface threatening to pop up and have me falling, but I tried to focus.
Peterson and Daniels came stumbling out next, with Peterson helping Daniels.
“Brooks, there’s a first aid kit in the van. You’ll have to stop the bleeding.”
“Yeah, okay.”
Peterson helped Daniels into the back seat and immediately Brooks went to work on stabilizing the leg while Peterson stood guard.
“I’m going to help the others,” Maverick called, “And no one fucking argue with me.”
Nobody did. Besides they really did need the help. I couldn’t keep track of the amount of bodies Skye and Leo had taken down. They were like a fucking machine. No wonder Luca trusted Leo to handle the security of his own property. Twice Skye had to discard his own weapon because he ran out of bullets and pick up another one. I had no idea how we were going to cover this up, but for now getting them out alive was more important.
Finally they got to Luca. He had taken a hard hit and was struggling. But he had gotten a gun off one of the guards he took down and had managed to get to the hallway. Skye, in an impressive show of strength, hauled Luca up, who was twice his size and pretty much carried him out of there.
Mav met them soon and took Luca from Skye. The scene was all chaos and carnage. I had never seen anything like it before.
By the time the guys managed to shoot their way out of the building the sirens were already loud and visible in the cameras.
“Hurry the fuck up!” I snapped.
They scrambled into the van and the driver took off just as the cops surrounded the building.
I slumped down in my seat, adrenaline causing my whole body to shake. I couldn’t even imagine how they felt. My job wasn’t done yet, not even close.
“I’m wiping the security footage now.” I told them.
“Thanks,” Luca panted, sounding pained. He was lying sideways in the van seats and clutching his side. “Status report, is everyone okay?”
“We’re okay, boss. Only Daniels managed to get himself shot.” Peterson snarked.
“Fuck off,” he responded, his voice raspy and a little faint. But he was still conscious. That had to be a good thing.
“The bullet is still in there,” Brooks informed us. “But I think I stopped the bleeding for now.”
I tuned out the talking, focusing on my job. There were bruises and scrapes. Luca was pretty sure he had a broken rib, and Brooks face was swollen, but they were okay. Somehow, even with that going completely off the walls, they were mostly okay.
The adrenaline that had kept me seeped out all at once, and I crashed. Every breath hurt and I struggled to get air.
I needed help but I was alone. I made Wes leave. Brooks almost died. Someone got shot. We’d be in crisis mode for a while, and I made Wes leave. I put my connection on mute so they couldn’t hear me, then nearly fell out of the chair from the force of my sobs.
I barely had the strength to crawl into a ball and cried.
CHAPTER 45
WES
I slumpeddown in the uncomfortable plastic chair in the hospital waiting room, my head in my hands. It was pounding, and Beckett’s incessant pacing wasn’t helping, but I couldn’t bring myself to tell him to stop. His best friend was just kidnapped and then shot. He could pace if he wanted to.
Riley watched both of us with a concerned expression. He knew something was up with me, but I brushed him off when he asked about it. There wasn’t much I could share about what happened and he needed to focus on Jay and Beckett, who was seconds away from spiraling. I would be fine.
Luca and the rest of the guys were on their way home. They were coming right here, since while Daniels had been stabilized, he needed real treatment. Everyone had a variety of minor injuries that needed to be checked on as well. In less than an hour, Luca should be in my arms.
I wanted Diego here with me. No, I needed him here. As soon as Dakota and Jay were found, I called him. I didn’t know if he’d even answer my call, and I couldn’t begin to explain the relief I felt when I heard his shaky voice, rough like he’d been crying.
He was in bad shape and I had left him alone. It didn’t matter that he asked me to, that he fucking almost safeworded. It didn’tmatter that he was right and that I was more use to my sons at the moment. I still left Diego alone. I had been torn into two, my heart and mind in two places at once. Whichever decision I made would have been the wrong one.
Diego promised me he would be okay, and that we were good. He apologized to me! I quickly remedied him of the notion that he had to. It was my job to take care of him, and I didn’t do that. I was still failing him.
