Page 71 of Fate Awakened

Wyatt: One fired at Big Tony.

I distinctly heard four shots.

Dante: Who had the fourth shot?

Jess: Big Tony.

My head whips in that direction seeing bodies lying on the ground, blood seeping from them. I move to the right in order to work out the whole scene that’s partially blocked by the massive size of Tony’s body. My stomach clenches, and I suck in air as I realize.

On the ground, half covered, is an unconscious Brielle. Her lips have turned a pale blue, and no white puffs indicate she’s breathing. Lying face down on top of her is Hudson. There’s blood everywhere—so much blood.

No!

I run, no longer hesitating as I reach their lifeless forms. My hands grab Hudson's limp arm, and I roll him to his back, quickly assessing the damage. The hole gaping at the front of his chest confirms what I already know.

He’s dead.

Movement on my left has me jumping up defensively before I realize it's Cain who drops to his knees on the other side of Brielle. The look etched on his face is pure torture as he approaches his Mate slowly, afraid of what he’ll find. I turn back, moving over Hudson’s body to determine her status when he growls aggressively.

Fuck!

I lift my hands in a show of surrender, slowing my movements to reach my fingers under her jaw.

Please find a pulse.

My own heartbeat pounds in my ears as I wait for the rhythm. My eyes scan her body, looking for injury, but with all of the blood, I can’t tell where it’s coming from.

Th-Thump. Th-Thump.

It’s slow, but it’s there.

“She’s alive. We need to get her out of here!” I almost yell in my excitement.

Cain’s eyes fly up, shock evident, before gently scooping her off the ground. He cradles her head, his eyes growing large as he pulls back his hand to find it covered in more blood.

Head injury as a minimum.

I turn to grab Hudson, only to find Jake already lifting him despite the blood leaking from a bite at his calf. He shakes me off when I attempt to assist him. His jaw is set, and remorse fills his eyes.

Turning, I assess each of my pack briefly to ensure we have everyone. Cain has a gash on his right side, still bleeding, but he won’t feel it until we get her sorted out. Gabriel is bruised along his torso in what looks like a possible broken rib. Max is limping, leaning heavily on Ryder, and favoring his left leg. Ryder and Theo have no visible injuries. Last up is Erik, who’s unharmed and has collected our gear that dropped when we shifted and is moving to the group.

Dante: Where’s Kole?

Erik: Lost him when the guns went off. Cain had one headed for his six.

Well, shit.

I nod understanding before turning to my pack.

Dante: Mason, meet us at the green team's location. Have the med kit ready.

Mason: En route. Pres has the kits because Jay is with her.

Jay is one of our best on-scene medics. He trained as a paramedic for the Clark County fire department before coming over to VP Securities full-time. Outside of Radolf, he’s who I trust the most.

Let's hope we can get her to him in time.

“Black team, meet with the red team and return to your vehicles. Make sure everyone is there before you leave. Cain, Erik, Jake, you’re with me. Meet at the rendezvous in one hour. Let's go.” The order is out, and we’re moving.

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