Page 15 of Ruthless Kings of Obsession

“Move.” My voice is surprisingly stern, despite how my insides flip in dismay and uncertainty. My stance forces them to look up and realize I’m standing right next to Marcus, ready to stop being a fucking coward and be of service.

To save one of our own… any way possible.

“Let me continue.”

“Ares…” Marcus tries to find an excuse worthy enough to stop me, but he’s spent. I can see how drained he is, which isn’tgoing to bring Zayn back from the dead. I can at least give it a shot.

Acknowledging how pressed on time we leave him no choice but to sigh and move aside.”

Dropping to my knees on top of Zander, I’m taking over compressions before my eyes briefly lock onto Matteo’s. Tears are spilling down his pale face, proving just how impactful this moment is on him.

I can only imagine the immense regret he’s feeling, despite not being close to Zander as we are. Despite that, the last week we spent together made it feel as though we’ve been friends for far too long.

There wasn’t an opportunity for me to admit it to them, or explain how calm and safe I felt in their company during a week at that private cottage with our Ruthless Queen, but now I see our lack of communication as the pros of our time together matched with how unique each of us is in our dynamic, is coming back to bite us in the ass.

Zander didn’t get to know how much he was loved. Cherished. Admired.

Reminded of how powerful he is as a Benedict and how amazing it was to see him rise to his birthright and juggle far too many responsibilities.

“Start. I’ll keep breathing into him,” he urges me.

With a nod, I blink away my own tears, feeling determined to bring back our friend. My hands position over Zander's chest, and I push down rhythmically, feeling ribs crack beneath my palms.

I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm sorry.

Each compression is a silent apology — for not being stronger, for not being able to protect Eva, for all the times I pretended to be more than I am.

“ZAYN!”

Keir’s voice booms from down the alleyway. I don’t know how he’s going to react seeing his brother, dead among bodies. The complex relationship between them, years of unspoken hurt and rivalry, might end without resolution.

“HERE!” Marcus takes the opportunity to call out.

Keir skids to a stop beside us, and the raw anguish on his face mirrors what I feel inside.

"Off!" he commands, and I scramble back, watching as he plunges a needle into his brother's neck. The precise movement speaks of medical training I didn't know he had, but then again I barely know much about Keir.

All I know is that he despises his older brother as if he’s the reason for their family’s demise.

"You crazy mother fucker," Keir's voice breaks as he takes over compressions. "You don't get to join our parents without me! Get the fuck back here!"

The naked emotion in his words strips away any pretense of their usual antagonism. This is a brother watching his only remaining family slip away.

“K-Keir?” A girl’s voice calls out, and I see Ishya and two other men at the end of the alleyway. They’re racing toward us, urgency in their expressions as they grasp what’s happening.

“Theo,” Matteo breathes into the phone, knowing Theo is still on the line, waiting for what his next order could possibly be.

As if I don’t know what he’s going to demand.

“Find. My. Wife.”

Three simple words, and yet it sends chills through me. I’m not the only one caught up in his order — Isha and her company also staring at Matteo as if he initiated some sort of death wish.

When you think about the power he carries and the connections in the palm of his hand, maybe he is asking for death to pay a visit if it means getting Eva back.

I notice how his eyes droop, and I don’t hesitate to lunge forward in time to catch Matteo as he completely collapses.

“Shit!” I curse and shake him. “Matteo? Matteo?”

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