Page 203 of Brutal Prince

Briar groans and rolls off him, retching.

Marcus twists to the side just as I jerk back on the trigger.

The gun recoils like a jackhammer, and I almost lose my grip on it.

Almost…but not quite.

Briar pushes himself up and lunges for Marcus.

And then I pull the trigger again.

* * *

Briar

I’ve never likedthe feel of blood. The silky, slightly sticky warmth of it always makes me cringe. And God, have I felt a lot of blood in my life.

The time I slipped and knocked loose my left incisor.

So much blood. In my mouth, down my throat, choking me. But even through the pain and shock, I’d rummaged around in that coppery pool to retrieve my tooth, dimly aware that it would suck ass if I swallowed it.

Football bled me a lot. Another tooth lost there. A gash out of my left leg. Some cuts deep enough for stitches.

Blood, blood, blood.

My hands are coated in it now. Not quite as much as when I’d knocked out my tooth, but somehow it feels even silkier, even stickier, hot enough to scorch.

I hear Indi’s voice, but it’s so far away.

“Leave him. Leave him!”

She sounds angry. She shouldn’t be; Marcus is my best friend.

I can’t let him die.

I keep my hands over the hole in his chest, trying to ignore the way his blood keeps oozing through my fingers. He’s pale as a sheet, his body shivering under me like he’s got a fever.

“Hey,” I say, not even sure if he can hear me. “Where you going?”

Marcus moves his lips, but the only thing that comes out is frothy pink foam.

“Stay here a bit. Help’s coming,” I tell him.

Indi grabs my arm, tries to tug me away. “Leave him!” she yells.

But I can’t. Marcus is my best friend.

I can’t let him die.

“Briar, p-please,” she sobs, falling to her knees beside me. “Leave him.”

But I can’t. Marcus is…

Those dark eyes stop blinking. His lips stop moving.

Marcus was my brother.

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