Page 78 of Crimson Tears

Sure enough, rounding the corner I find him with a saw, drilling into the thick glass to get to Cillian and Nessa. Red coats my vision as I fire my gun, bullets whizzing past the team and making Alexi grab Evie to cover her with his body. But I know these walls are stone, so I don’t worry about stray bullets.

I hit Green in each leg, then each shoulder, forcing him to the ground where his tool falls and cuts off.

He rolls over to look up at us, laughing his head off.

“I want a piece of him,” Cillian yells. My head whips towards them. Nessa is in his arms, appearing pale and lifeless.

“She needs a medic!” Cillian stands as we all grab onto the glass where Green was drilling and pull the piece aside to get to my family.

Mine.

The word consumes me. It is then that I realize I could never let either of them go.

Alexi tries to glare at me, pissed I scared him with Evie, but he knows I would never hurt her, even in my frantic state, so I brush it off.

Is this what Cillian feels like when he gets a new plan in his head?

It makes me understand the kid a little more. Cillian stands as soon as I get to him, handing Nessa to me.

“Do you have medical here?” He is frantic, eyes wide with panic and fear. “Her breathing has been shallow, and she hasn’t moved in a while. She’s burning up.”

“Doc is here with everything she could need. Come on,” Evie says, gesturing for us to get the hell out of here. It is a small bunker and perfect for someone to ambush us in, or even seal us down here.

If they didn’t already have that saw here cutting through the glass, I don’t know how long it would have taken us to get to them. It could have been too late and our girl never would have seen the light of day again.

Thankfully, we make it back up to daylight, and Cillian squints dramatically. I want to hold Nessa a little longer in my arms, but I can feel her body heat through my gear, and her lips almost look white.

“Hang in there,Lisichka,” I whisper. Doc gets out of the van as soon as he sees me. He opens the door and I find lines already set up for her, all he needs is an IV.

Cillian rushes to my side. “He good?” He gestures to Doc and I nod to him.

“He is the best, and a family friend.”

Doc has been with me since we met in college. He was a medical student, and I was a business major who needed connections. After I saved his life from some drugged-up bastards, he swore his loyalty to me and our organization. He is one of my very few friends.

“Lay her here,” he tells me, gesturing to the bed. The stark white sheets are almost the same color as my girl, and it scares me. Her clothes are tattered and burnt, so I cover her with a sheet as soon as I lay her down and Doc gets to work securing a line.

Cillian stays at her feet, watching everything and nothing all at once. Nessa doesn’t move when Doc inserts the line in her arm and starts fluids and antibiotics. It makes my throat swell with emotions. The same ones I see written all over Cillian’s face.

His eyes fill with unshed tears, but he hardens his face in determination as Doc gets to cleaning her wounds. I am familiar enough with the procedures to know he has already given her pain medications that will likely keep her asleep while he works. It is not a luxury most can afford, but he knows I will pay any amount to ensure she is comfortable.

“How is she?” Evie asks, appearing by Cillian.

“She is weak, dehydrated, and septic,” Doc says. “However, I have everything I need to make sure that we see her through it.”

Evie looks at Nessa, then me. “I’m sorry I sent you into that trap. If we would have waited for more–” Cillian stops her.

“No. This is my fault, my burden.”

“Cil–” Evie tries to reach for him, but he pulls away.

“No.”

I give her a nod, letting her know I heard her apology. She walks away then, and I see through the windows that Alexi has an arm around her, walking her to their car.

“We should be good to move,” Doc says to the driver. “Get in.” He gestures to the seat next to him and Cillian hesitates. I know he thinks he doesn’t deserve to be by her right now. He is killing himself on the inside to punish himself for what happened to her. But it isn’t any one person’s fault.Other than her father’s.

“You cannot apologize to her if you do not get in the van, Kid.”

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