Page 96 of Vito

Lixin kneels beside me. "Eden—"

"Do it, Lixin!" I shout, twisting to face him but keeping the pressure on Ambrose's chest. It's still moving with shallow breaths. I think it is, at least. "Don't you fucking die on me, Ambrose. And you call agoddamn motherfucking ambulance, Lixin."

"We can't involve the cops. The ambulance involves cops."

I snarl at him, then grab the gun I had placed beside me and press it against his forehead, flicking the safety off in one movement. Consequences be damned for my actions. "I will fucking end you if Ambrose dies here in the street."

Lixin's dark eyes never waver from mine. "Okay. I'm going to call and get my doctor and team here." He puts the Desert Eagle in his shoulder holster and pulls his phone out. "Keep pressure on his chest."

I drop my gun and push down hard with both hands. I'm covered in blood; Ambrose is ashen. Lixin is speaking on his phone beside me, but I'm not focusing on that. "You don't get to die protecting me, Ambrose. I'm your boss and get to tell you what to do, and I'm telling you, there's no dying."

My throat is thick, and my eyes burn, but I hold the tears at bay. The only thing tethering me to my control is that I can feel a pulse.

"My doctor is on the way," Lixin reassures me. "I need to let the Chamber know you've been attacked, Ed."

I nod, continuing to keep pressure on Ambrose's wound, feeling helpless that there isn't anything else I can do.

"Lixin, put pressure on Ambrose's wound," I say as a thought flutters into my head.

He finishes his text, slips his phone into his pocket, and obeys, but looks at me curiously when I stand. "What are you doing?"

I don't answer. Instead, I go to the dead assailant with the hole in his back. Crouching down, I roll him over and pull off his mask.

He's pale—almost as pale as Axin—and has short, blonde hair. I don't recognize him.

My bloody hand reaches into my back pocket to grab my phone, and I snap a picture.

"What are you doing?" Lixin asks again. "I need you to go into Gilly's and get off the street. I'll stay with Ambrose."

That would be the smart, safe play.

"No."

I lean closer and twist the guy's head. A tattoo is on the top of his neck, behind his ear. Three snakes coil around each other, looking like they're eating one another with a trident in the middle. I snap a picture of that as well.

"We'll deal with this, Ed. Get inside Gilly's."

"Is Ambrose still breathing?" I stand and stalk over to the other assailant.

Lixin huffs a laugh and grumbles something about me being a pain in his ass.

The assailant I shot has a wound in his stomach, but it shouldn't have been fatal that quickly. I pull off the mask, but I don't recognize this guy, either. He's smaller than the other, with dark hair and tanned skin. I twist his unnaturally tilted head. It moves easily—both because he's dead and rigor hasn't set it and because I'm pretty sure his neck is broken. Behind his left ear is the same tattoo.

I snap the pictures, contemplating as I turn to Lixin. "Did you snap this guy’s neck?"

"I wasn't about to let them take out Gilly's owner-operator."

"One alive would've been nice." I grit my teeth, then stalk back to Ambrose. Shouldering Lixin aside, I resume being the one to keep pressure over Ambrose's wound. His breathing is shallower and weaker. "How is it that you're here, Lixin?"

He shifts to the other side of Ambrose and adds pressure on my hands. "I heard Amazu might've been giving you and the staff some trouble tonight. I wanted to pop in just to make sure everything was good."

Before I can respond, tires squeal around the corner. Lixin moves to protect me until we see it's Dom's blue and black Bugatti Chiron. It screeches to a halt, and Dom and Hugo getout, guns raised, sweeping the area before Dom runs over and crouches beside us. "Why is Ed still outside?" He glares at Lixin.

"Don't fucking talk about me like I'm not sitting right here, Dom," I snap.

He flashes me an apologetic look, but then glowers at Lixin.

"The threat has been neutralized," Lixin grits out.

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