Page 55 of Fired at the Heart

All business, Lena pulls a second syringe from her jacket, this one filled with adrenaline and other compounds to counteract the paralytic drug I injected into Raphael. She stabs it into his chest, right over his heart, and depresses the plunger.

For a terrible moment, nothing happens. Then she begins CPR, the rhythm of her compressions steady and mechanical.

One, two, three, four, five. Breathe.

One, two, three, four, five. Breathe.

I search Raphael for signs of life.

“Come on.” Lena continues compressions. “Wake up, you entitled prick.”

As if hearing her insult, Raphael gasps, his body arching off the floor. His eyelids flutter but don’t open.

“There we go.” Lena checks his pulse, fingers pressed to his neck. “Strong and steady. The ambulance will take care of the rest.”

I try to sense a connection past this vast emptiness.

Nothing.

“We need to move.” Lena rises and steps over Raphael. She grabs the syringe off the floor and pockets it, then takes the briefcase of money before helping me to stand. “Walk it off, boss. We need to be gone before the ambulance arrives. You can fall apart once you’re home.”

I nod, unable to tear my eyes from Raphael. Will he realize what I did as soon as he wakes? Will he feel the severed bond the way I do, like a phantom limb?

“Avery.” Lena’s expression softens a fraction. “It’s over. You’re free.”

Free. The word should taste sweet. Instead, the ashes of my love choke me.

I force myself to turn away from the man who was once my Alpha. Who I once believed would stand with me against the world, until he proved me wrong in the most devastating way possible.

We slip out of the warehouse, the afternoon sun harsh after the dimness inside. I halt next to our SUV, squinting at the blinding light. The world shouldn’t be so bright and peaceful when mine has just fallen apart.

“Boss?” Lena holds out the suitcase.

“Take it.” I reach into my pocket and hand her the keys to the SUV. “Split half between you, Jace, Cassian, and Rico. Distribute the rest among the crew according to their usual percentages.”

“You sure about that?” Lena’s brow furrows. “It’s over half a million, boss.”

“You all deserve it. Tell everyone to take two weeks,” I continue, focusing on the practical details rather than the hole in my chest where my heart should be. “Full vacation. No calls, no jobs. When we come back, we can celebrate by killing more human traffickers. Maybe we’ll even find Jade.”

“Sounds fun.” Lena’s fingers tap on the side of the suitcase in a pattern I recognize as her way of processing information. “Where will you be?”

Where indeed?

I let out a long breath. “It’s better I don’t tell you.”

Understanding dawns, and she purses her lips. “Want me to handle Cassian while you’re lying low?”

“Only if he tries anything.” I almost hope he does, so I don’t have to deal with his assumptions of what we’ll be when I return. “Tell him I checked into a private clinic. That should keep him pacified until I can deal with him when I return.”

Right now, I need time to regroup before handling any Alpha. Especially one who wants to be Raphael’s replacement.

Please let two weeks be enough to adjust to my new reality. Right now, with bond-breaking chemicals flooding my system and my psyche raw from losing the connection to Raphael, I feel like I’m dying. I can’t trust my biology not to seek the comfort and stability of another Alpha to bond with.

Lena accepts my reasoning without further argument. That’s what I appreciate about her. No unnecessary questions, no emotional complications. Just clean, efficient action.

“I’ve got some burner phones.” She pops open the trunk and tosses the briefcase inside like it’s nothing before grabbing one of the unopened boxes and holding it out. “Call if you need anything.”

“I will.” I take the phone, tucking it into my jacket pocket.

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