Page 78 of No Mercy
Without thinking, I break into a sprint, the sound of my heart pounding in my ears as I run. My muscles scream at me to turn around but I don’t stop. Not this time.
Mandy’s right beside me, matching her pace with mine. There’s no time for talking when the only thing that matters is getting Axel out of here alive.
Carter is in front of us, battling his way through a sea of people. The air is thick with the smell of smoke, sweat and blood, making it difficult to breathe while we run towards him.
We spot something in the far corner, away from the scene that is unfolding, I scan the area, trying to figure out who the men are.
Then I see him.
“Axel!”
He’s slumped in a chair, his head hanging low while it rests against his chest. Blood drips from a cut across his forehead. Carter raises his gun, aiming for someone standing next to him, barking orders to others before pulling the trigger.
The sound sent me in motion and I find myself running, needing to be by his side. I shove past Carter urging my legs to go faster before collapsing at Axel’s side.
My hand reaches for his face, blood trails down his cheek, coating my fingers. His skin is cold under my touch and I swallow hard, trying to control the panic brewing inside of me. He’s not moving.
My mind flashes back to the note he left, the image of him walking into this warehouse alone burns in my brain.
“Axel,” I whisper, my voice trembling as I gently shake him.
Carter’s movements catch the corner of my eye as he walks towards the body led nearby, kicking at it with his foot.
“It’s Marco, He’s dead.”
I don’t think about the man on the floor when I look back at Axel.
“It’s me. It’s Eva. Please, look at me.” I beg.
Tears are streaming down my face as I wipe them away with my sleeve.
He doesn’t respond. His head rolls to the side, a pained groan slipping from his cracked lips.
“Help me get him out of this!” I scream at the others. Flynn and Carter race over, cutting through the ropes the moment they arrive.
I cup Axel’s face in my hands, trying to get him to focus on me. His eyes flutter open for a brief moment.
“Buttercup…” He says faintly, so quiet I barely hear it.
“I’m here,” I sob, brushing the blood and sweat from his face. “You’re going to be okay. Just stay with me.”
A deafening bang echoes through the warehouse causing me to flinch.
“More men are on the way, we need to move now.”Flynn barks as he watches the door. Gunnar comes skidding to a halt, picking Axel’s limp body out of the chair.
Carter grabs my arm, dragging me to my feet but all I can do is watch Axel as his head sags against Gunnars shoulder. Only the slight uneven rise and fall of his chest telling me he’s alive.
CHAPTER 36
EVA - TWO WEEKS LATER
It’s beentwo weeks since we rescued Axel from the warehouse, and ten days since he passed.
Mandy hasn’t left my side since his brothers broke the news to me that evening on the 21st of December at 10:15pm. She’s the only thing that feels somewhat real in my world right now. Her presence is a reminder that I’m not completely alone in this.
It’s been just over a month since I first met the Ashford brothers, and I never imagined my life would be what it is now. I never once thought I would feel so heavy and weighed down with the loss of someone I never expected to care about as deeply as I do.
I begged to see him one last time, but the doctors told me he passed due to the extent of his injuries and it would be too traumatic.
