Page 40 of Chaos & Carnage

Begrudgingly, Cain agrees, and by the time we get back to Marcus, he’s deathly white and his eyes are closed, with a panicked-looking Bones hovering over him, unsure what to do.

“He was talking and then I think he fell asleep.”

“Yo, Marcus!” I slap him on the face. Not hard, but enough that he jolts back into consciousness. “You still with me?”

“Yup, I’m here.” His voice is weak, quieter than it was before.

“I brought some help. We’re going to get you out of here now, okay?”

“Sounds good.” His eyes drift shut again, and I shake his shoulder.

“You gotta keep your eyes open. I know he’s shit company but talk to Cain here for me.” Cain situates himself so he can drag Marcus out from under the beam without having to put much weight on his sprained ankle, while Enzo, Bones, and I get into position so we can lift the beam.

“On my count. Three. Two. One.” My muscles scream, Bones’ and Enzo’s faces showing similar strain as they put their all into lifting the godforsaken beam.

There’s a grunt of pain before Cain calls out, “It’s out,” already dragging Marcus out from underneath. “You can set it down now,” he informs us when Marcus’ feet have cleared, and with shaking arms, we lower the beam to the ground.

Sweat sticks to my shirt, and I’m breathing heavily, but there’s no time to rest yet. I move to check on Marcus’ wound, pleased to see only a slow trickle of blood running from it rather than the heavy stream there was before. Enzo helps Cain get Marcus into a standing position, and Bones moves to replace Cain as Enzo throws one of Marcus’ arms over his shoulder, readying to support him in much the same way he was supporting Cain when I came across them.

Bones does the same on his side, and between them, they manage to take most of Marcus’ weight. Marcus’ head hangs down between his shoulders, barely conscious as his feet half-drag across the ground. Moving beside Cain, I arch a brow and wait for him to admit he needs help walking too. With a scowl, he throws his arm over my shoulder and the two of us follow Enzo, Marcus, and Bones toward where I parked the car earlier.

Since the kids took Tank to the hospital in a car, and Dante dragged Sawyer away in another, it’s the only car left, and it’s a tight fit as we all pile in and rush over to the hospital. The entire drive, Enzo makes lame-ass jokes, Bones chiming in now and again with his own witty comeback as the two of them work to keep Marcus conscious. I hear the odd huff of laughter from him, so it must be working.

Reaching the hospital, I pull up right outside the emergency department, in the ambulance bay. While Bones and Enzo work to get Marcus out of the car, I rush inside, shouting for help until two nurses with a gurney follow me back outside.

“He was trapped inside a collapsed building,” I explain quickly. “Got pinned beneath a beam, and a piece of rebar went through his thigh. There was so much blood.”

As we reach the car, I step aside, letting the medical team work as they strap Marcus to the gurney. I hear words likeweak pulse,blood transfusion, andoperating roombefore they wheel him into the hospital.

“I’ll stay with—”

“No.” Bones cuts across my words. “I’ll stay.” His gaze flicks toward where Marcus disappeared before coming to rest on my face. Glancing at Cain and Enzo, he says, “The others are here somewhere, and you need to check that Sawyer and Dante are okay.”

I open my mouth to argue, noticing Cain’s pinched expression.

“Seriously. Go! We will be fine.”

I flick my gaze to Cain, who mulls it over for a long second before biting out, “I’ll send some men over.”

With a quick nod, Bones hurries into the hospital after Marcus, and we all climb back into the car, eager to check on our girl.

Chapter 15

Soft murmurs pull me from the dark, murky depths of a sleep born from pure exhaustion—both physical and mental. I’m cocooned in a blanket of warmth that seeps into my bones and whispers words of comfort, making it even harder to rouse myself from sleep. My eyes feel swollen and gritty, reminding me of the countless tears I leaked onto Dante’s chest before I finally passed out, and it takes a moment to pry them apart.

When I do, I find my cheek pressed against a vast expanse of warm, sun-kissed skin, the hard edge of muscles cushioning my head. My heart speeds up, skipping a beat as the voices around me register, and a smile breaks out across my face as I lift my head, meeting Cain’s warm emerald eyes.

“Hey, baby.” His voice is soft, sliding over me like a silk sheet, and there are creases in the corner of his eyes as he smiles. He blurs in front of me as tears gather in my eyes, and I choke on a sob as I wrap my arms around his broad chest and fall apart.

Someone presses in behind me, before Oliver’s soothing voice erases the last of my fear. Sniffling, I push back the onslaught of tears and lift my head, giving Cain a quick once over—other than a myriad of bruises and scratches, he appears to be in one piece—before glancing over my shoulder and scrutinizing Oliver.

They both look as though they are mostly unharmed, and relief washes through me at that miracle. I saw that roof come down, heard the screams and cries of men trapped within. I know many have died or been gravely hurt. It is no small thing that both of them escaped relatively unscathed.

Unable to control them, more tears overflow, running in rivulets down my cheeks until Oliver brushes them away. “No more tears, sweetheart,” he murmurs, his voice barely more than a whisper.

“I was so scared.” My voice is just as quiet, as though if I speak much louder, I’ll break the illusion and wake up to discover this is all a dream and they aren’t actually here. My fear was comparable to seeing Luc in that church. I’ve never known fear like it, which is saying something considering the life I’ve led and the situations I’ve found myself in. If I’ve learned anything, it’s that fear for oneself pales in comparison to the gripping claws of terror that hold you captive when the well-being of those you love and care about is on the line. All those years I scavenged the streets in search of food and somewhere safe for Luc and me to sleep, I only ever feared for Luc. For his safety and welfare. Until recently, he was the only one who could incite such paralyzing emotions. However, the circle of people I give a shit about has grown exponentially, and now the fear and worries that I once felt purely for Luc extend to the men surrounding me in this room.

It’s terrifying, yet if given the choice, I wouldn’t return to my old life. Before I crossed paths with Oliver, stumbled across Cain, and put myself in Dante and Enzo’s line of sight, I was merely existing. Living a shadow of a life. I couldn’t see it then. Didn’t recognize the gaping hole in my chest for what it was, but now my eyes have been pried open and I’ve come to accept that life isn’t simply about survival. I’ve gotten a taste of what it’s like to live, and I can’t go back to that half-life.

---