Page 140 of Bloodstained Wings

I twirl a lock of hair between my fingers. “I get that. It’s their loss.”

“Damn right. So, have you thought of baby names yet?”

I drape an arm over my stomach, and in spite of my situation, I smile. “Yeah, I was thinking of—”

Suddenly, I’m interrupted by the sound of muffled voices and a loud popping sound. Then I hear a heavy thud and a frantic voice calling out to me. The hairs on the back of my neck rise, and I jump to my feet. I reach for the gun tucked into my pocket, and my hand grows sweaty as I hold it.

Shit. Have we been compromised?

“I think someone broke in,” I whisper, barely able to hear anything over the pounding of my ears. “Do you have a way to reach Carter?”

“I can reach Anita. She’ll figure out how to get a message to Carter. Isabella, don’t do anything stupid.”

“I have to help Tristan. Get a message to Carter and stay safe.” Without waiting for a response, I hang up and shove my phone into my other pocket. I’m trembling when I come out of the basement and see the spatters of blood on the floor.

The blood roars in my ears as I follow the trail and find Tristan on his stomach, his breathing shallow and uneven. Leaving the gun in my pocket, I drop to my knees beside him and press two fingers to his neck. “I’m going to call for help.”

Tristan says something, but it’s garbled and indistinguishable.

I lower my head and struggle to make out what he’s saying. “You should conserve your strength.”

“I’ve already called for help.” I’m on my feet and wheeling around before I know what’s happening. Rich steps out of the shadows, his hair sticking up on top of his head and a few bruises already forming on his face. He holds his hands up on either side of him and gives me a grim look.

“It’s okay, Isabella. Carter sent me. He suspected that security had been breached, and since I was nearby, I knew I could get to you first.”

Bile rises in the back of my throat. “What happened?”

Rich gestures to Tristan’s outside man, lying in a crumpled heap on the kitchen floor, his blood forming a puddle around him. “He betrayed you for money.”

I blow out a ragged breath. “We need to call Carter.” I grab Tristan’s phone from his pocket and rush to dial Carter’s number.

Rich bridges the distance between us and takes the phone out of my hand before I even press the first number. “You’re not going to be able to reach him. He has to go underground. That’s why he sent me. We need to get out of here, Isabella. How fast can you pack your things?”

“I’m just going to need a few minutes.” I move toward the stairs and pause to glance at Rich over my shoulders. “How will Carter know where we are?”

“I’ll leave him a note,” Rich replies, pausing to take a few steps back. He kneels down beside Tristan and says something into his ear.

“We need to move quickly. The sooner we leave, the sooner Tristan can get the help he needs,” he says, gesturing for me to hurry.

I hesitate on the landing. “We shouldn’t leave him behind.”

Rich stands up. “I’m sorry, Isabella, but we can’t take him. He’s been seriously injured. It’s a good thing I came along when I did; otherwise, you’d be hurt, too.”

I am panting when I reach the top of the stairs.

All I can think about is Tristan bleeding out downstairs. I can’t stop myself from shaking as I pack up the few items I have with me into the suitcase. Once I’m done, I cast a quick glance around the room, and my eyes linger on the music box. Hastily, I stuff it into the bag before darting into the en-suite bathroom and splashing some cold water on my face. Quietly, I pull my phone out of my pocket. It takes me a few tries to be able to send a message to Sam. I wait till I’m sure it’s gone through before returning to the bedroom.

I walk toward the bed and am zipping up my bag when Rich appears in the doorway.

It’s then that I notice the cut over his right eye. His clothes are rumpled, and he’s got a strange gleam in his eyes, but I’m still thankful to see him.

And I’m relieved Carter was able to reach out to him before going dark.

Rich grabs my bag and picks up my phone, which I left lying on the bed.Stupid. I should have put it back in my pocket.

Holding my sweater out, he smirks and tucks my phone away. “Let’s go. We’ve already stayed too long.”

“Are you sure it’s safe for us to go on the run?” I follow Rich down the stairs and spot Tristan lying on the couch, his face almost completely devoid of color, clutching his wound. In the doorway, I dart back to Tristan and give his hand a firm squeeze. “You’re going to be okay. We’ll see each other soon.”

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