Page 67 of Wreaking Havoc on my Heart

I laugh, it’s funny how much he’s gotten to know me these past few months. All those days in the office together or dinners while Laney studied really brought us close. Too close.

“I um…”How do I say this to him?

Laney’s shadow falls on me and I know I need to get this over with. I can’t walk away from her twice. I don’t even know if I can walk away from him with how he’s looking at me.

“I think I need to go.”

“Go?” His face scrunches up, and he starts to pale.

“I think it’s better if I leave.”

I turn around to try and walk out the door, but Laney blocks me. When her eyes fall to Arrow, they go wide. I turn back to see his eyes flutter as if he just passed out.

Monitors start beeping, everything alarming at once as people rush into the room. Laney and I push ourselves to the back.

Everything happens so fast. One minute we were talking, he was smiling at me in a way I’d never seen him smile before, and now…

Two nurses initiate CPR, starting chest compressions and Laney falls to her knees. I scoop her up in my arms just as Boris rounds the corner, coming out of Nessa's room.

“What’s happening?”

I shake my head, and Laney’s hand shakes as it covers her mouth as she silently cries into my chest. Boris comes to my side and brings his phone to his ear.

“Arrow. Now.”

We stand there, just outside the room as Doc rushes in. His panicked eyes as he takes in the monitors are what make my chest cleave open. I set Laney on her feet next to me, all too scared I might pass out and drop her.

Doc looks back at Boris and shakes his head. I don’t know what to do anymore, all I know is the sound I hear. When I pictured the world coming to an end, I always imagined an explosion. A crash or a bang that would signify the beginning of the end.

But that’s not how it happened. There was no detonation. My world ending was the splitting of half of my heart while the other half fell to her knees in an earth-shattering scream.

Epilogue

The doctors were able to get Arrow’s heart to come back, but he’s now in a coma. Doc says it's up to him if and when he will wake up. Laney has banned me from his room and hasn’t left his side in three days.

The nurses are concerned for her. Doc is even more worried, and I feel like I failed everyone on all fronts. I couldn’t leave to deal with Adrik until I knew Arrow was okay, and now I just can’t find it in me to leave.

Laney blames me for all of it. She thinks the news of me leaving set him into a panic that caused his blood pressure to spike too suddenly. Doc assured me that’s not how the body works, but part of me wonders if she’s a little bit right.

Regardless, Boris and I have been back at the house, trying to figure out our next steps since the world allegedly has to move on. I’m now hyper-focused on how we are going to get E back.

Alexi walks into the office, flanked by Damien and Lev. They aren’t doing so hot. Not that any of us are much above functioning.

“What’s your idea?” Alexis asks, taking a seat beside me.

“I have a contact at the compound, the women E was training. I’ve sent her a message on a discreet line, but it’s not one that is easily checked. Typically, E teaches a three-six-five rule about communication, which means we only check our emergency lines every three days, then every six, then every five. Then, we switch up the pattern. I haven’t heard back, but I’m hopeful she will be checking in soon.”

Alexi nods at me, then looks to Boris.

“Have you found Rostya?”

Boris shakes his head. He found footage proving Rostya had been the spy all along and has been combing through every bit of information he can find about his whereabouts.

All of us keep coming up blank. But I know Adrik. He’s underground and that’s why E’s bracelet isn’t working. We only have four places he could be holding her in that case, but they are all covered in guards and also contain fail-safes on the building. If someone comes in uninvited, the whole building will explode.

That one was my idea, unfortunately. We held a lot of high-profile criminals and any information about us getting out wasn’t an option. So, if anyone tries to leave, the entire place explodes.

The only plus side to this having been my idea is that I know in general how these systems work and how to go about taking them down. But we only get one chance. If we start at the wrong location, Adrik will find a way to make sure I can’t hunt them down again. Which means he could kill her to keep us off his back.

That’s not worth it. But, explaining that to three very hot-headed men was not an easy thing, which is why I’m sitting here sporting bruises from all of the men in this room.

No one told me just how hot-headed these mafia leaders could get. I mean, they apologized, but that doesn’t make the injury disappear. Boris continues to explain where he’s looked and what our next steps could be, but everyone is shutting down. I can feel it in the air.

If we don’t do something now, none of us are going to make it very long.

A knock sounds at the door, and we all turn to see a tall woman with curly red hair and a bright red dress on.

“Hello, I’m Dr. K. Alexi asked me to be here.”

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