“Gian—”
The line clicks dead and dread falls over my heart. My only chance at warning her is gone. I can’t just walk up to her door, they’ll shoot me before I even get close.
No, I’m just going to have to hope that he fucking makes it out of this alive.
I circle around the block, heading back toward their house. I’ll need to find a good place to sit. Maybe Gemma will leave and I can follow her and warn her that way. As I pull up toward the house I see Gian leaving through the grand front entrance. He looks back at his father who is standing in the doorway. I see a glimpse of red and dark hair behind him.
Gemma.
My heart fucking aches at the quick sight of her.
I want to hold her. To warn her. To tell her everything will be okay.
There’s no sound to go with what happens next, just a light thud as Gian goes down. Wherever Iceman is, he’s hidden. I assume now he’s running, he’ll jump in his car and get out of here before anyone even realizes what happens. Before the enforcers or the cops can get here.
I slam the truck into park and jump out, leaving the keys in the ignition and the car behind me.
I run straight for Gemma, I can hear her screams piercing through me.
She runs from her home in bare feet straight to her brother's body laying on the pavement.
I grab her when I get to her, wrapping my arms around her body and holding her.
“I’m sorry,” I whisper. “I couldn’t get here fast enough.”
The look on her face is pure shock.
Giuseppe is at Gian’s side, pressing both hands to his wound. “He’s alive.”
The good news is, her brother is still alive.
The bad news is, her brother was fucking shot.
EVERYTHING FEELS WRONG. NUMB. FOGGY.
“How can I help you?” Liam’s words feel sluggish, like something is keeping them from fully processing in my brain. I know I’m just staring at him blankly, but I can’t get myself to do anything else.
“Hospital?” The words leave my lips in a rough croak. I sound like I’ve been smoking a pack a day for years.
“Yeah.” Liam says, shifting his truck into gear, but he doesn’t start moving the car yet. He keeps one hand on my thigh, his thumb stroking against the skin, and the other hand on the steering wheel.
I can see the comforting motion of his hand, but I don’t feel it. Am I broken? Was I shot? Why doesn’t my body work?
I don’t feel right, that I know.
“Wait,” I croak. “They’ll kill you.” The thought finally registers. Liam is here, in Providence. He can’t go in that hospital, my father will murder him.
“They already know I’m here, Gemma.” His voice sounds li
ke velvet, the only comfort I have and I’m clinging to it. “I’ll be fine, I promise.”
My eyes flash to him. “You can’t promise that.” I say. “No one is safe.”
Everyone fucking dies.
He gives me a look, probably wondering if I’m okay. If I’m broken.
I am.