Buttons and Grace (Buttons 6)

I raised the gun and aimed right between his eyes. I’d risked everything for this woman, but she didn’t feel the same way. It hurt more than when my brother shot me. It hurt more than all the guilt I felt over beating Pearl. I’d never felt anything more than lust for a woman, and now I found a woman I would die for—but she wouldn’t die for me. “Any last words?”

“You never answered my question.” He stared down the barrel, unafraid despite what was about to happen. He would never see blue sky again. He would never feel the sunlight on his face.

My finger moved to the trigger. “Yes. And I would do it all over again.”

Click.

* * *

I called Oliver, one of the guys who picked up Crow and took him to the hospital. “How is he?”

“We got him into the emergency room, and they immediately took him to surgery. Looks like he has some internal bleeding, along with broken ribs. He needed a blood transfusion because he lost so much.”

“But he’s going to be okay, right?”

“They didn’t say,” Oliver said. “But we’re still here, so we can receive updates. What’s going on over there?”

“Cleaning up and preparing to leave. Once this gets taken care of, I’ll be there.”

“Alright. He wanted to call Pearl, but by the time he got here, he’d passed out.”

“I’ll take care of it.”

“Okay. Seemed important to him.”

I hung up then prepared to call her. I thought I should call Adelina first because she was worried about me. I would feel so much satisfaction telling her that Tristan was dead. She would feel nothing but relief, knowing that her life was her own again. But Pearl was a mess, so Adelina could wait.

I called her.

Pearl picked up instantly, as if she was sitting by the phone just waiting for it to ring. “Please tell me he’s okay.” Emotion was in her voice again, terrified because I was the one calling her instead of Crow.

“He’s okay.”

“Oh…thank god.” She exhaled over the line, her breath loud.

“Tristan is dead. All of his men are gone. Crow is at the hospital right now. He’s in surgery.”

“No…”

“He had some—”

“I don’t want to know.”

I turned silent, knowing his afflictions would break her heart.

“Just tell me he’s going to be okay.”

“I don’t know for sure, but I feel certain he’ll be fine. He wasn’t shot or anything.”

“I’m coming back. I need to be at that hospital.”

“I…I’m not sure if he would want you to leave, Pearl.”

“You said Tristan is dead, along with all of his men, right?”

“Yeah.”

“Then I’m not sitting on my ass any longer. My husband needs me, so I’m leaving.”

“His men won’t allow you to leave until he gives them the order.”

“Then you override it, Cane,” she snapped. “Because one way or another, I’m getting out of here.”

“Okay, fine,” I said. “I’m sure he’d want to see you anyway.”

“I’m gonna pack my stuff, then. They better be ready by the time I’m done.”

“Okay.”

“And thank you, Cane. Thank you for saving my husband.”

Her gratitude only made me feel terrible. “Please don’t thank me. This is all my fault…”

“But now all of us are free. You did that, Cane.”

“I shouldn’t have risked my brother’s life like that, not for a woman.”

“She’s not just some woman, Cane. You love her.”

I closed my eyes at the comment. “But she doesn’t love me…”

Pearl was quiet, obviously unsure what to say.

“I wanted to save her regardless, but I wouldn’t have gotten my brother involved if that was how she felt. I feel stupid. I risked everything for that woman.”

Pearl was still quiet. It would be impossible to come up with a good response to that. The only reason why I told her was because the aftershocks of the situation were hitting me hard. My brother was in the hospital, my sister was in Greece, Adelina was at home wondering what happened to me.

“I’m not sure I believe that.”

“Believe what?” I whispered.

“That she doesn’t love you. I spent time with her, and every time she talked about you, her eyes lit up. She had nothing but good things to say, even when she could have been completely honest with me. Give her some time. I think she’ll come around.”

“I think you’re wrong, Pearl. But thanks for trying to make me feel better.”

Her sigh filled the phone. “Tristan is dead, huh?”

“Yeah.”

“Are you sure?”

“Shot him between the eyes myself.”

“Good,” she said with anger. “You gave him an execution he didn’t deserve. Should have tortured him the way he tortured Crow.”

“I just wanted to end it. The world is already a little more beautiful without him in it.”

“Yeah…I guess.”

“I should get going, Pearl. I need to call Adelina.”

“Okay. Make sure you talk to Crow’s men about getting me out of here.”

“I will.”

She hung up.

I called Adelina next, feeling my heart pound as the phone rang. She must have found one of my other phones in the house, and I hoped she still had it on her so I could reach her.