Chaos ensues within seconds. A shot rings out, and then a series of curses as Marco's men push their way through the front and take on two men I don't recognize. One of Marco's guys takes a bullet in the shoulder, and he repays the favor by shooting the asshole between the eyes.
Another man in the living room fires off several more shots as he dives behind a coffee table, pulling it up against him for cover. The sound of glass shattering and gun blasts ringing out pierce my ears, but I can't focus on any of it.
I move toward the hall, Marco at my side as we begin to check the rooms. The first bedroom we stop at has a guy scrambling to try to crawl out the window. Marco raises his weapon and shoots him in the head. His body slumps to the floor, blood pooling beneath him as we clear the space. When we don't find anyone else, we move along to the next room.
A strange sound is coming from the other side of the closed door. It’s a rustling and grunting as though someone is trying to move a piece of furniture, presumably to barricade themselves in.
I look at Marco, and he nods, slamming his body into the door. It breaks open, sending splintered wood everywhere as we spill into the room.
There's a moment when I stop to take everything in. From the corner of my eye, I can see a figure charging at Marco. But it's the mess of dark hair on the bed that has my attention. It's the first sign of life, and relief fills my chest, only to be drowned out by the man lurking above her. A doctor?
He discards the instrument in his hand and turns to face me at the same time Ivy stirs from a hazy state, trying to open her heavy eyes. My wife. My beautiful fucking wife.
She blinks, murmuring something unintelligible as her hand twitches. For a split second, our gazes lock, and then her eyes are shuddering closed again. She fights it but falls into stillness, her chest rising and falling slowly.
The man above her pivots toward me carefully, holding up his hands.
"What did you give her?" I growl.
He whips his head in the direction of the other man. The one Marco now has in a chokehold on his knees. Clearly, he expects that man to save him.
"Want me to break his neck, boss?" Marco nods to the guy in his grasp.
"Save him for me," I answer coldly.
My eyes never leave the doctor, and when I stalk toward him, he cowers back, slowly reaching into his pocket for something. He’s still fumbling around for it, only to drop the pen as soon as he produces it because his hands are shaking so badly.
"I don't want any trouble," the doctor says. "I just came here to do a job. That's it. I swear."
"And what exactly was that job?" I cock my head to the side, studying him like a pest.
"It was... an abortion," he croaks. "The woman didn't want the baby. That's all I know."
All the pent-up rage that's been breeding inside me boils over as I grab him by the throat and lift him off his feet.
"That woman is my wife," I snarl. “And that is my baby inside her.”
"I didn't know," he gasps, feet kicking as he fights for air. "Please."
"Tell the devil I said hello." I produce the knife and stab him in the gut three times, dropping him to the floor. "I'll see you again in hell."
He's choking on his own blood when I kneel on his chest and grab him by the hair, slashing the blade across his throat. Blood sprays across my face, and I wipe it from my eyes before turning my murderous gaze on the other man.
Marco's got him locked down so tight, he's half-dead already. It's more than he deserves to die so quickly, but I don't have the luxury of time to torture him.
Marco releases him, and he drags in a long breath as I grab him by the collar and haul him up onto his feet.
"Where is Abel?" I demand.
"I don't know," he answers, his voice almost too hoarse to understand. "He took off and said he had some business to handle."
"What business?" I dig the tip of my knife into his forehead.
"Fuck, I don't know," he wheezes. "He doesn't tell us anything."
I drag the knife down and to the right, carving an F into his flesh. Blood gushes from the wound, and he nearly collapses again. Sensing a need, Marco comes to hold him upright for me.
"I can do this all night." I stare at him.
It isn't exactly true. The sirens in the distance are getting closer. Someone undoubtedly heard the gunshots, and I need to get my wife out of here. But the last thing I want to do is drag this piece of shit back to the compound to finish him off.