Abel (Sabine Valley 1)

Gabriel hauls me to my feet and guides me to a nearby bench seat. He pulls out his phone and frowns at it. “Broderick has the whole compound locked down. There was a small team that tried to climb the wall, but Ezekiel and Donovan took care of them.” He grimaces. “Cohen hasn’t checked in, but it’s only been a few minutes.”

“He’ll be fine.” I still sound too distant, too empty. If Eli dies… Fuck. Thinking about it hurts. I should have made the time to talk to him again this morning after I found out about that late-night meeting. If we’d talked, it would have given him a chance to come clean, all three of us the opportunity to make a plan that doesn’t involve Eli bleeding to death on the street like a fucking dog.

If he dies, Harlow and I lose everything.

Harlow.

I give myself a shake. “Have Broderick send Harlow here with Finnegan or one of the others. It doesn’t matter who, but don’t let her come alone.”

Gabriel’s thumbs hover over the phone screen. “You sure that’s a good idea?”

I’m not sure of anything anymore. For the first time in so long, I’m not thinking shit through. I’m scared out of my mind, and I just want Harlow here so we can wait to hear about Eli together. “Do it.”

“Okay.”

We settle down to wait. Ten minutes later, Cohen, Maddox, and Iris appear. Maddox is cradling his arm, and Iris has a spattering of blood across her face, but they look otherwise unharmed. Cohen drops onto the bench next to me. “It’s taken care of.”

I nod at Maddox. “You okay?”

“Just a scratch.”

Knowing Maddox, that could mean anything from a literal scratch to a stab wound needing stitches. I motion at Gabriel. “Take care of it.”

Maddox rolls his eyes, but after Gabriel disappears behind the food trucks and reappears with a first aid kit, he allows my brother to patch him up. It’s not nearly enough of a distraction, but his snarling and Cohen telling him to shut the fuck up and let Gabriel take care of it fill the pocket of silence that’s formed around our little group.

People have come out of the buildings, but most of them wisely decide they had somewhere else to be, and the street is nearly deserted. It’s just as well. I’m not eager for a witness to this shit.

I stare at the body of the woman who shot Eli. Who would have shot me. Marie, his former head of security. She’s just a fucking human on the small side with a normal face; she hardly looks like the type of person who can burn my entire world down with one bullet.

I jerk my chin at Cohen. “Get her out of here.”

He nods and hauls the body over his shoulder, disappearing down the street in the direction of where we parked. Iris shadows him, her shotgun held easily in her hands. She’ll watch his back.

That’s when Harlow shows up.

I’ve never seen a more welcome sight in my entire fucking life. I swear to the gods, the clouds part and a sunbeam shines right on her light red hair as she rounds the corner, moving at a fast enough clip that Finnegan is obviously struggling to keep up despite having a good six inches on her.

She sees me and changes course, picking up her pace until she’s running. I meet her at the perimeter of the tables and pull her into my arms. “I’m so fucking sorry.”

“Where is he?” She clings to me, but she’s looking over my shoulder. I can tell the exact moment she recognizes the stain on the concrete because she goes tense. “Is he alive?”

“He’s in surgery. Chinh’s granddaughter is handling it.”

Harlow leans back to look up at me. “He didn’t betray you. I know it might look like that with the ambush, but I swear he didn’t.”

“I know.” It’s the truth. Eli wouldn’t be Eli without some underhanded bullshit going on. Loving him means accepting that about him. “That fucking fool jumped in front of a bullet for me.”

Her hands tighten on my shirt. For one moment, I think she might pass out, but Harlow’s made of stronger stuff than that. Hell, I think she’s made of stronger stuff than either Eli or I am, too. She takes a slow breath. “Let’s get in there, then.”

Gabriel clears his throat. “She told us to wait out here.”

“You wait out here. We’re going in.” She takes my hand and turns, tugging me behind her. I glance back at my brothers, silently conveying the order to monitor the entrance. Finnegan nods and turns to Maddox, speaking in a low voice. They’ll keep us covered.

I lace my fingers through Harlow’s and keep pace with her. “Pissing off Chinh is a bad idea.”

“What did you promise him?”