Exodus (The Ravenhood)

t the wall and sliding down, leaving a trail of blood behind him. Matteo cries out below us, and I see only a glimpse of him before the side of his face disappears, and he lands in a lifeless heap on the floor.

Dominic coughs as I cover his wound with my hands and look up into silver eyes.

“I’m sorry,” I press my hands to his stomach as his eyes dart left and right and blood begins to coat his beautiful lips.

“Hang on. Okay? Hang on.”

Dominic pulls at my hands and coughs again, just as Tobias meets me where I kneel. “Go,” he rasps out, his face drawn due to the pain.

Ding dong. Ding dong. Ding dong.

We all turn in the direction of the door and know the clock is ticking. We have seconds.

I press onto Dom’s stomach and he winces, every breath challenging him as his eyes drift between us.

“Hold on,” I say, desperately trying to stop the blood leaking from his stomach. “I’m sorry,” I press in harder, and he cries out in misery.

“I’m sorry, baby, I’m so sorry,” I murmur, pressing my forehead to his as Tobias unties his belt and wraps it above the bullet wound in Dom’s thigh. Dominic jerks as we struggle to address his injuries, and that’s when I see his leg is soaked. “Go,” he rasps out, his eyes rolling up as he battles a fresh wave of pain.

“Goddamnit, goddamnit, Dom,” Tobias exhales anguished, while he inspects Dom’s shoulder, pressing his hand over the bullet wound in his leg.

Dominic covers my hands with his and squeezes them faintly before his eyes lift to his brother. His pain-filled words coming out chopped. “Nous savions tous les deux que je n’allais jamais voir mes trente ans, mon frère. Prends soin d’elle.” We both know I was never going to make it to thirty, brother. Take care of her.

Dom coughs again, more blood lining his lips, a grimace twisting his beautiful features. “Go,” he coughs out. “Please,” he wheezes.

“No,” I shake my head furiously as his eyes drift to mine. “Sorry, you can’t go, Dominic, because I dreamed your future up for you. Hang on, and I’ll tell you all about it,” I press into his wound and look him right in the eyes. “Don’t you dare leave me here. I want that date with you.”

Skin slick with a glaze of sweat he gazes at us both, and the next time he coughs, I hear the gurgle behind it, his struggle. I continue to press against him as he releases my hands, finally relenting to let me help him.

Tobias presses his forehead to his brother’s, and I hear Dominic’s faint whisper to him. “Frères pour toujours.” Always brothers.

“Mother greet you,” Tobias replies. “Father keep you. I love you, brother.”

It’s when Tobias mewls and drops his head that I look up.

And I realize Dominic is gone, his eyes clouding over before they fixate in a place I can no longer reach him.

A gasp leaves me, and my heart stops.

“D-D-Dom,” I choke out before looking to Tobias. “W-w-we didn’t get enough t-t-time to help him! We didn’t get enough time. Oh my God, Dom.”

Tobias coughs out incredulously, tears spilling down his face as I clutch Dom to me. “I just got you back.” I pull him to me as he sinks further down the wall, his arms limp at his sides, all signs of life leaving his body. I lower my head to his chest, and I don’t know how much time passes, but it can’t be much because the doorbell is ringing again, and I know our time is up.

I glance over to see Tobias and see his eyes trained on the two of us. Physically, I feel him start to withdraw as his gaze drifts from me to his brother.

Ding dong. Ding dong. Ding dong.

Collectively, Tobias and I snap our heads in the direction of the worthless barrier that separates us. Half of the defected Miami crew is probably behind that door. In minutes it will all be over, and my only thought is—good—because I don’t want to be anywhere in a world where Dominic doesn’t exist.

Tobias gathers both guns before grabbing his brother beneath his arms and dragging his lifeless body up the stairs and into my bedroom. I follow, sobbing hysterically as he sets Dominic down on the carpet next to my bed, and I move to sit beneath him, cradling his upper body in my lap while stroking his beautiful face. I run my fingers through his thick hair and over his jaw, but his gaze remains somewhere far past the both of us, and I can’t look away.

The front door bursts open just as Tobias kicks the bedroom door closed, and our eyes meet when the sound of gunfire sounds out in all directions below.

Which makes it a fight.

They’re here. The rest of the brothers are here.

We needed a few minutes at the most. A collection of seconds. That’s all Dominic needed to have a chance.