by Nola Marie
“I did,” I snap. “You said you didn’t give a fuck.”
"Not this fucking hurt, you didn't," he accuses.
I scoff. What the fuck kind of hurt did he think broken ribs meant?
I drink a small sip of water and catch my breath the best I can. The minute-long reprieve isn’t enough, but I have no other choice when the bell rings again. “Don’t fuck this up,” Rossi taunts as I make my way back to the center of the ring.
I continue to dodge, block, and duck every swing and kick she throws at me for the first few minutes of the next round. I see thirty seconds on the clock up above the ring. I can do this. I can make it through this round.
That’s what I’m thinking when her right hook clocks me in the temple. I go down and she’s on me. I maneuver myself into the defensive position to block her incoming hands the best I can. I’m not even sure how but I manage to land a couple of blows myself before the bell rings again.
I bring myself to stand but just barely. The room spins violently, and my vision is doubled. I barely make it to the corner.
Rossi is back in my face as soon as I’m sitting. He grips my face forcefully looking at me. “Fuck,” he hisses. “You better get your shit together and win this. You don’t want to know what happens if you lose.” He can see that I’m struggling to focus on him or his words and tightens his grip even more, sending more pain through my body from the force.
My eyes scan the crowd, but everything is fuzzy. I can barely make out the girl across the ring from me much less anyone else. Panic fills my already burning lungs when I realize how much trouble I’m in. I don’t know what will happen if I keep going at this for another five minutes.
“I can’t keep going,” I wheeze out when Rossi lets go of my face.
His face turns to absolute stone. Hard with clenched jaws and cold eyes, he stares at me. “You’re not only getting back in there, you better fucking win. I have a lot of goddamned money riding on this.”
The bell rings again. I’m stumbling back to the center of the ring. My movements are sluggish and my vision blurry. I manage to avoid every swing once again. Tomorrow I may look back on all of this and wonder what all the hype about this girl was about. Or maybe I realize how damn lucky I was because logic is defied when I manage to get her in a triangle choke. The pressure performing the submission is putting on my ribs is fucking killing me, but the pain is probably just as painful for her. She swings a couple of wild swings into my ribs threatening the hold. I’m pretty sure I’m in more pain than she is. I tighten my legs around her even more praying it’s enough pressure for her to tap because I can’t keep it up much longer.
I’m not even sure when she taps or even the bell rings. I just know the ref is pulling her away from me. I turn over onto my belly and crawl to my corner. The ref is trying to help me to my feet so he can raise my arm in victory, but I swear if he touches my arms, I’m going to punch him right in the balls.
Fortunately for him, he’s well aware of the amount of pain I’m in and leads me to the corner. Rossi, on the other hand, grabs me by the arm and begins pulling me toward the back like the building is on fire causing me to cry out in agony. I have a feeling what he’s in such a hurry to get away from is much worse than a fire.
“Get your goddamn fucking hands off of her,” I hear behind us except it isn’t the voice I expect. It’s the voice of the person I’ve been trying so hard to keep away from all of this.
Zane
Rory and Bastian are on the other side of the arena from us making a beeline for Stephano Romano. Jax and I are on our way to Rossi. Christian and Trinity have already taken care of the auction along with a few of Matteo and a few of his guys.
The plan to let Matteo get them went to shit the minute they started to run. Rossi – and DeLuca - must’ve been tipped off about what’s going on because he has Tori trying to drag her away as fast as he can. And he’s hurting her. I know it wouldn’t take much to do it right now considering her injuries during the fight.
I still can’t believe she won that fucking fight. I saw the pain and the difficulty breathing she had after taking a couple of blows to the ribs. That blow to the temple nearly knocked her out. I could see from where I was standing in the crowd how her eyes glazed over. When her Rossi gripped her face, it took every ounce of willpower and control I had left to stay in my fucking seat. No, it took Jax. If Jax hadn’t been next to me, practically restraining me, I would have been down there in a flash.
Rossi stops in his tracks when two people who are not supposed to be here call out to him. “Who fucking told them?” Jax hisses.
I shake my head because they don’t have a damn clue. They are going to get themselves or Tori killed.
When we reach them, Rossi’s eyes flash to Jax and I with a smirk. His identity isn’t so vague to us anymore.
“Let us handle this,” Jax says.
Dane turns around with fire in his eyes, glaring at Jax. “Fuck that,” he spits. “I’m not going anywhere without my sister.”
Jax places a hand on his shoulder. “Cara needs you right now. Let us handle this.”
I lean forward to Maddox. “Get him the fuck out of here before he gets her killed,” I hiss quietly.
Maddox turns to see me. His eyes flash with anger that I haven’t seen in a long time. But more than that, I recognize the signs that he’s high. I can’t help but wonder when he fell down that rabbit hole again but don’t have time to ponder it right now. “Why the hell didn’t you tell us what was going on?” he hisses right back.
“Because she didn’t want y’all to know. Now get the fuck out of -.”
Gun shots begin to go off. Three fire in rapid succession and the people remaining in the arena begin to scream.
Rossi tightens his grip on Tori and takes off.
Jax looks around for Rory and Bastian. Dane and Maddox try to follow Rossi, but I grab them both. “Don’t. You’re going to get her fucking killed.”
“I’m not letting that son of a bitch take off with my sister,” Dane tells me with daggers in his eyes.
“You think I am?” I counter. I turn to Maddox to get him to listen. I know him. Even in his current state, he understands more about what’s going on than I have time to explain. “He’s fucking packing, but he’s not getting far. He won’t make it out of the building.”
“You can’t possibly fucking know that,” Dane yells again.
My patience is running thin but Jax’s is gone. He grabs Dane by the collar of his shirt pulling him to him until only Dane's tip toes are on the ground. “Follow us before you get yourself killed,” he growls as his temper begins to get the best of him.
We start to move in the direction that Rossi went when more shots go off. My thoughts wander to Tori, Bastian, and Rory but we have to keep moving. Jax pulls out his Glock while I pull out my Hellcat that we were able to keep concealed in the lining of our tuxes.
“What the fuck?” Dane yells out when he sees the guns.
“Dane you need to shut the fuck up,” Maddox tells him as we continue to make our way through the hysterical crowd while watching for anyone that may be trying to take aim at us. His face becomes stone and fury, but he does what he’s told.
Gun fire continues to ring out as we make our way to the back area and I can hear Rossi and DeLuca arguing in panic. Bastian and Rory are coming up the other side of the corridor. Bastian’s mouth is tinged red where he must’ve been hit in the face. He grins at us, his blood covered mouth giving him an even more sadistic look. Rory is holding his side leaving a trail of blood in his path.
“What the fuck is going on?” I hear who I assume is Stephano demand. “What do you think is going on you stupid little punk?”
“We’ve got to get out of here,” DeLuca demands with panic rising in his voice.
“Your parents and brother spent far too much time coddling you. We’re going to get out of here, but we have to be smart or we’ll get ourselves killed.”
“What a
bout her?” he asks, and I know he’s talking about Tori.
“We’re taking her with us,” he growls.
“How are we going to do that? She can barely fucking move.”
I barely contain myself as Rory gestures for us to keep moving. We meet just before the corridor veers into the direction of DeLuca and Rossi. Rory is breathing hard and I can see now that he’s been hit in the side. I already guessed considering the blood he is leaving behind but right now it looks pretty serious.
Jax looks at him with worry but Rory just shakes his head. “It’s fine, Jay,” he whispers.
“All the girls from the auction are safe but it has turned into a fucking bloodbath,” Bastian tells us.
“Can’t say I’m surprised,” Jax comments while still looking at his brother with concern.
“Cara?” I ask because I don’t know what I’ll do if something happens to Tori’s sister.
“Fine. Scared and shocked but fine,” Bastian tells us.
Dane turns an accusing look toward Jax, “I though you said she was okay, but you didn’t even know.”
Jax turns his own intimidating stare to Dane. “No. I said she needed you. Now shut the fuck up before I kill you myself.”
I watch as Maddox drops his head in frustration. His red eyes and slightly twitchy mannerisms are the only thing that gives away his current state. Maddox was always very highly functioning when he was high. At least, at first. I remember when it got bad enough that he couldn't fucking stand up. Or the night, in his fucked-up state, slipped Zoey drugs that causes her to start seizing.
“He’s got Tori in there,” I tell them trying to ignore the mounting tension and focus on what’s important.
“We know,” Bastian tells me with a sympathetic look. “You’re going to have to let him walk out with her.”
Is he fucking serious right now? “Have you lost your goddamn mind?” I nearly yell.
“If we corner him right now, Zane, he will kill her. We have got to get them out into the open.”’
“Just put a bullet in her fucking head and let’s get out of here so we can plan our next move,” Stephano yells.
His words send my feet moving but Jax pulls me back. “You know better,” he warns.
My teeth grind. He’s right. I do know better but what am I supposed to do when something like that is said?
“There’s only one way out from here,” Rory says breathlessly. “You two stay here and follow when they come out. We’ll go out another way and try to get to the exit before they do.”
“You two are coming with us,” Bastian tells Maddox and Dane. “Then you’re going to go check on your sister.”
“I’m not leaving Tori,” Dane growls. “You said Cara was safe. Well Tori isn’t and I’m not leaving without her.”
“You’re only going to be in the way, Dane,” Maddox whispers. “They know what they’re doing.”
“Do you fucking hear yourself,” he hisses. “My sister is being held by some psychopath and you want me to trust them to make sure she’s okay.” I suppose his idol worship of Sebastian has long evaporated.
“Then trust me. I’ll stay with them. You go.” I raise a brow at Maddox. Yes, he is a rich boy. Yes, he has been raised with CEOs and millionaires his entire life. But his father’s hands are far from clean. And neither are his. He went to New York to get away from all of it. He doesn’t think anyone knows that, but I do. I kept tabs on him after we sent him away from River City. I just wanted to make sure he stayed away from my sister. Today, I’m glad he didn’t. “We’ve got this, Maddox,” I tell him.
“It doesn’t matter who has this I’m not go -.” Dane’s words are cut short by a solid punch to the face from Bastian.
Maddox grits his teeth. “You didn’t have to do that. I could’ve gotten him to cooperate.”
“We don’t have time for that shit,” Bastian tells him with a smirk. He lifts Dane’s not so small bulk onto his own shoulders. “And you’re not staying either.”
“I know how to handle myself,” Maddox reminds him.
“This isn’t something you’re a part of,” Rory wheezes out.
“And Bastian needs more backup than you right now,” Maddox says, not backing down.
“He’s right,” Jax agrees. “I’ll go with you two. Rory you’re going to find some kind of help for yourself and I’ll stay with Bastian. Maddox can stay with Zane.”
Rory goes to argue, but Bastian is quick to cut him off. “Sounds like a solid plan. You need to get that handled before I have to explain to Layla why you bled out.”
Rory growls but they leave together while Maddox and I continue to stand on each side of the adjoining hallway to Rossi. I hand Maddox the other gun I have on me. He checks the clip and turns off the safety.
“How in the hell did you two find out about this?” I whisper as we wait on Rossi to come out of the room.
“Anonymous tip,” he tells me. “Dane got a weird text with pictures of Cara and Tori. Tori looked rough at the time. Her eyes were black. She had stitches in her lip.”
I grind my teeth. That was from the last fight. I want to ask him more, figure out where these pictures came from, but Rossi starts moving.
We plaster ourselves against the wall remaining silent. I peak around the corner to see Tori fighting against him. I’m guessing she may have been unconscious before but she’s not now. Her struggle is weak. She is wincing and panting at every breath.
They walk through the exit at the end of the hallway. Maddox and I take off to follow. We walk out the door just as Jax and Bastian step into view of DeLuca and Rossi.
“Now what?” DeLuca hisses.
Rossi turns to me with a wicked grin on his mouth. “You really are stupid,” he says looking at me. I follow his eyes as he looks up to the roof of the building. A guy is standing with a gun aimed downward. I follow the line of sight, my stomach clenching when I realize it’s aimed right at Tori.
Jax and Bastian see too. They look at me sympathetically because we really have no plan here. If we make a move, they kill her. If we don’t, they take her.
“Let her go,” I grit out. “She has nothing to do with any of this.”
“No. She doesn’t. But I’ve been dying to get into that hot body of hers. Bet she’s a fucking hellcat.” My fist clench at my sides.
Jax and Bastian look to me again. He’s baiting me. I know it. They know it.
“What the fuck do you want?” Bastian growls out.
“I want what was supposed to be mine from you and McCabe,” he shrugs. “And I want lover boy here to suffer a little more. Like I did when he stole Lacy from me.”
“I didn’t steal her. You weren’t together anymore.”
“But we could’ve worked things out if you hadn’t come along. Now she’s gone and we’ll never get another chance.” Rossi turns his gun away from Tori to me while DeLuca keeps his aimed at Bastian and Jax. Maddox tenses at my side. I can feel him itching to pull the trigger of his gun.
I suck in a breath. Then another. I almost feel sorry for the sick son of a bitch. I can’t help but wonder what, exactly, pushed him over the edge. Losing Lacy? His father’s denial of him? Lacy’s death? His father’s?
The whirring sound of helicopter blades draws my attention for a split second. Long enough for me to realize it’s not just randomly flying over. I throw my eyes toward Bastian who looks just as shocked that there’s a helicopter about to land in the small space behind the event center in the middle of Chicago.
Rossi begins to smirk as he begins walking backward toward the chopper pulling Tori closer to him. I can’t let him take her. I won’t.
Fuck the nonexistent plan. Fuck keeping calm. Fuck it all.
Then I see a flicker in Tori’s eyes. Her mouth moves forming words with no sound.
I love you.
I’m sorry.
I see her take a painful breath.
Everything begins to move in slow motion.
I move toward her as f
ast as I can as she elbows Rossi. Somehow, she manages to get the gun away from him.
Stephano DeLuca hits the ground with a thud. Jax and Bastian scramble to put their guns on others who have made their way out to us.
I get between Tori and the shooter at the top of the building then quickly pull her away from Rossi. Another bullet flies catching him in the shoulder. It knocks him back, but he manages to get back to his feet and rushes to the chopper.
I’ve got Tori in my arms and feel like I can fucking breathe. Caught completely off guard, she pushes me out of the way, leaving me confused.
I see her legs wobble and know she is about to hit the ground. I grab her, easing her down.
The helicopter takes off with Bastian and Jax both shooting toward it. Maddox pops the last two guys that walked out. The shooter at the top of the building crashes to the ground.
Rossi may be getting away, but it feels like this shit is finished.
I look down to Tori lying in my arms and that’s when I see it. Blood pools and pours from beneath her hands. I look to her face that is so damn pale. Her breathing is shallow.
Jax comes sliding in beside me. He pulls off his jacket then this shirt. Bastian joins us on the ground. He lifts her hands to check the wound. Then turns her slightly in my lap. “Bullet’s still in there,” he grunts.
Jax presses his shirt over the wound to apply pressure.
“She’s needs a hospital. Now,” I hear Rory growl above us. He’s still panting and I’m not even sure when he reappeared. He must’ve been the one to get the rooftop shooter.
“I have someone coming,” I hear a heavy accent say.
I’m sitting here with her in my arms unable to move. The breath I had only minutes ago has left me, and the slower her heart gets the slower mine gets. “Zane,” I hear someone say but I can’t think. “Zane!”
I look up to see Jax staring at me with sympathetic eyes as do Bastian and Rory. I don’t want their sympathy. Sympathy implies she’s not going to make it.
She has to. Anything else is not an option.
I look at her pale face. She maneuvered that gun away from Rossi to protect me. She pushed me out of the way so I wouldn’t get shot. She saved me.