Fractured Hearts (Shattered Lives, Book Three)

by Blakeley, Rissa

  “Now, that’s what I call great fun!” Drew hollered in a sickening jovial tone.

  Dex, Malcolm, and Bas all laughed right along with him. Gunther seethed and tried to shake loose from their grip, but he was unsuccessful. Drew swung the gun down, striking Gunther’s ribs, making him yell in agony.

  Quinn screamed, “No, please! Please, stop!”

  Drew bent over Quinn. “What’s the matter, little whore? You don’t like to watch him hurt? Well, I enjoy making you watch. And when I’m done, you will shoot him and you’ll be mine. I’m going to take you to Roger and we’ll see what we’re going to do with you.”

  “Stay away from her!” Gunther coughed as he yelled.

  Drew laughed. “How are you going to stop me after I break every bone in your body?” Drew ran his cold hand down Quinn’s cheek. “Oh, this is bloody fantastic. We can use you as a breeding machine. So perfect…beautiful, curvy hips. And look at the size of this lad.” He tousled Grey’s hair.

  Gunther continued to flail around, trying to free himself, but the pain in his ribs nearly made him pass out.

  Drew stalked back to Gunther. He stared Drew down as he raised the rifle again. Gunther wasn’t going to allow him to get the best of him.

  “Fight me like a man,” Gunther challenged.

  Lowering the rifle just a touch, he tipped his head with a curious edge. “You want to fight me with your injuries?”

  “Yes,” Gunther growled in pain.

  “Gunther, no!”

  Drew looked back at Quinn and smiled. “Okay. I accept the challenge. No interference, lads. He’s all mine.” Drew handed the rifle to Bas.

  Gunther looked at Quinn and nodded. With bloodied lips, he mouthed, I love you. The devastation on her face pulled at him.

  As soon as he killed Drew, the others would be on him like a pack of wolves. There was no way he could deal with all of them with his injuries.

  Bas pulled Quinn to a standing position, and Dex and Malcolm let Gunther go. With his arm, he wiped the trail of the blood that was pouring from his nose and face. A growl escaped as he tried to adjust his beaten body.

  Gunther and Drew circled each other, looking for the prime moment to strike. Drew feigned toward Gunther, but he didn’t fall for it. Holding himself as strong as he could, he tried not to let his mind trail to Quinn and his children. He couldn’t allow himself to be distracted because Drew would sense it and strike.

  Someone feverishly pounded on our door. Elaina smacked my arm several times. “Henry, someone’s at the door.”

  “I don’t fucking care.” I snuggled closer to her. Her warmth comforted me.

  “It sounds urgent.”

  “Henry! There’s trouble!” the voice yelled while they pounded and tried the handle.

  I jumped up and pulled on my cargoes. Yanking open the door, I yelled, “What?!”

  “Out back,” Chris panicked. “There are some guys beating Gunther down, and they are holding Quinn, as well.”

  My heart beat out of my chest and thundered in my ears. I ran to my clothes, gearing up as I ran out the door. I turned and went back. “Elaina, I need you to get everyone locked in the weapons room. Protect yourselves. They’re here.” With a blank look on her face, she shook her head. “You can do this, love. I have faith in you. I love you.”

  I ran out the door to face one of my worst fears. Heading to the weapons room to grab rifles, Chris was hot on my tail. I handed him two axes.

  “Let’s go grab a few others. You will be fighting…hand-to-hand or with these. Can you do that?”

  “Yes.”

  “Then let’s roll.”

  Chris and I ran and grabbed Eli. I wasn’t sure if it was a good idea, but I needed the strength behind me. Elaina caught up to us. We grabbed Thomas and Josie as we jogged down the hall.

  “I need you two to chain and lock all entry points, except the back. Then you need to go stay in the weapons room. Understood? If anyone other than us comes near, shoot to kill.” Chris, Eli, and I ran toward the other wing, grabbing Jake on the way.

  Surprisingly, James volunteered. “Look, I know you don’t have a reason to trust me, but I don’t want anything to happen to Quinn. Or him. He loves her. She deserves that.”

  I wasn’t going to say no since we needed the manpower. I handed him a rifle, then we sprinted down the hall to the back door.

  Chapter 42

  Running to the scene, Quinn’s and Grey’s cries pierced the air. It was brutal on my emotions, but I had to push it down for the time being.

  “Stand down!” I screamed as we approached the already bloodied scene.

  The assailants all looked up and watched me and my riff raff come running toward them. I stopped and aimed my gun, noting Gunther was covered in blood.

  “Well, well, well. Look at what we have here. I was going to come in and get you, but since you came out on your own, you’ve made my mission that much easier. Are you going to save his pathetic arse?”

  “Fuck off, Drew,” I growled.

  “You two are such comedians. This is fantastic! Now I can drag you back to the ship. Roger will be so pleased to see you. Gunther’s whore has so wonderfully volunteered to put a bullet in his head after I get him to turn. Plus, she volunteered to breed for the program! All of this excitement is making me hard. Might have to do something about that.” He grinned at Gunther.

  Gunther took one quick look at me, then charged Drew, throwing his broken body into Drew’s chest, knocking the wind out of him. Gunther yelled in agony, as Drew fell backward. Gunther fell, straddling Drew’s chest, pinning his arms with his knees, pummeling his head. Blow after blow, the sickening sound of bones breaking filled the air. As the punches continued, he searched Drew and pulled a knife out from under his shirt. With one wave of the knife, Gunther slit Drew’s throat, then jammed the knife into his head.

  The knife dripped blood as Gunther got up, enraged and breathless, looking around for his next victim. Everyone was fighting somebody. Quinn was struggling against Bas and Gunther charged at him.

  After I took out Dex, I watched the horrific scene unfold. There was nothing I could have done as it all played out in slow motion.

  Bas raised the rifle, aiming it at Gunther, but then his lips twisted into a smile as he shifted his aim to Quinn.

  Gunther bellowed, “No!” His scream ricocheted off the woods behind us.

  Several pops added to the mayhem. Quinn fell to the ground, still cradling Grey in her arms. Gunther lunged at Bas, jamming his knife into his head before he could turn the gun on Gunther. Then he dropped to Quinn’s side.

  “Quinn! Grey! No, please don’t die. Please.” Gunther grabbed his son, who was crying hysterically. He peeled off the blood-soaked blankets, trying to see if Grey was injured. He was relieved to see he was fine.

  “Give him to me.” James knelt and tried to scoop the baby up. Gunther held him for a moment. “Please. He’ll be fine with me. Focus on Quinn.”

  Reluctantly, he handed his son over to James and turned his attention back to Quinn. Her breathing was ragged as blood trickled steadily from her mouth. Her eyes were panicked and blood poured out of the multiple gunshot wounds to her body.

  “Quinn…don’t die on me. I’m here, love. Please, stay with me. We can get Cora to fix you.” Her mouth opening and closing, nothing but burbled sounds came out. She tried to reach up to his face with her bloody hand, but it dropped. “Quinn! Quinn, please! Don’t…please. Quinn…,” he whimpered.

  Gunther pawed around her body, trying to apply pressure to all the wounds, but there were too many for him to cover. Her breathing staggered…

  Then she fell silent.

  No matter how much Gunther screamed at her, Quinn was unresponsive. Her face was blank and her eyes were fixed on the dreary sky above her. He pounded on her chest while trying to listen for her heart. As his head went to her chest again, he pulled her limp body to his broken one.

  It was most gut-wrenching thing I’d ever wit
nessed.

  “No! Please, God…no! I’m so sorry,” he sobbed. “I’m so sorry. No, not my love. No!” he cried, holding her, rocking her limp body, shaking all over.

  There were more gunshots behind him, but he didn’t care. Finally, I managed to make my feet move the short distance and ran up to Gunther. Reaching my hand down, I felt for a pulse.

  Nothing.

  She was gone.

  Putting my hand over Quinn’s open eyes, I closed her lids. I couldn’t bear to look into the blankness. “James, take Grey inside and give him to Cora. Then get Josie and Elaina. Tell Thomas to stand guard at the door, and bring the girls outside…armed.”

  James nodded and sped off back to the school.

  I knelt beside Gunther, who was still clutching Quinn, rocking her and desperately pleading for her to come back to him. He was nearly covered in blood. I placed a hand on Gunther’s shoulder.

  “She’s pregnant,” Gunther cried. “She told me before they showed up. She’s pregnant. Oh, god… I lost them both.” His sobs were choking me.

  “I’m so, so sorry, mate.” Tears trickled from my eyes, picturing myself just as Gunther was at that moment.

  “Why her? Why didn’t he kill me? Why? I promised her I would protect her and I would die for her. I broke my promise. I failed them,” he sobbed. “I failed…”

  “You did what you could, mate. She knows that. We will avenge her and your baby’s death. I promise you that,” I said roughly.

  The rest of the community waited silently in the weapons room, listening to every sound. They heard several gunshots and were on their last nerve, waiting for news.

  The faint sound of a crying baby seemed to get louder. Then someone was pounding on the door.

  “Elaina! Cora!”

  James.

  Elaina unlocked and whipped opened the door. He was holding a blood-covered Grey.

  “Oh, god!” Cora reached past Elaina and grabbed him. She stripped away his blankets, only to see he was unharmed. She hoisted him up on her shoulder, bouncing him, trying to calm him.

  “What happened?!” Elaina yelled.

  “It’s bad…really fucking bad.” His voice cracked. “Henry wanted me to grab Josie and you. You both need guns.” He was falling apart. She nodded in relief, knowing Henry was still alive. “Thomas, stay and stand guard here, please.”

  James, Josie, and Elaina ran back out toward the back entrance. “Tell me what happened!” Elaina yelled as they ran.

  James didn’t respond. They ran out the back door and sprinted toward the scene.

  Elaina stopped in her tracks when she saw Gunther holding a lifeless Quinn.

  I struggled to hold my emotions in as I stayed by Gunther’s side while he sobbed.

  “Oh no,” Elaina choked out as she reached us. Josie dropped to her knees next to him. She screamed like I have never heard before…worse than she did when Nick died. “Henry…”

  Glancing up at my love, the tears streamed down my face. I had to hug her and feel her. “Love…” When I jumped at her, she grabbed at my blood-covered clothing. I latched onto her and wasn’t about to let go.

  “Are you okay? Are you hurt?” she panicked, pawing at me.

  “I’m fine. Just a few cuts and scrapes. Does Cora have Grey?”

  She nodded and glanced around at the battered bodies. “Who are they?”

  “That was Drew, Malcolm, Dex, and Bas.” Then I whispered in her ear, “I need your help getting Quinn situated. I’m going to try to get Gunther to let go of her.” Elaina nodded again and began to cry. Listening to Gunther’s sobbing pierced my heart, pushing right through my polluted soul. I peeled away from Elaina, then addressed James, Eli, Chris, and Jake. “Strip them of any weapons or belongings, then drag their bodies into the woods.”

  Without a single question or hesitation, they all did as I instructed. I dropped down to Josie and held her for a minute while her jagged sobs tore through her little body. Elaina hung off to the side, unable to move.

  “Mate…” I put my hand on Gunther’s shoulder. “Come on… Let’s get her situated. We need to get you patched up.”

  “No! I don’t fucking care about me,” Gunther screamed. He continued to hold her body clutched to his chest.

  “Listen to me. We need to get you patched up. You’re bleeding pretty badly, and you need a fix. You’re graying.”

  “I don’t fucking care! I’m nothing without her,” he sobbed.

  Christ. My heart ached. I rubbed my palm over my chest. “I understand that, but you have a little lad in there who needs his father. She’ll always be with you through him.”

  Elaina decided to help me and knelt next to Gunther. He looked at her and was an absolute mess. His nose was broken, he had blood coming from his mouth, his face was split wide open, and he was in a terrible amount of pain.

  “Gunther…” She wrapped her arm around him. I tucked Josie into my body. “I would feel honored if we could lay her next to my brother. Can I help you carry her over?”

  “Carry them,” Gunther whispered.

  Elaina glanced at me and I shook my head slightly. She wasn’t understanding, but I needed her to try to talk Gunther into letting Quinn go.

  “Okay. Let’s carry them over there so we can get you fixed up. Grey needs you. No one can take care of him like his daddy can.” Elaina tried using the gentlest, most soothing voice her body would allow, but the sadness of the situation broke her words as they came out.

  Gunther began to stand, gripping Quinn’s body, then sank back down.

  “I can’t carry them. My ribs or something… Something’s not right.” He was completely defeated and looked at me with the eyes of a dead man—blank, withdrawn, hollow.

  I would never forget it.

  “Here, Elaina. Take Josie.” Elaina moved to her and Josie clung on.

  Reluctantly, Gunther stood, leaving Quinn on the ground. “Be careful with them. Please, be gentle,” he choked out.

  “I will, mate. I would never do anything to harm them. Walk with me.”

  Squatting, I scooped up Quinn’s lifeless body as easily as I could. Gunther, Josie, and Elaina followed behind me as we walked Quinn to our small graveyard.

  When I lay her down on the ground, I couldn’t see where she was shot because she was covered in so much blood. I took a moment and adjusted her body so she was lying flat, situating her hands so they lay lovingly across her abdomen.

  Gunther dropped down and rested his forehead on her hands. I watched him kiss her hands and her abdomen, then he crawled to her face and kissed her forehead. He whispered something in her ear, then grabbed the sides of her face and put his forehead to hers.

  “I love you. I love you so fucking much. I broke my promise to you, but please know I will do whatever I can to raise Grey to be proper as you would have wanted him to be. I’ll miss you every second of this sentence and will endure it for my lad. I beg for your forgiveness…” He looked to the sky. “Fuck you! It should have been me!” he screamed in justified anger, clutching at his own chest. “Two innocents lost in the wake of my mess,” he whispered in defeat.

  The tears ran down both sides of his face, taking some of the blood with them. Then Josie sat with Gunther and they held each other while they grieved for their beloved Quinn.

  I stepped back to give them space and wrapped my arm around Elaina. I leaned toward her. “Just before she died, she told him she was pregnant.” She nodded and the tears flowed heavier from our eyes.

  Holding a blanket tight to his chest, James approached. “We should cover her,” he murmured. The grief in his eyes was unsettling. I almost stopped him as he went to Gunther, fearing what would happen, but James offered him the blanket. Gunther looked up at him. With a rough voice, James said, “I would be honored if you would allow me to help you.”

  Surprisingly, Gunther accepted his offer. The two men, who once were on opposite sides, held the blanket and gently pulled it over her, pausing at her abdomen, then placed it
over her head.

  Gunther looked up at me and I could feel the rage brewing inside of him. “Where’s Grey?” he growled.

  “Cora has him,” Elaina replied. “He’s fine. She looked him over.” He inhaled as much as he could and released a jagged breath. “Come on. Let’s get you inside so we can get you fixed up. Then you can cuddle with your baby boy.”

  Gunther hung his head. When he stood, Elaina put her arm around him and walked him back inside. The pain from his injuries prevented him from going too far at one time. He needed a break so Elaina dropped him, Josie, and me off in the cafeteria while she went to get Cora. The others tagged along with her.

  Elaina opened the door and almost dropped to her knees, but James caught her. “Cora…,” she choked out. “Gunther needs you.”

  “What happened?!”

  “Quinn…” She couldn’t say it—didn’t want to say it. The words would not escape her lips and disappeared from her throat, but Cora understood. Her eyes welled. “Gunther has some significant facial injuries and maybe some broken ribs. I’m not sure, but it’s bad.”

  With Grey propped on her shoulder, Cora took Elaina’s hand and they walked to the clinic. “How’s Josie?” she asked.

  “A wreck.”

  Cora handed Grey to Elaina. He was fussy, and she had no idea how to calm a baby, but had a feeling he was hungry or he needed his mother. Elaina’s heart sank again, knowing he would never remember her.

  “I’m going to go get Gunther. He’s in the cafeteria. He needed to stop for a minute because he’s in a lot of pain.”

  Cora set up the medical supplies she thought she would need as Elaina left the room.

  When Elaina made it to the cafeteria, Henry had already left to go address the others. Josie was holding onto Gunther, whose head was resting on his forearms. When he heard Grey fussing, he looked up, jaw trembling.

  “It’s okay. I have him for the moment. Let’s get you to the clinic. Cora is getting it ready for you.”

  Josie helped Gunther stand and they walked him to the clinic—one foot in front of the other.