Infinite Ties (All That Remains #3)

by S. M. Shade

  “We should help…” I gesture toward the lobby.

  “After we clear these rooms. Stick to the plan. Get the kids.”

  A shrill scream breaks through the chaos. “No! Airen!” Terror distorts Airen’s features, and my heart comes to a complete stop as we recognize the cry for help.

  “Abby!” There’s no more orderly checking of rooms. Airen and I kick open each door in search of our girl. Oh fuck. What are they doing to her? If they hurt her…

  Troy ushers another terrified woman to safety as Airen kicks down the last door. The sight we’re met with will haunt me until I die. A large man has Abby pinned face first against the wall, her pants around her ankles. Screaming and crying, she fights as he positions himself. We can’t shoot without the risk of hitting her. Airen tackles him, knocking him to the ground. His gun lies forgotten as he pounds the man’s face with his fists.

  “Joseph!” Troy’s voice calls out, and I look up just in time to see a tall blond guy pull the trigger. Where the fuck did he come from? Plaster flies from the wall beside me, the air from the bullet buffering my cheek. The man is forced backward when Troy empties his gun, mostly into the man’s chest. Airen continues to beat the man who attacked Abby, the sound of cracking bone echoing through the room.

  Abby flinches when I step up behind her. “Easy, ladybug, it’s me. I’ve got you.” Her expression is heartbreaking. Confusion and terror have stolen her ability to understand. She lets me pull up her panties and jeans, and thank fuck, it doesn’t look like he hurt her. There’s no blood or evidence that we were too late.

  Gary and Nic step into the room. “What the fuck?” Nic curses. “Airen!” Airen swings at Nic when he tries to pull him off the bloody pile. “He’s dead, Holder! They’re all dead. Stop it. Look at your wife. She’s bleeding. We have to go.”

  What? My eyes travel over Abby from head to toe, widening at the sight of blood soaking through the right leg of her jeans. “Did he shoot her?” Gary demands.

  “No, I think…maybe a ricochet.” Troy looks devastated. “There was so much gunfire.”

  Airen scoops Abby into his arms. “Get her to the SUV,” Nic orders, following him. “Gary, get everybody together. Women, kids, everyone. Get ready to follow us.”

  * * * *

  “Shit! Nic, she’s still unconscious.” Airen’s voice is teeming with fear.

  “She’s lost a lot of blood. I’ve stopped the bleeding, but…” My spine turns to ice as Nic shakes his head.

  Airen and Nic sit in the backseat with Abby’s limp body laid across their laps while Troy drives the borrowed SUV like we stole it. “But what? Can’t we give her some blood?” I ask. Shit, I’ll shove a tube in my arm right now.

  “Do you know her blood type?”

  “What? No…I don’t know.”

  Airen’s face pales as he whispers, “O negative.”

  “She’s O negative? Are you sure?” Nic questions.

  “No, I’m O negative. Uni-universal donor,” he stammers.

  “Troy, take us to Home Medical Supply on Tinner Street. Do you know how to get there?”

  “Yeah, I got it.” They hold Abby as he takes a tight corner.

  Airen’s eyes meet mine. “Joseph, you’ll have to…restrain me. T-tie me up,” he says, panic stealing his breath.

  “I know, buddy.” His fear is palpable, and I’m whisked back to the sound of a car horn in the dead of night. Memories of Airen lying still and feverish. Even in his weakened state, he fought us over the IV. I’ve never seen anyone as phobic of needles, of anything, but this is Abby, and he’d face hell for her any day, as he’s about to demonstrate.

  Noting the confused expressions of the others, I quickly explain while Airen hangs his head, embarrassed, and focuses on our girl. “Hang on, darlin’. You’re going to be fine,” he murmurs, sweeping a lock of hair from her sweaty forehead.

  Tears roll down my face when she remains unresponsive. “Nic, did the bullet go all the way through?”

  “No, it’s lodged in her thigh.”

  “Oh, God.”

  “We’ll deal with it,” he assures me, his voice firm and strong. “Blood first, then we remove the bullet. You two need to keep your shit together and do what I tell you. Understand?” He sounds every bit the military man.

  “Yes,” I reply, relieved to hear my voice is steady.

  “Holder?” Nic insists.

  “I’m good. Just tell me you can save her.”

  “I know what I’m doing,” he replies, ignoring Airen’s plea.

  “Nic. Don’t…she can’t die. I can’t…we can’t lose her. She’s…everything…she...”

  “I know. Save it to tell her when it’s over. Right now, keep it together.”

  “We’re here,” Troy announces, turning into a crumbling parking lot.

  The medical supply shop is dimly lit by sunlight pouring through the plate glass windows. The faint smell of plastic and rubber hangs in the air. As Airen begins to lower Abby onto a small leather couch, Nic shakes his head. “No. Clear the counter under the window. I need her on a flat surface where there’s light.”

  Airen murmurs something to Gary, and he darts off into the gloom. Abby doesn’t make a sound when Airen gently places her on the counter. Nic returns with a pile of medical supplies just as Gary shows up pushing a wheelchair filled with rubber tourniquets. Nic slices up the sides of Abby’s jeans, leaving her in a pair of blood soaked panties. “Sorry, doll,” he mumbles under his breath, “but I have to see.” Airen pales at the sight of the hole in her leg, now slowly oozing blood. “Get ready,” Nic barks at him. “She needs blood.”

  Airen sits in the wheelchair, his body trembling hard enough to rattle the frame. “No matter what I say or d-do, you take what you need. I’ll freak out…fight…can’t help it.”

  Gary nods. “I can handle you.” He wraps the rubber tourniquets around his feet and ankles, tying them securely to the legs and footrests. “Put your arms on the arm rests, wrists up,” he directs.

  Sweat drips from every pore on his face, and I can smell his fear. “Troy,” I call. “Please stay with Abby for a minute.” I hate to leave her, and Airen begins to object, but I interrupt. “She’s out, beautiful, and we’re only a few feet away.”

  “I’ve got her, Airen,” Troy assures him, taking Abby’s slack hand.

  “Is it the sight of blood that sets you off?” Nic asks, unfurling a length of tubing and a bag.

  “It’s more the needle,” I answer for him as I see the panic starting to take control.

  “Fuck! I can’t! Not like this…let me up!” His body arches away from the seat and Gary instantly shoves him back down.

  “No, you don’t.” He holds him firm while Eric runs a length of rope around his hips, pinning him down. Now all he can move is his head.

  “Fuck! No! Joey…please.” God, my heart goes out to him, not just for how he’s suffering now, but for how he’ll feel later when he realizes everyone saw him lose control. There’s not a man alive who wants to be seen this way. Begging, crying, completely vulnerable. He turns his head into my chest when I step up beside him, and I hold him there, helping him hide. “I can’t, I can’t, Joey.”

  “I’ve got you. Listen to me. Can you hear me?” His head nods frantically, his chest jerking as he fights for air through the panic attack. “What color are Abby’s eyes?”

  “Wha…?”

  I lean to whisper in his ear. “Picture them. What color?”

  “Br-brown, but there’s gold, a ring of gold around the center, flecks of yellow.”

  “And those freckles on the back of her thigh, the ones you love to kiss, how many are there?”

  A deep breath raises his chest before he answers, “Three…Fuck,” he hisses as Nic sticks him in the bend of his arm. “Get it out,” he pleads.

  “Close your eyes.”

  “Joey.”

  “Close them.” When his eyes slide shut, I plant a soft kiss under his ear and whisper, “Think ab
out Abigail, babe. How smooth her skin is, how good she tastes. The way her cheeks turn red when she’s embarrassed, how the blush spreads down her chest.”

  “Christ, Joey.” His breathing slows as he concentrates on my words.

  “Remember the way her hair brushes her nipples when she rides you, making them hard. That little whimper just before she comes. Isn’t that the most amazing fucking sound?”

  “Yes,” he breathes.

  “The sound of her voice, begging. Begging for it. Harder and faster. Our little wildcat.”

  “I’ve got enough,” Nic announces, and adds with a chuckle, “I don’t know what you were telling him, but he definitely doesn’t have a shortage of blood.”

  “Fuck off, Nic,” Airen murmurs, embarrassed by the visible hard on in his jeans. Airen’s whole body relaxes when Nic removes the needle. “Abby?” he asks, staring past me as Gary unties him.

  “Still out,” Troy replies.

  Before he heads to her, Airen pulls me into him, hugging me so hard I can’t breathe. “Thank you,” he chokes.

  “You did great. Let’s take care of our girl.”

  Airen climbs onto the counter and sits cross legged, placing Abby’s head in his lap while I wrap my fingers around her palm. He looks away when Nic inserts the IV and hangs the bag of blood. After scribbling a list of drugs on a scrap of paper, Nic sends Eric back to the pharmacy counter to locate them. While he’s waiting, he cleans the blood from Abby’s leg and studies the wound.

  “It’s not too deep. I can see it. It must have ricocheted before it hit her.”

  “Can you remove it?” I ask.

  “Yes, but it won’t be pretty.” He regards Airen and adds, “You should take a little walk.”

  “I’m not leaving her.”

  A small whimper draws our attention to Abby, and her eyes flutter open. “Oh!” she cries, her hand reaching for the bullet hole in her thigh.

  “No, sweetheart. Don’t touch. You’re okay,” Nic assures her. Airen holds her shoulders, preventing her from sitting up when she tries.

  “Be still, darlin’. You’ve got an IV.”

  “It hurts,” she squeaks. “Burns.”

  “I know, doll,” Nic replies. “We’re going to take care of that. Are you allergic to anything?”

  “No,” she replies, her voice a little stronger. “I feel so weak.”

  “You lost a lot of blood,” I tell her, squeezing her hand.

  “We’re giving you blood, so you’ll feel stronger soon,” Nic adds.

  “Blood? Whose?”

  “Airen’s,” I reply with a grin, and she gazes up at him.

  “Your blood?” Her voice is barely a murmur, her eyelids growing heavy.

  “I have to be inside of you one way or another.”

  A small grin curls her lips. “Beast.”

  “You know you like it,” Airen whispers, kissing her forehead. He throws a worried look at Nic when she falls back to sleep.

  “Give her time to rest. She’s asleep, not unconscious. Her brain is giving her an out, relieving her pain.” When Airen’s blood has been successfully transferred to Abby along with a bag of fluids, Nic regards us. “I need to get started while we have enough light.”

  Nodding, Airen leans to kiss Abby’s lips. “Sweetheart, can you hear me? Can you open your eyes?”

  “Air?”

  “How do you feel?”

  “It really hurts.”

  “I’m sorry, baby, but Nic has to get the bullet out, then you’ll feel better.” Her eyes widen and she attempts to sit up. Airen helps her get upright as Nic sits beside her.

  “Have you done this before?” she asks.

  “No, but I’ve been trained. I can do it.”

  Glancing at us gathered around the table, she giggles. “I feel like I’m in an old western. You aren’t going to pour whiskey on it first, are you?”

  Nic chuckles. “You’re one in a million, Abby. I’m going to give you a drug that’ll put you in a twilight state, not unconscious, but you’ll be out of it. Then I’ll use hemostat’s to remove the bullet, disinfect the wound, and stitch it up. You probably won’t remember much.”

  “But it’s still going to hurt like hell,” she guesses.

  “Afraid so.”

  “Can’t you put her out?” Airen demands.

  “I’m not an anesthesiologist. We can’t risk it.”

  “I’ll be okay,” she tells Airen, taking his hand. “But I don’t want you to watch. Please, go outside until he’s done.”

  “Forget it, Abigail. I’m staying right here.”

  Abby’s gaze lands on me, pleading for help. “Airen, you freak out when she cuts her finger. This is going to be…bad.”

  “I’ll deal,” he growls. Shifting his gaze to Abby, he says, “I’m not failing you again.”

  “Air, don’t say that. You’ve never failed me, but if you stay I’ll be worried about you. It’ll make it harder. You made this relationship possible, brought us together. You’ve trusted Joseph with me every step of the way, now let him do this, please.”

  Before he can protest, I embrace him, and murmur in his ear, “You saved her, you gave her blood. Let me help her now. I can get our girl through this. I can be strong for her.”

  Swallowing hard, he nods. Abby squeezes his hand and says, “I love you. I’m sorry I didn’t listen.”

  “I love you, darlin’.” He leans to whisper his next words so the others won’t hear. “After you’ve healed, your ass has a date with my palm for not listening.”

  “Looking forward to it.” Her arms circle his neck, and she kisses his jaw. “Go away so Nic can play Operation. Ignore the buzzing sounds.”

  “Come on, Airen, I’ll go out with you,” Troy volunteers.

  Abby grabs Troy’s arm. “Get him far enough away that he won’t hear me scream.”

  “I promise. You’ll be okay. Nic knows what he’s doing.” Troy kisses her forehead.

  “Can I have a minute with Joseph before you start?” Abby asks Nic, who nods and clears the room. As soon as I sit beside her, she embraces me, her face against my neck. “I’m so scared,” she sobs. “It hurts so bad, even to touch, and he’s going to dig around…I can’t do this.”

  “Shh…sweetheart, my girl, you’ll be okay.” She sobs into my shoulder, releasing the pain and fear she hid from the others, even Airen. It tears me apart, devastates me, to see her hurting like this, but I’m glad she can come to me when she is. That she doesn’t have to hide it from me. It’s something we have that’s only ours. Of course Airen sees her cry, sometimes she can’t help it, but she hates to show weakness around him when he’s always so strong.

  It took a long time to get Abby to open up and trust me, to turn to me for comfort the way I do her. I’m awed and touched at her trust in me. Unfortunately, there’s nothing I can do for her now. I can’t take away her pain or make the next hour any less horrifying. “Listen to me, ladybug. You can do this, my brave girl.”

  “Brave,” she scoffs. “I’m terrified.”

  “Bravery doesn’t mean you aren’t afraid. You know that. It takes courage to face our fears, even if we do it screaming and fighting. Even if we don’t do it by choice. And you can do this. I just watched Airen ask Gary and Nic to tie him to a chair and take his blood. He knew he had to, there wasn’t really a choice, but it took tremendous courage. Especially because he knew how he’d react in front of everyone.” I slip my hand beneath her chin and gaze into frightened brown eyes. “And you have more courage than Airen and I combined, more than anyone I’ve ever met.”

  Wiping her eyes, she leans against me. “Okay, get Nic before I change my mind.”

  As the others return, Abby shakes her head, upset at being seen like this. “Just Nic.”

  Nic waves at Eric, who nods and leads the others outside. “I need Gary to help hold you still.” His face softens at Abby’s reluctant nod. “Don’t look so terrified, doll. I’m going to give you a shot, and it’ll be over quick
. Turn toward Joseph, the injection goes in a buttock.”

  “Of course it does,” Abby replies with a sigh. Gary politely turns away while Nic peels down the back of Abby’s panties. All I can think is that Airen would be losing it. I know Nic’s gay and I still don’t like the sight. “Ah, it burns,” Abby complains.

  “It’ll stop when the meds disperse,” Nic says, rubbing the injection site. “Joseph, massage this spot for a moment and it’ll help.”

  Abby grins up at Nic as I take over and says, “You were doing fine.”

  A smile breaks across Nic’s face and he laughs at Abby’s flirting. “You have a gorgeous behind, love.”

  “Mmm,” Abby agrees. “Airen likes it. He likes Joseph’s too. It’s firmer than mine. Firmer. Fir-mmmer. That’s a funny word.”

  “Stuff works fast,” I remark, pulling Abby’s panties back into place, and trying not to laugh.

  “Okay, I want you to lie still, Abigail. Gary’s going to hold your leg steady for me, but Joseph will be right beside you. Understand?”

  “Sure,” she chirps. “Christ, you’re gorgeous. Your eyes are so blue.” Oh yeah, she’s out of it. Gary bites his lip to restrain his laughter, and Nic grins down at her as he swabs the wound and the hemostat one more time. “Why, thank you. You’re quite lovely yourself.”

  “Nah, I’m ugly,” she scoffs. “But Airen and Joseph don’t mind.” I shake my head at him as he goes to protest, and Abby keeps babbling. “Joseph’s lips are sexy, though. And his dimples. Airen calls him dimples.” This time both Gary and Nic laugh aloud.

  “Okay, Abby,” I reply, trying not to giggle. “It’s time to be quiet a moment and let Nic work.” Before you announce all our secrets.

  “Okay.” I’m rewarded with a sunny smile. It doesn’t last long. She jerks when Nic gently stretches the opening of the bullet wound to see inside. “That hurt!” she cries indignantly.

  “I know, love. It’s going to hurt, but we have to do it.” He adjusts the angle of the light clipped to his head, and turns to Gary. “Hold her.”