His eyes are moving over every possible angle, searching for weaknesses and assessing the situation. I can literally see him being split in two. He’s fighting the urge to be the man he was created to be and the man who I’ve slowly gotten to know. The cold blooded killer in him would take the shot without fear of hitting me. But the man who has laid beside me in bed, fought off his demons in my presence, and spent every moment he could inside of me is holding back.
Before he can come to any sort of a decision, the knife in Andrei’s hand slices down my chest in a sharp shock of pain. My mouth opens and the faintest sound spills from my lips as I glance down to see blood dripping from the long gash.
Ronan’s lunging towards us again, but Andrei was prepared for this. The sharp object has disappeared from my back. And before I have time to scream or warn him, the second knife is sailing through the air and into Ronan’s stomach.
A shot goes off, and I have no idea where it came from. But the heavy weight around me falls away, and I turn around to check. That’s when I see Scarlett standing there, wielding a gun in one hand and a knife in the other. She’s completely unhinged, her eyes dark and filled with a thirst for bloodlust. I know because I’ve seen that same look on Ronan’s face many times before.
Andrei is lying on the floor, bleeding from the leg. Scarlett moves closer and stares down at him with a smile on her face that scares me a little. But the reason is stamped in her eyes for all to see. This is the man who hurt her too.
She kneels beside him, digging the tip of her knife into his cheek and dragging it over his face.
“You’re not the only one who likes to play with knives.” Her eyes flick down to his leg wound. “But I guess you bleed red just like everyone else.”
It’s obvious what she’s going to do. What she wants to do. And I can’t handle watching it. I spin back around and run towards Ronan, who is leaning against the wall for support. His eyes are glued to the scene before him, and the man I thought could never be shocked finally is. His face is awash with bewilderment as he watches Scarlett carve up the man on the floor behind me. He’s clutching at his wound, and I’m afraid to get a good look at it. Because I don’t want to see. I don’t want to see Ronan hurt, or worse. I can’t handle that.
I whisper his name, and his attention moves to me, some of the haziness disappearing from his eyes. Tears are leaking down my face, and I’m sniffling. I just keep repeating his name, staring at his blood soaked shirt. Fingers graze my cheek, and then I hear the sweetest sound in the world. His voice.
“Shhh,” he whispers. “It’s alright. I’ve got you.”
And just like that, I forget everything else for a second. He pulls me closer and kisses my forehead, untangling the mess of hair around my face.
“Sasha.”
My name sounds like a revelation on his lips. His palm moves to the cut on my chest and he smears some of the blood onto his skin, which serves to strengthen his resolve. He kisses me twice more before pulling away. I grab onto the lapels of his suit because I know what he’s doing. I don’t want him to go kill that man Scarlett’s hurting. I don’t want him to go anywhere.
“Ronan.”
My hand is wet, and when I look down, it’s covered in his blood. It’s getting worse. And it’s too much.
“We need to go.”
I can’t lose him. Not now. Not ever.
“I have business with Andrei,” he argues.
His words are firm, but his body is weak. Fortitude isn’t going to win out this time. He wants to kill the man who hurt me. And maybe a part of me wants that too. But right now, his bleeding wound takes precedence.
“Ronan, I need you,” I tell him. “Our baby needs you. Okay? That’s all that matters. And if we don’t get you into the car right this minute…”
“She’s right,” a voice interrupts from behind me.
I turn to find Rory standing there, his eyes fixed on Ronan’s blood soaked shirt.
“Get in the car, Fitz. I’ll finish off Andrei.”
Ronan shakes his head, stubborn as ever. “He’s mine. I’ll be the one to finish him.”
All of our eyes move to the man in question, who Scarlett has done quite a number on already. His face and arms and chest are all covered in cuts now, and she’s holding the knife to his throat.
“I’m going to finish him,” she announces.
Rory shakes his head and yanks her up to her feet without an ounce of finesse. She tries to shove him away, but he holds her steady and kicks Andrei in the face when he moans.
“I won’t allow ye to have that on your conscience,” he says to her. “No matter how tough you think ye are Scarlett. I will not abide by it.”
His voice is hard. Harder than I’ve ever known it to be. And Scarlett is looking up at him with glassy eyes. I don’t know what’s going on between these two, but Rory’s words affect her. She listens to him, her shoulders falling in defeat. Then she glances back at Ronan, and she gives him a little nod.
“He’s all yours.”
“I’ll put him in the boot,” Rory offers, as if this is totally normal. “You’ll have all the time ye like with him later. Just get your arse in the car.”
Ronan tries to take a step towards the stairs, but his balance is off and he has to cling to the wall. I wrap an arm around his waist and turn back towards Rory.