“He was my brother as well, asshole!” King yells, causing Ally to flinch.
“Was?” King flinches.
“I meantis.” I shake my head.
“Nah, you meant what you said. Don’t fucking go near her, she’s mine to fucking play with.” I look back to Allison next. “If she doesn’t break in three weeks, Bishop is putting an end to your blockade. I’m coming for the kid, Allison.” Her eyes widen in horror. I don’t wait for a reply as I turn and head back to the house to wash the fucking blood off me, then watch her on my laptop, torturing myself some more in the process.
* * *
One week later…
It’s around two in the morning, I managed to get a few hours of sleep before nightmares plagued it. For the first time since I was a kid the nightmares don’t involve Christine, they are based around Rook and Koby. I torment her every day and torture her mind, for nearly two weeks. I have kept her barely fed and watered—she’s so sleep deprived, that I’m banking on her breaking within a few more days. I made a vow to her weeks ago that I would never lay a hand on her. I broke that vow when I choked her and reopened her wound. I’ve felt like shit ever since doing it, so I let Mike do the damage. The first day I let him punch her, I broke his nose the moment we left the bunker.
I hate that I can’t allow myself to hurt her the way she deserves, she needs to suffer but I can’t be the fucking one to do it! I can’t even stand by and let the others do it. I tug on the strands of my hair as I sit up in bed. I reach over and grab my laptop, opening the lid, the video of her pops up immediately. The sight of her has me stiffening. I zoom in on her, what I see has me leaping from the bed and running from the house heading to the bunker. Ronnie sees me approaching and stands tall looking around for the threat.
“Give me the fucking key!” I yell. He digs through his pocket and tosses me the key. I race down the concrete steps ignoring the bite of cold on my bare feet, I’m shirtless and only in a pair of sweats. I shove the key in the lock then push the door open. I don’t pause, knowing exactly where she is. I bend down beside her as she lays in a pool of her own vomit, a thick sheen of sweat coats her entire upper body. I roll her from her side to her back and rip the gauze off her shoulder and fight the gag that wants to break free. “Get the fucking doctor now!” I scream at Ronnie, who followed me in. I scoop her in my arms and race out of here, her body burning against mine. She is limp in my arms and doesn’t even stir. I look down at her as I race across the lawn heading straight toward the house. Her wound is weeping with puss, the whole area red, inflamed and swollen.
I scream for Bishop and King as soon as I’m in the living room, place her on the couch gently and hear the thundering of footsteps coming down the stairs. I peer over my shoulder to see both my brothers in the same attire as me with their guns drawn. They lower their guns the moment they see me crouched beside Koby. They rush over and peer down at her, fear is clawing its way up my throat.
“What the fuck happened?” Bishop demands. Ally and Kiara come rushing down the stairs at that moment, both of them wear looks of concern.
“What’s going on?” Ally asks. I shake my head, unable to answer their questions.
“Her wounds infected.” The five of us turn toward the backdoor that I just came through to see Gage standing there with Luka beside him. I jump to my feet, flying across the room in seconds with him shoved up against the wall and my forearm pushed against his throat.
“How the fuck do you know that?” Gage doesn’t falter in his response.
“Because I had Luka loop your feed so I could check her. She refused my help and antibiotics.” His honest answer stuns me. I drop my hold on him and back up a step.
“Why?” Bishop’s one word holds so much fucking power. If Gage answers him wrong he’ll end up with a bullet between his eyes. He defied a direct order from the Don to stay the fuck out of the bunker.
“If you can’t see what I do, then you’re a fool.” Sure enough I hear a gun cock behind me.
“Bish no!” Kiara pleads. Gage pulls his gaze from Bishop to look at me, ignoring Bishop and Kiara as she tries to fight for his life.
“You can’t harm her because you love her, losing…himhurts you but losing the first girl who has loved you for you would shatter you. I guarantee you, that is why Rook chose to save her instead of himself. He knew what she means to you, even if he hated it.” His words have me stumbling back until I drop into one of the seats. Gage follows me and crouches down in front of me, placing a hand on my knee. “Loving her doesn’t make you weak, Knight. Loving her proves you are strong, because being in this life, love will always cost you.”
“Doc’s here!” My gaze snaps toward the front door where Ronnie and the Doctor stand. Gage and I both stand at the same time moving toward Koby. The doc doesn’t need directions, he spots Koby and moves straight toward her getting to work, he pulls things from his bag and lays them on the coffee table. He looks to Bishop as he pulls on a pair of latex gloves.
“Anything I should know?” Bishop cuts his gaze to me, the doctor looks to me expectantly. “I need an answer.”
“I don’t know what you’re asking me.” I say. He releases a frustrated sigh before he answers.
“Does she have any health concerns? Allergies? Chance of being pregnant?” His last question has me freezing in place.
Could she be pregnant?
“We don’t know, can you just save the fucking girl, Doc. Her wound is infected. Treat that and we’ll worry about the other shit later.” I never thought I would ever be grateful for Gage, but right now I am.
Knight
The doc had no choice but to call in the help of his private nurses, two of them came to assist the doc. They cleaned Koby and her wounds, each of them shooting me disapproving looks, but I ignore them. They aren’t fucking paid to judge or have an opinion. They’re paid to fix us and keep their fucking mouths shut. The doctor set her up with an IV to get fluids through and also a bag of antibiotics. Bishop had Koby moved to the spare room downstairs. They have been working on her for nearly two hours and it’s fucking grinding every nerve inside me to not know what’s happening inside that room since the doc had King and Bishop drag me out.
“Knight?” The sound of Ally’s voice breaks through my inner thoughts pulling back to the present. I look around the living room to find Gage sitting in the other single chair. Kiara is asleep in Bishop’s lap whilst Ally sits next to King on the love seat.
“Yeah?” My voice is coarse and rough.
“She’s gonna be okay.” How the fuck can she know that?