Page 97 of Firefly
“Enough,” I snap. “You know damn well Reid wouldn’t knowingly put us in harm’s way.”
Silence settles heavily inside the SUV after that. Because despite everything… we all know it’s true.
Reid might be reckless. Secretive and annoying as hell lately, but he protects his people viciously.
And that realization sits ugly in all our stomachs during the drive back to the warehouse.
The adrenaline starts wearing off the longer we’re on the road. Which means the pain finally settles in too.
By the time we finally pull into the warehouse lot, Stone’s gone paler from all the blood loss. Bianca’s covered in bruises and grime, and my entire left side throbs like crazy where that asshole slammed me against the container.But we’re alive. Barely.
The warehouse feels eerily quiet when we stumble inside. No music tonight. No party. Just exhaustion and the lingering smell of gasoline and old smoke trapped inside the walls.
Stone collapses onto the couch with a pained groan while Bianca immediately starts barking orders at Asher for medical supplies.
“Don’t die on my fucking couch,” she warns him.
“Your concern is touching.”
“You’ll stain it.”
I would laugh if I didn’t feel like my entire body got hit by a truck.
Instead, I sink slowly onto the floor, staring blankly at my bloody hands while the adrenaline crash hits me like a freight train.
Asher comes over and sets down a plastic tub of water and a sponge for me to wash my hands.
“Thank you,” I whisper, but he doesn’t say anything. Just walks away to help Bianca with Stone.
I pick up the sponge with shaky hands and try to clean blood off my knuckles.
The guy’s blood. The one I stabbed. The one who almost killed me.
My stomach twists remembering the click of the gun beside my head. The pressure against my temple. His voice. The certainty I was about to die there alone in the dark.
And through all of it… all I could think about was Hayden. Not my father. Not Brayden. Not even myself. Just him. Becausewhen that gun pressed against my skin…when I thought my life was over… he was the only thing my heart reached for. The thought wrecks me quietly.
Because no matter how angry I get at him… no matter how toxic and impossible we are together… my soul still screams for him first. Always him.
My eyes burn suddenly. Fuck.
So I grab my phone with trembling fingers before I can think myself out of it.
Me:
Come see me. I’m at the warehouse.
No response. Of course not.
Me:
Please Hayden.
Still nothing. My chest tightens painfully as B watches me carefully from across the room while wrapping Stone’s side. “Text him the truth.”
I swallow hard. Then type.
Me:
