Page 144 of The Bonding Games: Part 1

45

TATE

“HAVOC, NO!”

For a moment, I go someplace else, the world quieting, my ears ringing to muffle terror-filled shouts. Everything moves in slow motion, hazy figures around me rushing forwards, trying to take her from me.

But I won’t let go.

My face is wet, I faintly feel, and that’s never happened before.

I didn’t know I could cry.

I’ve teared up with my girl before, sure. But I thought I was incapable of anything this extreme.

Havoc, Havoc, Havoc . . .

Maybe they were right, though—maybe I am insane. Maybe people, my parents, were right. Because it feels . . . as though I’m . . .

slipping . . .

away . . .

“. . . e’s okay . . . alive . . .”

The words penetrate the fog enough for me to come back, a ragged, sharp breath dragging itself into my starved lungs.

And I make myself stay.

Okay.

Alive.

As long as she’s alive, so am I. I will always be wherever she is.

So I return to myself, to my Havoc, ready to be whatever she needs me to be to take care of her.

46

COOPER

When Ezla falls perfectly still, my heart stops. My face goes slack, and I think, What kind of sickness has my mind conjured up now? Have I not been through enough shit, so it has to plague me with nightmares, too?

But this isn’t inside my head.

It’s a nightmare, yes.

But it’s a real one.

“Vengeance!” my unfettered bellow is a chorus with all the other men’s panicked voices as I lunge forwards, no one worried about crowding our Bonded now when she’s fucking gone!

My eyes sear into Scotty’s fingers as they shake with the force of a damn earthquake when they search for a pulse on her neck. I also don’t miss that after Tate’s initial roar, he’s fallen utterly soundless and motionless, but I don’t have the capacity to worry about the larger man when all of that particular gut-wrenching emotion is lasered in on our girl.

One second . . .

two seconds . . .

three . . .