Viv

The house Jade drives us to isn’t the same one I overnighted at, but it looks similar. I guess that’s the point—blending in. She’s even driving a simple Toyota Camry instead of the tricked-out Audi I saw her getting into this morning. I take mental notes, because all of these little details will help me do the job Reina hired me for.

After parking, Jade walks with purpose towards the front door, and I follow her, trying to match her stride. Everything is quiet on this street, and nothing seems out of the ordinary when the woman opens the door. She looks scared, but so did I for those first few days after I escaped.

“I wasn’t expecting you so early,” the woman says, and now I’m getting a sense that there’s something going on.

Jade reaches for the gun at her back, letting me know she’s feeling something’s off as well. “Can we come in?”

“Not today. I just need to be alone.”

Before I know what’s happening, Jade’s pushed the woman aside and has her gun raised as she runs inside. I move to follow her, but I’m grabbed from behind. The barrel of a gun is against my temple, and a muscular arm bands my own, keeping me from moving. I haven’t had any of the training Reina promised me, so I’m helpless to fight.

“We’re going to go inside. Not a peep out of you, or I’m pulling this trigger.”

I have no choice as he moves me with him towards the door. The woman is still standing there, her hand over her mouth now. I don’t know how he found her, but I know I’m in trouble. I want to yell, and warn Jade, but I also want to live.

“Where is he?” Jade asks, coming down the stairs, and freezing when she sees us.

“Put the gun down,” the man tells her.

“I’m sorry! I know you said not to call him, but I missed him!” The woman is wailing now, realizing how wrong she was to believe this man and his lies again.

“I’m an expert markswoman, and I can easily shoot you before you shoot anyone else,” Jade tells him, her voice calm and icy.

“I wouldn’t take that chance if I were you,” he says, pressing the gun firmly into my temple.

“Good thing, I’m not you,” she replies, pulling the trigger.

The man holding me jerks back as blood, and other things I don’t want to identify, hit the side of my face. The gun goes off as he falls, and I feel a sharp pain in my shoulder. I realize my own blood is flowing down my arm, and it makes me feel like I’m going to faint.

“Viv!” Jade yells, but it sounds far away.

I see her running toward me, as my eyes begin to close, and my body pitches forward, but I can’t say anything. It’s like my mouth is sewn together while my body is torn open. Arms catch me before I hit the ground, and I know it’s her, so I let my eyes close all the way and welcome the darkness that takes me away from it all.

Rhys

After things went south with Viv, I headed to the private Society gym to let off some steam. I probably shouldn’t have reacted so badly to her questioning me, because I’ve let her down before, but I let myself hope for the best. It’s not really her fault I was disappointed. I know that logically, but my heart is still a little battered and I let it guide me instead.

As I up the incline on the treadmill, pushing myself harder, the door in front of me opens, and Nate runs in. “We have to go!”

“Go where?” I ask, slowing the machine down.

“Jade and Viv walked into something bad, and they’re on the way downstairs to the medical wing.”

“Is she hurt?”

“Yes.”

I jump off the machine, even though I know better, and race for the door. The elevator is waiting for us at the end of the hall, and it’s not fast enough. I feel it rushing down, but I need it to go faster. I need to get to Viv.

“Take some deep breaths before you pass out, Rhys.”

“We just had a fight, and I walked out on her again. Why did I do that?”

“Because you’re still healing.”

“I should’ve stayed, and taken what she was dishing out. I started the conversation badly, by telling her I made a mistake. With my past, I can’t blame her for thinking the worst. I should’ve stayed and told her what I meant.”

“Staying is hard, but yeah, it’s important. You can’t dwell on that now, or you’re going to make yourself insane. Just think about her being alive.”

“How bad is it?”

“I don’t know. Reina said she’s been shot, but that’s all I know.”

“Shot?” I ask, stumbling out of the elevator.

“It’s not bad,” Rhieve says, rushing to me. “She’s going to be okay.”

“Where is she? I need to see her?”

“She’ll be here in a few minutes. You have to let Kenny do his job, and then you can go to her.”

“No. I need to be in there.”

“Stella told us you fought this morning, and Viv’s going to need to be calm and stable while Kenny works on her.”

“I wouldn’t upset her.”

“You wouldn’t want to, but it happens sometimes, and I know you don’t want to cause her more pain.”

“No, I don’t.”

“Let’s sit down, and wait. I’m going to stay here with you, okay? I’m here for you, Rhys.”

“Thank you.”

Nate doesn’t speak at all, but takes the seat next to me in the waiting area. Most of the Society is already here, but no one is saying a word. That worries me more than almost anything else. If things were really okay, they’d be talking.

When a set of wide doors bangs open, and I see Viv on a stretcher, I stand quickly, only to almost pass out as she’s rushed past us. Rhieve holds me up as Nate runs to Jade.

He runs his hands all over her face, and shoulders, before kissing her forehead, and whispering in her ear. She hugs him tightly, and shakes her head. I feel like I shouldn’t be watching this, but I can’t look away.

Once he’s sure she’s okay, Nate leads Jade over to us. She looks distraught as she approaches Reina. “I thought he was in the house.”

“I know. This isn’t your fault.”

“I should’ve seen his finger on the trigger when I shot him.”

Reina stands, and places her hands on Jade’s shoulders. “You saved all three of you.”

“Viv shouldn’t have been shot.”

“Stop it, Jade. You know nothing ever goes exactly as planned with what we do. Stop blaming yourself. Viv is going to be fine.”

“That’s true, right? She didn’t look good,” I say, unable to keep quiet any longer.

“Yes. She got shot in the shoulder, but it was a through and through, and didn’t hit an artery.”

“Thank God.”

Viv

When I wake up, I’m in a hospital bed, my shoulder is bandaged up, and Rhys is sleeping in a chair next to me. My hand is in his, and he looks so young and innocent, making my heart hurt for the days when we both were those things. I lift my other hand to brush his hair from his face, and the pain nearly makes me scream.

I don’t realize I’m squeezing his hand until he startles awake, and looks at me. “You’re awake.”

“Yes,” I grit out.

“Pain? Push the button on IV line, and you’ll get more meds.”

“Will they put me to sleep again?”

“I’m not sure, but probably.”

“Then, no. Not yet.”

“You shouldn’t be in pain.”

“We need to talk about why you’re here.”

“I’ll be here when you wake up again.”

“No. You didn’t want to stay with me when I was okay, so you don’t get to stay just because I’m hurt.”

“I knew I did the wrong thing before you were hurt. Again. I keep doing and saying the wrong things.”

“Yes.” I don’t want to be a bitch, but I’m so tired of this push and pull with him. I want to help him, but he won’t let me. I’m too tired to keep fighting for a man who doesn’t really want me.

“When I told you I made a mistake, it wasn’t about someone else. It was about me asking you to be my friend.”

“So, you don’t want to be friends now?”

“I do, but I don’t. I’m not explaining this well.”

“No, you’re not,” I tell him, wincing as another wave of pain hits me.

“Take your meds, and we’ll talk more when you wake up again.”

“No. I’d like you to leave. I can’t deal with both you and this injury right now.”

“Don’t make me leave. Please.”

“I’m not in a position to make you do anything, but I’m asking.”

He lets go of my hand, and stands up. “I’ll go.”

“Thank you.”

I don’t think about how lost I felt when he let go of my hand, or how I wanted him to stay, because he never stays. No matter what words come out of his mouth or what I want to believe, he always walks away from me. Getting shot and thinking I might die, made me realize I can’t keep holding onto him if he’s not sure he wants to be with me. My heart wants to, but I know I can’t.

Rhys

I pace outside Maura’s office, waiting for her to finish up with her current client. I know whoever it is will exit from the other side, so I don’t see them, but I don’t really care who’s in there with her. All I care about is that I’m not.

When Viv woke up and kicked me out of her hospital room, I wanted to go to the nearest bar and find someone to fuck. It’s not what I really want, but it was my first reaction. She sent me away when I was trying to stay, and I don’t know how to deal with it. Especially because she wasn’t wrong.

I’ve run from anything difficult in my life for too long, and it’s time to stop. I’d already planned on staying with her no matter what, but she doesn’t know that. I can’t blame her for not believing me, but I need her to. I just don’t know how to do it.

“Rhys, come on in,” the doc says, opening her door.

“Viv was shot,” I say, before the door even closes.

“Is she okay?”

“Yes. Maybe. She kicked me out of her hospital room, but I know she’s in pain. Kendrick says she’s going to be fine physically, but she was in so much pain, and I couldn’t do anything. I hated not being able to do anything.”

“Let’s get back to her kicking you out. When I saw you this morning, things seemed like they were going well.”

“I messed up when I saw her, and walked away. She thinks I only went to her because she got shot.”

“Did you?”

“No, but how can she believe me when all I ever do is run?”

“She can’t until you show her she can.”

“I don’t want to run anymore.”

“So stay. Even when she won’t talk to you, stay and show her you’re there.”

“That’s the plan, but what if it’s not enough?”

“If that happens—and with all I know, I think it’s a big ‘if’—you’ll have to accept her choice.”

“No.”

“No? You’re still struggling with having your own choice taken from you, but you’re not going to honor Vivienne’s choice?”

Damn. This is why she’s so good at her job. “I’ll have to.”

“Yes, you will. But, before that happens, you’re going to do everything you can to prove to her you’ve changed. I’m willing to help if you’ll give me permission.”

“Please. You can have any permission you’d like.”

“Don’t say that until you know what I have in mind.”

She tells me what she wants to do, and it scares the hell out of me. I still give her my permission, because it might just work. If not, I’m in no worse place than I am now.