Brax holds me tightly for what definitely does not feel like long enough. But we don’t have time to catch up and reminisce on how we’ve been over the last two months. I have to admit even in my weak and miserable state, the moment I locked eyes with him again after so long apart, the air was knocked from my lungs and my knees felt unsteady. Lucky Hunter was holding me. Otherwise, I might have fallen over.

“It will be okay, baby. I promise. We’ll get her back.” Brax’s deep voice wafts through my soul and soothes me slightly as he caresses my back. Feeling his touch against my skin is like a feeling of home, and I wish we were meeting again under different circumstances so we could enjoy the moment.

“Okay, we need to discuss how we’re going to go about this. Let’s sit down and talk this through. We really need to nut it out before we go in all guns-a-blazing.” Mase is quiet when he speaks, but there’s an edge to his voice like he knows we’re in deep shit, and he might be living his last moments on this earth. That doesn’t sit well with me at all!

Walking through to sit at the dining table, Clara puts on a pot of coffee as Brax pulls out my chair for me. The wood scraping against the marble jolts my senses and my muscles clench at the irritating disquiet. Sitting down in the comfortable high backed chairs, it does nothing to ease my thoughts.

“Okay, here’s how I think it should go down. I’ll go inside and tell Dad that I’m back in the family business as of now. I’ll ask him to hand over Charli to Amber. Brax will get them both out to safety. Hunter you’ll need to distract my dad somehow while I leave, and then Hunter you’ll make your exit. Hoping it all runs smoothly, we will all get out of that place without anyone getting hurt.” Mase nods his head and looks at Brax as if to see if he thinks what he’s just discussed is a good idea.

Brax nods and Mase exhales and nods again like he’s psyching himself up for this. I hate how scared he is of his own family.

“Brax your only goal is to get the girls out safely. You don’t stop for anything, okay?” Hunter demands making me look at him and furrow my brows.

“What’s that mean?” I ask.

“It means if things go south and Mase and I get into trouble, then Brax is to look after you and Charli—”

“Wait! What? You’re going to be in danger now too?” My eyes open wide and my breathing becomes short and shallow.

Losing Hunter is not an option.

No way.

No how!

“I’m the distraction. If they figure that out…it could be dangerous. Amber—”

“Then no! You are not going. I can’t lose you, Hunter. You’re the only family I have left. I can’t lose you,” I blubber out as Brax wraps his arm around my shoulders and pulls me to him. I cling on to his shirt and his cologne acts as an instant relaxant. He gently strokes my hair and kisses my head.

“Shhh, it will be okay. We’re all getting out, baby. All of us,” Brax says and I look up at his beautiful face. I’m too emotional and need comfort, so I lean up and press my lips to his. He hesitates but kisses me slowly. It’s not an open mouth, tongues dancing wildly, making out, kind of kiss, just an I need to feel you, lips locking kind of kiss, and it soothes me just enough.

I pull back slightly and look at Hunter, his eyes are drooping and his lips pursed like he’s disappointed in me, but I don’t care. He has to get used to the fact that Brax and I are an item, and we’re working on being together as much as he hates it. Glancing over at Mase, he half smiles at me. I return the smile and it lifts my spirits slightly knowing that Mase is starting to let go.

“Right, I’m going to call Dad. Tell him I’m coming, and you’re all coming with me to pick up Charli.”

 

***

 

My heart is pounding furiously in my chest as the four of us approach the abandoned warehouse. The flakes of red paint peeling from the rusted metal sheeting makes me think of congealed blood, and that thought isn’t soothing my emotional state. I wish the steady thumping and whooshing in my ears from my blood pumping so fast would vanish. That mixed with the sound of the gravel crunching under our feet as we walk toward the open barn door is disconcerting to say the least. We’re trying so hard to be quiet that in the silence, every tiny noise is deafening.

Brax is walking a step in front of me. I’m holding onto his hand tightly and walking right up against his back. I have no idea what Mase’s family are going to be like when we get in there, but what I do know is that we’re all on edge. Hunter is next to me, and Mase is next to Hunter as we enter through the large opening. The warehouse is enormous and I glance around searching for a clue of some kind, but there’s nothing. The foul odor of cigar smoke permeates the air and I turn my nose up in disgust.

They better not be smoking around Charli!

The silence is deafening, only the faint noise of four rushed and harsh breaths can be heard. Looking ahead is a doorway with clear Venetian blinds. I can’t see into the room behind them, but my guess it’s where we need to be. Suddenly, the cries of Charli pierce through me making my body scream to run to her. We all stop walking and my body reacts before I do.

“Charli!” I scream and let go of Brax bolting past him, and running with every ounce of strength I have in me toward the next room.

I need to get to my girl.

“Amber!”

“Amber, stop!”

“Amber, fucking hell.”

Three voices all meld into one as they call out to me, but I blank them out as I race for my daughter, all thoughts locked on getting to her. My heart’s pounding so hard I think it might burst right out of my chest. I’m just about to reach the Venetian blinds when strong arms wrap tightly around my body encasing me completely. I lean back into them and squirm trying to break free.

“No, I need to get to Charli. Let me go—”

“Amber, stop! Stick to the plan,” Brax’s deep voice washes over me as he whispers in my ear. I wish it would soothe me, I wish it would calm me, but instead I turn in his arms and look at him, my breathing so rapid but I can’t get any air in. Charli’s distress is all I can hear, and right now, I know I need to stick to the plan, but I need to know she’s all right. This is a whole new level of torture. Brax grabs either side of my face and forces me to look at him.

“Amber, breathe. In through your nose…out through your mouth. Charli is okay. It’s normal crying, she’s not being hurt. I promise. Just control your breathing. Breathe with me. Look at me…in and out, in and out…” Brax’s relaxing technique is actually working as I stutter in my breaths in and out slowly, trying to come back to a functioning level. “That’s it, it’s okay. You’re okay. Focus on me.”

I look at Brax and into his bright green eyes. They’re focused right on me, and I see nothing but love and devotion coming right back from them. I’m not sure what that means for us yet. But I can’t think of that right now.

“Good. Okay? You with me?” he asks.

I nod and he leans in and gently kisses my lips then he pulls back and looks at Mase, who’s breathing hard and fast like he’s trying not to panic. I’m sure he wouldn’t want Brax bringing him down from a panic attack.

“Okay, once we go through we stick to the plan. Okay, Amber?” Mase asks and I nod and look at Hunter, he smiles at me and I rush forward hugging him tightly.

“Get Charli and get out. No matter what. Okay?” He furrows his brows at me and his face is tight.

Nodding, we all take in a deep clarifying breath. “Let’s go.” Mase pulls back the blinds and walks through. Brax follows taking my hand, and Hunter and I walk in, and there’s Mase’s mum and dad standing over by a table, and in Mase’s mother’s arms is Charli. I tense up and my bottom lip trembles looking at her.

Looking around the room, I check it out to look for other exits. There’s another door at the back, and that seems to be about it. Only two ways out. We walk up closer, no one is saying anything and suddenly Mase’s dad pulls his hand up and in it is the most terrifying sight.

A gun.

We all freeze and Brax steps in front of me as I bite my bottom lip and look at Charli, who’s still crying. Mase takes a step forward and I tense up watching him as his dad points the gun directly at him. I can’t hold back a gasp as my hand rushes to my mouth in shock.

“I don’t think we’ve been properly introduced, Amber. I’m Tony and this is Francesca, my wife. Nice to meet your acquaintance.”

“Dad, give Charli to Amber…now!”

Tony curls his lip up and shakes his head. “Not until you swear your allegiance to the family.”

Mase looks back at me and I furrow my brows hating this whole situation.

“I pledge to surrender myself undoubtedly to the prodigy of the Hughes name. I swear my allegiance to the family. I am indebted to you, my father.”

Tony nods, and then looks at me and tilts his head toward Charli. I gulp and take a step out from behind Brax toward her, and then Tony moves the gun and points it at me. Then I hear the click of him unlocking the safety on the gun, and it sends an immediate wave of nausea right through my system. I stop and turn to see the gun pointing right at my head.

“What the fuck are you doing?” Mase calls out.

“There’s no way I’m letting this child go,” Tony sneers pulling the sliding chamber back on the top of the Glock locking the bullets into place. The clunk of the metal sliding against itself is enough to make the dead shiver with a frigid cold. I take a deep breath and tense my entire body as Brax steps up in front of me guarding me entirely. I grab onto his arms and he holds me behind him.

“Stay there.”

“We’ve got a tough one, hey?” Tony chides grinning evilly as he waves his Glock at Brax and me. “I’ll just shoot right through you boy to get to her.”

Before I have a second to think, the deafening sound of gunfire pierces through the warehouse, Brax lets go of me and lungs toward Tony. I scream closing my eyes and my body goes rigid, hearing a groan, my eyes can’t remain closed any longer. I look up and watch Brax tackle Tony to the ground. Hunter runs up to them as the gun is flung to the floor and slides across the room. Gasping as I watch Francesca run with Charli, Mase takes off after her. All while I stay frozen to the spot in fear.

Turning to look at Brax and Tony continuing to tackle each other, until I hear the loud burst of another gunshot which shocks me making me jump on the spot. I scream and open my eyes wide wondering where it came from until I see Hunter standing with the gun in his hand and Tony lying motionless on top of Brax who’s also lifeless. My entire body is shaking frantically, and I can’t help the scream that escapes me when I look at Brax’s pale face.

My feet feel like lead weights as I rush over to Brax pushing past Hunter, he drops the gun to the ground and the sight in front of me breaks my heart into two. I lean down and pull Tony’s limp body off Brax, he flops to the side with blood oozing from his chest. He doesn’t look good. My bottom lip is trembling as I quickly glance up to see Mase has Charli as he rushes over to see his dad on the floor. He hides Charli’s eyes from the grisly scene as she cries loudly while I run my eyes over Brax’s body. Swallowing hard, the metallic smell of blood doesn’t evade me as I glance at his shoulder and see blood spurting from it.

“Shit!” I interlace my fingers one hand over the other and prepare to stop the bleeding. “Sorry, Brax,” I whisper and then force my hands down onto his shoulder. He wakes with a huge moan as his eyes flicker open wide and his body lurches off the ground.

“Sorry, sorry, sorry,” I murmur as he moans and groans, but the blood oozes through my fingers. The warm trickle unsettles my stomach and I instantly feel like I want to hurl. But instead, I look into Brax’s eyes so he knows I’m here with him.

“It’s okay. You’re going to be okay,” I say to him leaning down close to his ear.

Hunter drops to his knees and he’s gazing out into the distance like he’s completely lost in his own thoughts. I feel sorry for him. He’s never shot anyone and I’m pretty sure Tony is dead. I have no idea what this means for my brother.

Hot tears pool at my chin as Brax writhes around in pain, but the one constant is the blood that’s gushing from his wound.

“I didn’t mean to kill him,” Hunter says.

I shake my head at Hunter as Brax starts to shake. I turn back to Brax and he’s so pale. His eyes roll into the back of his head and panic washes over me. My heart stops beating as my stomach lurches.

“Brax, no. No way, you stay with me. God damn it!” I yell and his eyes flutter open as I press harder on his shoulder making him moan out in pain as the blood keeps flowing.

Keeping the pressure on his wound, I watch as Mason’s mother falls to the floor at her husband’s side and cries for her dead lover. The man who kidnapped my child, the man who tried to force my child’s father into a life of crime, the man who shot the man I might be falling for. I don’t feel sorry for her at all. Turning back to look at Brax, my tears drop from my chin and onto his cheeks.

“Are you with me?” I ask and he nods and then winces.

I furrow my brows and look back at Mason, who’s barely holding it together. “Mason, are you okay?” I ask and he walks over to me with a screaming Charli and kneels beside me so Charli can see me.

“I’m…” he trails off. I guess it’s hard to see your father being shot by your best friend.

“Shhh, Charli. Baby girl, it’s okay, Mummy’s here,” I say nuzzling into her cheek while keeping the pressure on Brax’s shoulder.

She calms down slightly and looks at me nuzzling into her dad even more. I’m glad he’s holding her.

“Hunter, are you okay?” I ask and he walks over to me and nods as he sits down next to Brax.

“I’m okay. I called an ambulance. They should be here soon for you Brax. Thanks for stepping in the way. I don’t know what I would have done if he’d have shot my sister,” he says resting his hand on Brax’s good shoulder.

“I’d take a bullet for her any day,” he says through gritted teeth. I chuckle and start to cry. “Hey don’t cry, I’m going to be fine,” he says and I look down at the copious amounts of blood running from his shoulder and think he’s just saying that to make me feel better.

“Liar,” I say and he smiles and brings his hand up to my cheek and caresses it.

“I’ve got too much to live for Amber to die on you now,” he says.

Smiling I lean down and kiss his lips forcefully. His lips loosen, and I pull back to see he’s passed out again.

“Brax?” I push harder on his shoulder and he doesn’t respond. “Damn it, Brax,” I say and push again as blood oozes through my fingers this time and I start to panic as I hear the sirens pulling up outside.

“Brax, wake up. For me. Please, wake up,” I say and he’s turning paler with every second that ticks by. “Hunter!” I call out, he nods and then rushes to the entrance to greet the paramedics.

“Amber, I’m going to take Charli away. There’s too much blood for her, okay?” Mason asks me and I nod as I look down at Brax’s unresponsive face. “Will you be okay?” he asks. Looking back at him to where Charli is still screaming, I sniff and nod my head for Charli’s sake.

“Go! Just go, take her away from here.”

He nods and walks off leaving me in this cold, dark place with the guy I’m falling for bleeding out and turning whiter than anything I’ve ever seen before.

“Brax, please don’t leave me before we’ve even begun our relationship. Please fight and give us a chance. Please, stay with me,” I beg and Hunter rushes in with two paramedics wheeling a gurney. I’ve never been so relieved to see paramedics in all my life.

“Please hurry, I can’t stop the bloody bleeding!” I call out as they come over.

“Single bullet wound?” One paramedic asks me.

“Yes, to the shoulder. Please help him. He won’t wake up.”

“We’ll do all we can. You’ve done an excellent job applying pressure, but we’ll take it from here.”

“I want to come in the ambulance with you.”

“We need to stabilise him first, but I’m sure we can arrange something.”

Moving back away, I take my hands from Brax’s shoulder and a burst of blood squirts up and splashes all over my top. He moans and the paramedic applies more pressure. As I stand back, I begin to silently cry as they work on him. Once they have him stabilised, they move him to the stretcher to take him to the hospital.

Thank God it’s not too far away.

I’m shaking so much I feel like I’m on one of those vibrating machines. The world around me is spinning.

Brax is hurt.

Really hurt.

I’m pretty sure that bullet nicked an artery, and he’s lost so much blood. I don’t know what the hell is going to happen to my brother, and who knows what emotional scars my daughter is going to carry for the rest of her life after watching her grandfather shot dead in front of her.

I have no idea what to do now, other than to get in the ambulance and be there for Brax. He’s my priority number one, because if he bleeds out there won’t be a Brax to thank for taking a bullet for me.