Bitter Virtue||Book Two

Any Other Way

Jameson

"Erin Kelly, if you want your death to swift, I'd put the fucking gun down." I say before snapping my finger. In what feels like a ripple affect, Kelly's men go down, one by fucking one. Reece's eyes widen in shock but I don't have the time to give him any type of reassurance. It's been weeks since he has even touch me, kissed me, told me he loved. God, does it fucking hurt.

It's not my fault or his that we are here. We made one wrong move, and the Kelly's capitalized on it. They never saw our faces but I've been doing this shit for a long time. Made men know everything they need to know when it comes to their lives.

"You can kill every fecking one of my men but that won't bring my brother back. I want blood." Erin says and I swallow thickly.

"Then take mine."

"Jameson!" Reece says in a panic. At this point, the club has cleared out and my men are filing in. Some start disposing of the dead bodies, while others circle around the bar.

"Very well," Erin aim the gun at me and pulls the trigger.

I had planned on his death being slowly and painful but my men react immediately. Seconds later Erin's bleeding out on the floor, his dead eyes staring straight up. My mouth opens to speak but it's filling with blood rapidly. To my surprise I'm still extremely focused, focused enough to see Reese pointing at my men, shouting orders. He looks majestic from this angle. His lengthening hair down his back. His eyes fierce. When he turns to look at me, they widen but then narrow in what I know to be determination.

"You don't get to die, asshole." Reece says as he gets onto his knees and applies pressure to my chest. I look down to see blood oozing from between his fingers. Shock hits me first followed by pain. I groan when Reece rips my shirt, takes off his own and applies more pressure.

Time seems to stop as I look up at one of my three lovers. He looks so calm which breaks me down. This isn't the man I met, it's the man I created.

Reece, only a few months ago, was smiling with his beautiful eyes and soft face. I reach up to rub my thumb across one of the hard wrinkles forming on the side of his eyes.

"I l-love y-you." I croak before my hand slips from his face, and my yes flutter close.

Kylen

"When will he be here?" I say in a harsh whisper. My eyes cut to Madison who has finally went back to sleep. She's worn down and the fact that she carrying is taking it's toll on her. I'm doing what I can medically but I can't fix her mind. "Is he stable?" I listen to Roberts harsh words while nodding my head. A gesture he can't see but it's calming for me.

Jameson has been shot. He's clinging to life, and they are bringing him to me. I'm expected to save his life.

Madison is going to be beside herself, which means I'm going to have to comfort her. How I'm going to manage that, I'm not sure but I have to. What makes matters worse is Robert informs me that Reece isn't coming back with him. Instead, he is staying to handle what needs to be handled. That means in the small amount of time that they've been gone, Reece has become like our lover. Dangerous.

Robert and I cut the line and I slip from the room before Madison wakes up. Once I'm outside our master bedroom door, I go to work. My phone is to my ear as I make the necessary calls to get all the equipment I need. I call in six of my best nurses, and then I call in Megan. She's a therapist, a woman who is important to me, and I want Madison to have someone to talk to about anything she needs. There will be a lot emotions for her to process. She needs to be able to vent.

*

Eight tense hours later, Madison with red swollen eyes stands with me at the door of the mansion as we watch the SUV that held Jameson come speeding into the tucked off estate that I'd acquired some years back. When I told her what was going on, she cursed me as well as God, before breaking down. Hearing Madison cry has been maddening but there is nothing I can do about it. I'm desperate for things to go back to normal between all of it, but if it's not one thing, it's always another.

I swallow thickly as the SUV comes to a halt and then I'm barking orders.

When Jameson's body finally comes into view, I stumble in my steps at the look of him. He's pale, almost gray and there looks to be no life in him. It's then that all the years of chasing him comes crashing down on me.

The world has an odd way of working. It will make you chase something, and when it finally gives it to you, it's taken away.

Why?

For years I thought Jameson was a lost cause. That the odd tingling sensation I got when I saw him was just lust. But as the years progress and he called me for odd jobs, treating me like one of his men...the hurt only grew. That's how I knew I loved him. How I knew that one day things would come full circle and I'd have him in my life. I never thought I'd be so lucky to have two more amazingly beautiful people to add to the fantasy.

I wouldn't have it any other way.

"We stop the bleeding as best we could," one of the men, I'm not sure who, says. I give him a blind nod as I start working on finding a pulse. There's a brief moment of relief when I find a faint one, but it's short lived when I her a loud sob tear from Madison throat. She rushes to my side and grabs a hold of Jameson's bloody shirt. He's on one of my stretchers now, ready to go the basement that's been disinfected for his surgery.

"Please don't die," Madison sobs and I pull her to my chest.

"I won't let him. Now go, and let me do my job. I'll come to you once I'm finished." My heart breaks as Madison continues to sob, even when I pull away from her. "Hold on to this phone. Reece should be calling soon." Madison inhales a shaky breath as she gets herself under control.

My nurses and I are rushing around the side of the house towards the doors that lead to the basement when a sports car pulls into the estate. I already know who it is, but I didn't have a chance to forewarn Madison. Before I can think about turning back, Jameson lets out weak groan and my soul focus turns to keeping him alive.

Megan will explain everything to Madison. My only hope is that the feisty woman lets her, before she beat her to hell and back.