No Strings Attached

CHAPTER 39

Griffon's gaze hardens as he stands up, taking another gun from his waistband before firing shot after shot, killing every man within 300 feet of us.

I follow suite and continue shooting at the men surrounding us, taken aback by Griffon's pure rage as he runs out of bullets; instead resorting to a pocket knife he pulls from his pants.

I stay by Everett's body, shielding him from anyone who gets too close, constantly looking down to see him still breathing.

Eventually the bullets stop, the ambushers all dead on the ground, a massacre of unknown men.

"Is this your fault?" Griffon asks coldly, his gaze pure anger as he glares at me.

"No," Everett chokes out, "I ran in front of him,"

Anastasia lets out a shriek as she runs over to us, kneeling beside Everett as Ari and Gabriel both run over.

"Fratello, it's going to be ok, we're gonna get you to a hospital," Griffon says, putting his brother arm around his shoulder and standing up.

"I got you Ev," Ari says gruffly, clearing his throat as he puts Everett's other arm around his shoulders.

"Someone open the fucking car," Griffon snaps, shooting me a glare as I unlock the closest car, opening the door as the two slide Everett into the car.

"No," Griffon says in a low voice, "Gabriel's driving, I don't trust you," his voice wobbles as he shuts the door from the inside.

Gabriel takes the keys from my hand, him and Anastasia getting into the front of the car before they speed off.

"What the hell happened?" Dad asks, "I was over on the other side and missed everything,"

"Everett pushed me out of the way and got shot in the stomach," I rasp, unable to take my eyes off the car as it dangerously turns a corner, driving off out of sight.

"We'll meet them at the hospital, let's go," Dad says sharply, unlocking the remaining car and getting into the drivers side.

Alessio and I get into the back and I close my eyes as Dad drives off, resting my head against the headrest.

"How bad was it?" Alessio asks, his voice hoarse as he looks over at me.

"He was shot in the stomach," I murmur, cursing myself for not being more aware of what was happening around me.

"It's not your fault son," Dad says gently, and I open my eyes to look at him.

"He pushed me out of the way because I wasn't looking. He took a bullet meant to kill me," I say bluntly.

"It's not your fault," he says again, his tone calm as I sigh and drop my head back again.

Fuck.

————

We walk through the hospital doors, following the signs to the family and friends waiting room for people in surgery.

I walk into the room first, only to see Gabriel and Ari sitting beside each other, Griffon on the seats adjacent, his leg bouncing as his gaze burns a hole in the ground.

I sigh and walk over to him, sitting down and turning to face and emotionless man. I go to speak but he beats me to it.

"If he dies, I kill you," Griffon says calmly, not taking his gaze off the ground as he speaks.

I open my mouth to speak, but nothing comes out.

He's kidding, right?

"A life for a life. You get my brother killed, I kill you," he says again, all emotion stripped from his voice and he looks at me with blank eyes.