MALACHAI
"Baby, hold on for me, please," I panicked, my voice hoarse as I cradled Ezra closer. The world around me blurred in the chaos of my rushing thoughts, but the only thing that mattered was getting him out. Getting us both out.
I had never been this desperate before. The moment they dragged his unconscious body away, leaving me locked up in that cold, empty room, something inside me snapped. Three days of isolation, three days of torment, three days of knowing he was suffering somewhere while I was too weak to do anything about it. But no more.
I slipped through the dimly lit halls like a ghost, every shadow feeling like Lucius' eyes burning into my back. My body ached, the stitched-up wounds pulling with every step, but I couldn't stop. Not now. Not when I was so close.
Ezra was barely responsive in my arms, his weight pressing down on me, his breathing shallow. God….his knees. The memory of that hammer striking down, the sickening crunch of bones giving way, his screams ripping through the air, it haunted me. And now, his legs were ruined, leaving him helpless in my grasp.
I pushed forward, my grip tightening around him as I maneuvered down the staircase, every step feeling like an eternity. My car. That was our only way out. The same damn car Lucius had gifted me when I accepted his contract. The irony of using it to escape him wasn't lost on me.
The estate was quiet, eerily so, and for a split second, I thought maybe, just maybe…we'd make it out without a hitch. But of course, fate had other plans.
A guard's voice rang out from the side entrance. "Who's there?"
Shit.
I ducked behind a column, pressing Ezra's fragile body against me as my heart slammed against my ribs. I couldn't risk a fight. Not now. I just had to get past them, just to the garage….
Another voice, sharp and impatient. "Lucius isn't back yet. Just do your rounds and shut up."
Footsteps echoed, fading into the distance. I didn't wait. I moved, every muscle in my body protesting as I carried Ezra toward the garage. My fingers trembled as I reached for the keys in my pocket, my breath hitching as the security light above the entrance flickered.
I threw open the car door and slid Ezra into the passenger seat as gently as I could, but even the slightest movement had him whimpering in pain. My chest tightened. "Just a little more, baby. Just a little more."
I ran to the driver's seat, hands shaking as I jammed the key into the ignition. The engine roared to life, a sound that felt like both salvation and a death sentence. My foot hit the pedal, and we sped out of the estate, the gates shrinking behind us in the rearview mirror.
We were free.
Or at least, we should have been.
The road stretched ahead, dark and winding, leading us toward my brother's remote cabin deep in the woods. It would take time to get there. Time we might not have.
Ezra had stopped moving.
My fingers twitched against the wheel, my throat dry as I risked a glance at him. His face was too pale, his lips slightly parted, his breaths uneven. My stomach twisted. "Ezra?"
Nothing.
"Ezra," I tried again, louder this time, but still, no response. Panic surged through me, gripping my chest like a vice. My hand shot out, shaking him. "Ezra, wake up. Don't do this to me, please."
No. No, no, no.
I pulled over with a screech of tires, my hands immediately reaching for him, checking his pulse. It was there, but faint. Too damn faint.
"Baby, hold on for me, please," I whispered, brushing his blood-matted hair away from his forehead. I pressed my forehead against his, my breathing ragged. "We're almost there. Just hold on."
The world outside was dark, the headlights casting long, lonely beams down the empty road. I gritted my teeth, forcing the car back into motion, pushing the speedometer higher. Every second counted. Every breath he took felt like one step closer to slipping away.
By the time the sun began to rise, painting the sky in soft hues of pink and orange, we finally reached the dirt road leading to my brother's cabin. The car bounced over rough terrain, each jolt making Ezra groan in pain. But at least he was groaning. At least he was still alive.
The cabin came into view, a small wooden structure nestled between towering trees, isolated from everything and everyone. Relief flooded through me. We made it.
I barely managed to put the car in park before stumbling out, racing to Ezra's side. "Ezra, we're here. We're safe, okay? You're safe."
He stirred slightly as I lifted him into my arms, his head lolling against my chest. The cabin door swung open before I could reach it, and there stood my brother, eyes wide with shock.
"Malachai? What the hell…."
"No time to explain," I panted, pushing past him. "Help me save him."
Because if I lost Ezra now, none of this would have mattered.