Chapter 187

Jack

Jack jolted at the sound of the gunshot, his heart in his throat.

He lunged for Fiona, desperate to put himself between her and the bullet. He landed half on top of her, and she grunted. She grabbed onto him, her fingers digging into his sides, and her entire body shaking. He was shaking too, but he didn’t feel any pain. Did the bullet hit her, anyway? Was he too slow this time?

Celeste would never forgive him. He’d never forgive himself.

Fiona looked over his shoulder with wide eyes, her hands clutching onto his jacket. Jack followed her gaze, his eyes locking onto his cousin. Time slowed to a crawl as Freddy lifted his hand away from his chest. His fingers were stained cherry red with blood. Then he crumpled to the ground. His chest rattled for a few breaths, then didn’t rise again.

He was dead. Freddy was dead.

Shock settled over him as he lifted his gaze. His father stood behind Freddy’s body, his gun still pointed at his prone form. After a beat, Henry’s gaze met his, and he slowly lowered the gun. He took a step toward them. “Are you alright? Did he get you?”

He was looking at Jack as he said it, but Jack didn’t care about himself.

He turned back to Fiona. She was white as a sheet, but he couldn’t see any wounds on her. She was okay.

He pulled her into a hug. She was shaking so violently he could feel it rattling his teeth. “You’re okay,” he murmured. She tucked her face into his neck. “You’re okay.”

Around them, the sounds of the fight increased in volume. They were still in the thick of it. Celeste was down there. Matt, too. But he couldn’t bring himself to move until he knew Fiona was okay. For a second there, he was sure he had lost her. He couldn’t have lived with himself with her blood on his hands.

“Fiona, talk to me,” he pleaded. He pulled back slightly to peer at her face.

“I’m fine,” she said, loosening her hold on him. She wiped a quivering hand across her cheeks. “I’m fine.”

“We need to keep moving,” Henry said, taking a step forward. “We need to help your sister.”

Jack nodded and got to his feet, pulling Fiona up with him. They held onto each other’s elbows, and he stared into her eyes. “You need to hide,” he said. He’d drop to his knees and plead if he had to. He couldn’t fight like this. Couldn’t spend every second worrying about her safety. “There’s nothing you can do until it’s over.”

“I can help–”

“No,” he said, his gaze locked on hers. God, they were the prettiest shade of green. He hoped he got to see them again after this. “When the fighting is done, you can help with the wounded, but until then, I need you to hide. Please.”

She bit her lip, but slowly nodded. He breathed a sigh of relief and threw his arm around her shoulders, tucking her into his side. For a few seconds there, he truly thought she was dead. It was the worst few seconds of his life. They hardly knew each other yet. Hell, they’d only shared one kiss, and he knew she never really liked him before now, but he didn’t care. He wanted the chance to get to know her. He wanted them both to have the chance to live.

“Come on, she can hide in one of the apartments,” Henry said, gesturing for them to follow him.

Jack nodded and steered her toward the door. Henry turned on his heel and led them into the building. Fiona didn’t try to make him drop his arm. She stayed tucked into his side as he stopped in front of a closed apartment door. He tried the handle, finding it locked.

“Got one of your handy bobby pins?”

She nodded and stepped out of his grip. It only took her a minute to get the door open. It swung into a musty, dark space.

“Lock the door behind you,” he said. “Don’t come out until I come to get you, okay?”

“You’ll come back?” she asked, turning to face him. “You promise?”

He swallowed hard. How could he promise that? He was going out into that fight, and there was a good chance he wouldn’t walk away from it.

“If I don’t come back, wait until the town is empty. If they win and don’t vacate the town, try to sneak out at night. Just be careful.”

Her expression shuttered. “Promise me you’ll come back for me.”

“I promise,” he said, his chest tightening. “I promise, okay?”

To his shock, she grabbed the collar of his jacket and pulled him into a rough kiss. It was messy and passionate. When she stepped away, he didn’t think he could breathe. “I’ll be waiting,” she said. Then she slipped into the apartment and shut the door.

He waited to hear the click of the lock. The click came, followed by the sound of the chain sliding into place. Slowly, he let the breath out of his lungs. She’d be okay as long as she stayed put.

Henry put a hand on his shoulder, squeezing hard. It was his bad shoulder and Jack winced, curling away from him.

“Oh shit. I’m sorry. I thought it was the other arm.”

Jack gritted his teeth and gave his father a dirty look. “Look, I’m grateful you somehow found us, that you saved her life, but that doesn’t change anything between us. I don’t want or need your comfort.”

Henry just nodded. “Alright, son. I’m sorry.”

Jack nodded and turned on his heel, the wound in arm pulsing with pain. He needed to get to his sister and Matt. The rest of it didn’t matter.

“Have you seen Celeste or Matt?”

“Last I saw, they were fighting by the church,” Henry said, leading the way to the wide staircase. “Things are getting worse out there. We need to be careful.”

“No shit,” Jack answered. They reached the bottom floor. The front door had been flung in, either by Freddy or by his father. Henry went outside first, and Jack followed, pulling the door shut behind him.

The fighting was heaviest a bit further down the street. Wolves were locked in battle, growling, and snapping at each other. Figures in black army gear darted by with guns trained and swords in hand. The Schreibers were here. Jack was fighting against his own family.

He was fighting for the wolves.

A part of him didn’t know how he got here, but he could admit now that maybe Celeste and Matt were right. The Peacekeepers really did want peace. They didn’t start this fight, but it was up to them to finish it. The Crescent wolves were the problem. His family was the problem.

Even if he died fighting, he had to believe that it was worth it. Celeste and Matt and all the rest of them were worth it.

He was beginning to think that Fiona was worth giving up anything for.

The thought focused his mind, and a sense of quiet settled over him. Up ahead, Henry darted between the buildings, keeping to the shadows. Jack pulled his gun from his belt and took off after him.