SEBASTIAN’S POV
He laughed, blood already dripping from his busted lip. “That temper of yours is going to get you killed one day.”
I didn’t answer. My fists did the talking. I drove him back, blow after blow landing with brutal precision.
Roland might have been arrogant, but he was no match for me-not when the thought of Sasha, locked away and terrified, fueled every punch.
“Where is she?” I growled, slamming him into the wall so hard the plaster cracked.
His response was a pained laugh, blood spraying from his mouth as he spoke. “You think beating me will change anything? You’ll never-”
I didn’t let him finish. My fist connected with his jaw, cutting off whatever taunt he had planned. He crumpled to the ground, wheezing, his face a mess of bruises and blood.
“Last chance, Roland,” I hissed, grabbing the collar of his shirt and yanking him up to face me. “Where is she?”
But before he could answer-or maybe he didn’t plan to-a sharp, searing pain tore through my right hand.
I staggered back, clutching my hand, blood pouring between my fingers. A gunshot. I’d been shot.
My head snapped up, and I spotted one of Roland’s men standing a few feet away, his gun aimed squarely at me, ready to fire again.
Instinct took over. I dove to the side, grabbing the gun I’d dropped in the chaos, and fired before he could pull the trigger. My bullet hit him square in the chest, and he crumpled to the ground without a sound.
But I wasn’t done. The rage coursing through me was like a living thing, wild and uncontrollable.
My attention turned back to Roland, who had used the distraction to scramble to his feet.
He didn’t get far. I aimed my gun and fired, the shot hitting him in the shoulder. He cried out, collapsing to the floor again.
I stalked toward him, every muscle in my body coiled with tension. My hand throbbed where the bullet had grazed it, but I didn’t care. The only thing that mattered was Sasha.
“Stay down,” I snarled, my voice low and menacing.
Roland groaned, clutching his shoulder, but he didn’t get up this time. I stepped over him, my focus shifting to the door at the far end of the room, the one he had been so intent on protecting.
Sasha had to be in there.
I moved toward the door, my heartbeat thundering in my ears. Every step felt like an eternity, the weight of what I might find on the other side pressing down on me.
But then, just as my hand closed around the doorknob, pain exploded in my back.
A sharp, white-hot agony tore through me, and I stumbled forward, the breath knocked out of my lungs.
My fingers tightened reflexively on the doorknob as I tried to stay upright, but my legs buckled beneath me.
Roland.
He wasn’t dead.
I twisted around, my vision swimming, and saw him standing there, bloodied and barely able to hold himself up, but his gun was aimed at me.
“You should’ve finished the job,” he rasped, his voice weak but filled with malice.
Before he could fire again, I raised my own gun and pulled the trigger. The sound of the shot echoed in the room, and Roland staggered, his gun falling from his hand as he collapsed to the floor.
This time, I didn’t stop. I fired again. And again.
I didn’t stop until I was sure he was dead, his lifeless body sprawled on the ground, blood pooling around him.
The pain in my back was unbearable now, but I forced myself to my feet, every movement sending fresh waves of agony through me. I couldn’t stop. Not yet.
I turned back to the door, my blood-slicked hand trembling as I pushed it open.
“Sasha,” I croaked, my voice barely above a whisper.
She was there, tied to a chair in the center of the room, her face pale and streaked with tears. Her eyes widened when she saw me, and she let out a choked sob.
“Sebastian!”
I stumbled toward her, my vision blurring as the blood loss took its toll. Her voice was the only thing keeping me grounded, the only thing pushing me forward.
I dropped to my knees in front of her, fumbling with the ropes that bound her hands. My fingers were slick with blood, making the task nearly impossible.
“Hold on,” I murmured, my voice shaking. “I’ve got you.”
“Sebastian, you’re bleeding!” she cried, her voice thick with panic.
“I’m fine,” I lied, though the room was spinning around me.
Finally, the ropes came loose, and Sasha threw herself into my arms, her sobs wracking her small frame.
“I thought I lost you,” she whispered, her hands clutching at me as if she were afraid I would disappear.
I held her as tightly as my battered body would allow, my hand threading through her hair. “You’ll never lose me,” I promised, though I wasn’t sure how much longer I could stay conscious.
Sasha pulled back, her eyes scanning my face before moving to the blood soaking my shirt. “You’re not fine,” she said, her voice trembling. “We have to get you out of here.”
I nodded, though I wasn’t sure how far I could go in my current state. My strength was fading fast, but I couldn’t let Sasha see how bad it was. She needed me to be strong.
With her help, I managed to get to my feet, leaning heavily on her as we made our way to the door. Every step was agony, but I gritted my teeth and pushed through it.
“Just a little further,” I said, though I wasn’t sure if I was reassuring her or myself.
The warehouse was eerily quiet now, the bodies of Roland and his men the only witnesses to what had transpired.
As we stepped outside into the cool night air, the adrenaline that had been keeping me on my feet began to fade. My legs gave out, and I collapsed to the ground, dragging Sasha down with me.
“Sebastian!” she cried, her hands frantically pressing against the wound in my back in a futile attempt to stop the bleeding.
I reached up, cupping her face in my hand. “You’re safe now,” I murmured, my vision darkening at the edges. “That’s all that matters.”
“No,” she said, shaking her head as tears streamed down her face. “You’re going to be okay. I won’t let you die.”
Her determination brought a faint smile to my lips. “I’m not going anywhere,” I promised, though I wasn’t sure if it was a promise I could keep.
As the darkness closed in around me, Sasha’s voice was the last thing I heard, calling my name over and over, willing me to stay with her.