Chapter 32

CHAPTER 32

SIN

U nfortunately, between the casinos and the club, I couldn't stay home with Kierra. She promised she'd stay put, so I'm sure she'll be fine, but that she hasn't responded to my last text has me slightly concerned.

Belinda called in sick today, which never happens, so after calling to make sure she is okay, I go through my paperwork. I'm supposed to meet with Bones at the casino later this afternoon, so to say I'm surprised to see him walking through my office door at Den of Sin is an understatement.

He looks like hell.

"Have you slept?"

Bones shakes his head as he takes a seat on the other side of my desk and tosses an envelope on my desk.

"What's this?"

He just points at it like he's saying to not ask and just look inside, so I do.

I pull out a photograph of Belinda talking to a man with the tattoo Kierra described to us.

"What the fuck is this?"

Bones shrugs, "My guys have eyes on everybody right now. You never know who you can trust. This photograph was taken at four this morning."

I drag my hand down my face because my mind is reeling. Why the hell would Belinda be meeting with any member of Bloody Valentine? It makes no sense.

"Shall we ask her about it?" Bones says as he cracks his knuckles.

"She's out sick."

He chuckles, but there's no humor behind it. "That can't be a coincidence."

I know what he's thinking, but Belinda can't be involved in any of this. There are only a handful of people I trust completely, and she's one of them.

"I haven't gotten a response from Kierra. Should I be as worried as I am?"

With a nod, he says, "I would be."

I know she's safe with the amount of security I have there, but when I call her and don't get a response once again, I think of all the worst-case scenarios. Then, when I call my head of security and don't get a response, the panic increases tenfold.

"Fuck. We need to get to the penthouse."

Bones and I rise from our chairs at the same time as we race out of the club. Until I see with my own eyes that she's okay, I won't relax.

"I'll drive," he says and we both go to his car and get inside.

Without needing me to tell him to, he parks at the back, probably because it'll be quicker to get to her without having to fight through the crowds of drunk gamblers.

We walk out of the elevator and immediately spot the carnage. Six men lie dead. Joe has a bullet hole in his forehead, but the others are nearly decapitated. They were brutal deaths. My chest squeezes with dread, knowing I'll have to inform the families they've lost someone close to them. Like a tumor in my stomach, the terror intensifies over what state I'll find Kierra in. Or did they take her? She may not be here at all. Bones draws his weapon, a .45, as we step over my guards' dead bodies to get to the door as that pit in my stomach continues to grow. Bones opens the door and suddenly the pain in my chest grows to such proportions I am convinced I'm dying. There's blood everywhere. On the walls, and the floor is saturated with it. A man lies dead on the floor and across from him is my Kierra. Lifeless and bloody, with a knife firmly planted in her chest.

"Sin!" Bones snaps through my pain as I rush over to her.

"Don't touch the fucking knife. If you pull it out, she's dead."

I kneel beside her. "Baby, I'm sorry. I should've been here."

Pressing my fingers to her neck, I yell out to Bones, "Her pulse is faint. She's going to die."

"Can you pick her up without disturbing the dagger?"

I place my arms underneath her and lift as I rise to my feet, careful to not pull her too close to my chest, even though that's exactly what I want to do. I want to hold her and never fucking let her go.

"Come on," he says, "Ambulance is downstairs to take us to my doctor's private hospital."

We get into the elevator and I stare at her pale face as I ask Bones to check her pulse again because I'm afraid to try because of the fucking weapon embedded in my girl's chest.

He checks it and looks at me with a pitied expression. "It's slow, man. I'm sorry."

I'm more surprised that she's even still alive at all because she has so many cuts, there's so much blood coming from her she probably shouldn't be. I know this is the last time I will hold her because she is going to die. There's no way someone survives an attack like this.

The regret consumes me as I'm informed that I cannot go in the ambulance with her. They take her from my arms and place her on the stretcher as I fall to my knees.

Of course, I love her. I didn't tell her the one thing she wanted to hear. Why? Why the fuck didn't I just tell her three easy fucking words she needed from me? Now it's too late. As the ambulance drives away with everything I ever wanted inside, I know I had one chance and I blew it.

Bones grips my shoulder, "Come on, Sin. Let's hurry and get to your girl."

We walk over to the car and he says, "I called Zade for you."

I slide in but ask, "Why?"

He puts the car into drive and laughs, "He's less of an asshole than I am. I promise you, though, I've got your back here. Those fuckers will pay for hurting your girl."

I nod because of course I want revenge, but right now it doesn't matter. Kierra is the only thing that does. The only thing I can see is her pale skin. So pale. No color to her cheeks. The human body can only take so much and my girl has had more than most men I know could handle.

"Tell me she could survive."

Even if it's a fucking lie, I need to hear the words. I'm desperate for someone to give me hope because I have none.

He merges onto the freeway. "I will not lie. Those injuries are severe, but Doc Johnson is the best in the country."

"Doc Johnson?" I look at him like he's an idiot because he just might be.

He nods as he takes the third exit off the freeway. "Yeah, why?"

"Like the sex toy company?"

Bones bursts out laughing, "Only you would think about sex toys at a time like this. No. Not the sex toy company. Doctor Burt Johnson."

I drag a hand down my face. "She asked me if I loved her."

He turns on the air conditioning as he states what should be obvious, "And you said yes. Clearly you do."

I shake my head. "No, I didn't. I wasn't sure if I did. And once you say it, you can't take it back."

Bones turns into the parking lot of an office building, "Don't do that to yourself. When you see her, you'll tell her. If she doesn't already know you love her, then she's as blind as you are."