“Can you make him better?” she asks her.

Victoria’s eyes slide to mine, waiting, hoping.

I squeeze her hand and she nods.

“Yeah, Mama.” Her eyes move to Zoey again. “I think I can,” she whispers.

As Zoey slides her headphones back on, none the wiser about what’s happened here, Victoria drops her forehead to mine.

“I’m so sorry—”

“Victoria!”

She freezes.

I freeze.

Our eyes lock.

Mike.

“Fuck.” Royce dashes from the room.

Before I can grab her, Victoria yanks herself away, flying from the floor.

I quickly set Zoey aside and jump toward her, but she slams the door, something heavy hitting it from the other side.

I shake it, banging my shoulder into it as fear grips my throat. “Victoria! Open the fucking door! Now!”

“Stop,” she rushes in a whisper. “Don’t scare her.”

My head swivels around to find a little frown marring Zoey’s forehead as she looks right at me, ears still covered.

I turn back, my palms and face pressed against the white wood.

“Vee, baby, Beauty.” My breathing speeds up. “Open the door.”

I wait, but silence is all that follows.

Fuck!

Victoria

I walk through the living room, glancing at the other three as they argue about how to approach.

Their eyes snap to mine and slowly narrow.

“VicVee...” Royce drags out, turning his body toward me.

His eyes fall to the direction I’m headed, and quickly snap up.

I dart forward as he hops over the couch, but he only manages to grab my shirt as I swipe the gun from the floor, tearing away from him, the sound of my top shredding at my back.

“Victoria!” he shouts, rushing behind me, but I don’t stop.

I walk right out the front door.

And there he stands.

Dark hair matted and twisted, blood dripping from his mouth and arms, soiled across the front of his shirt with a gun held high in his hand.

“There she is,” Mike coughs, staggering. “There’s my girl.”

My eyes fall to Rolland, flat on his back beside him, bleeding from who the hell knows where.

“Oh him?” Mike glares, turning toward him. “Yeah, he got me, but he made a mistake and left me breathing.” In one swift move, he pulls his leg back, skips forward, kicking him in the gut.

Rolland groans, spinning on his side.

“Let’s go,” he says to me, jerking his head as if to tell me to hurry.

Only then do his eyes fall to my hand, following as I lift the gun, and point it right at him, but the motherfucker smiles, proof someone got him good painting his teeth red, too.

“Come on, Garden Girl.” He chuckles, walking toward me. “You could never shoot me.”

“I have before.”

“By mistake.” He lowers his gun to his side. “I taught you how to shoot, remember?”

I pull the hammer of the gun back. “So you know I won’t miss.”

“You’d never hurt someone you love.”

“I stabbed your father in the gut with a kitchen knife.”

“After he used it on you.”

My lips smash together. “Don’t make me do this, Mike.”

His smile grows and he takes another step, closer to me, closer to Captain.

Closer to Zoey.

I pull the trigger, shooting him in the thigh.

“Fuck!” he shouts, dropping to one knee, his hands hitting the grass.

He groans, hunching over as he squeezes at the wound.

“Damn it, Vee,” he grates.

Suddenly, I’m grabbed at the elbow and thrown back, the gun flying from my hand and falling into the flowerbed as Captain, Maddoc, and Royce rush forward.

In one solid line they fly for him, but Mike is quick and just before he’s in reach, the gun is back in his hands and he’s on his feet, the barrel pointed right at Captain’s head.

They freeze where they stand, and Mike quickly shuffles backward.

“Cap...” Royce stresses.

Tension lines their backs, wrapping around their shoulders and their hands ball into fists.

Mike chuckles, spitting blood as he smirks at Captain.

“You guys.” He chuckles. “You’re all pathetic, can’t protect your women for shit.”

Maddoc takes a step forward and Mike swings the gun to him.

“I almost got yours, didn’t I, Madman?” he mocks, but his gaze narrows slightly as Maddoc keeps moving forward. “The little cut on her cheek.” He smiles. “Yeah, she got me right here, though.” He pats at the blood patch on his shirt growing larger near his abdomen. “What kind of pregnant chick keeps a knife tucked in her jeans?” he mocks with a coughed laugh.

“You’re not leaving here alive,” Maddoc grounds out.

“I’m leaving with Victoria, or you’re burying your brother alongside me.”

The gun swings back to Captain.

I jerk forward, only to have Raven dart a hand out the door and grab me by my wrist and fling me back.

She’s shaking with anger, but dread is clear in her eyes. “They’re out there for you.”

“And the people who need them most are inside this fucking house,” I force past clenched teeth, yanking free of her hold as I quickly shift my gaze back to the scene, returning them to her just as fast.

Her eyes cave and she wraps her arms around her middle. “Don’t you get it? You’re one of them, one of us. They will die for you.”

“Don’t you get it?” I whisper, tears clouding my eyes. “I can’t let them.”

She opens her mouth, and then closes it, shaking her head frantically. She growls. “Goddamn you, why are you so stubborn?”

“Because I’m your sister.” I quickly squeeze her hand, turning away.

I walk out onto the lawn as quietly as I can, but the second Mike spots me beyond their shoulders, all heads fly my way.

Mike uses that to his advantage, darting forward to knock Captain in the head with the same part of the gun he used on me and he falls to his knees.

His brothers fly around, ready to attack, but I shout, “Wait” and they all freeze.

“Victoria, don’t.” Captain growls, pushing to his feet.

I walk out in a wide arc, so they can’t reach out and grab me, and Mike slides his feet my way, forcing them to curve the other way.

Mike’s breathing begins to settle as I grow closer.

“It’s okay, Cap,” I tell him softly, not taking my eyes from Mike’s. “He won’t hurt me.”

Mike’s lips twitch, an almost unnoticeable nod leaving him.

“I won’t let him leave, and never with you,” Captain says.

My blood pumps fiercely and I nod, and then I slide between them all, right in front of Mike, but he keeps his eyes on them, gun raised and pointed high.

His free arm comes down around my waist and he yanks me to him.

“Don’t fucking move!” he shouts, and I know Captain has stepped closer.

“Mike,” I whisper, sliding my hands up to his face. “Mike, look at me.”

His eyes tighten, and he jerks slightly, so I press tighter, move in closer.