Page 125 of One Last Rainy Day
Pop. Pop. Pop. Pop. Pop. Pop. Pop. Pop.
Tobias’s aim pays off when the car crashes into a nearby tree.
By the time I make it to him, Tobias is ripping one of the Miami crew out of the car and makes quick work of dropping his gun before breaking his tatted neck with his bare hands.
Checking the cabin of the car, I spot one of them coughing up blood, trying to hide in the divide in seats between the two blown airbags and take him out with a single shot.
A second later, I hear a scream and look over to see Tyler taking out his grief in a way that nauseates me before he fires.
Pop. Pop.
Just after, an eerie silence blankets the house and surrounding grounds.
Long, tense seconds pass.
It’s over.For now.
“Get back to the house,” Tyler snaps as he passes me, trailing Tobias, who’s already halfway there.
I silently follow, my eyes scanning the lifeless bodies littering the porch to see if any of them are our own. I’m thankful when I come up empty, but I know the zero count isn’t true.
Layla’s face crosses my mind along with her order to come back to her, and all I can do is thank whatever fate decided I deserved to make it home today. Knowing it may not be the same fate tomorrow.
For any of us.
Because a war has just started, and we all know it.
Prepared or not, it’s coming, and that’s not the only thing in store for my future. As of last night, Layla gave me even more incentive to return to her—as if she wasn’t enough.
I’m still reeling about the fact that I’m going to be a father.
As the exhilaration of that knowledge flits in, it’s overridden by another—he’ll never know my son or daughter.
Feeling the weight of the loss start to cripple me, I silently step into the foyer to see birds gathering—one by one from different directions as the rest file in from the porch. Corpses lay scattered around us, blood seeping into the floors, bullet holes littering the walls. It’s a fucking bloodbath, but I can only be thankful that most of what’s been spilled isn’t ours.
Russell joins Tyler and me where we stand next to the front door, equally assessing. Sean appears to my right and joins us at the foot of the stairs as Tyler looks over to me. “Compound ready?”
I nod before asking my own question. “They broke through one of our borders?”
He nods in reply. “Four birds gone. They didn’t have time to send a warning.”
“Any other company coming today?” I ask.
“We think this is all of them for now, but we’re going to make fucking sure.” He elevates his voice to everyone gathered. “No head hits a pillow until we are. I want every fucking bird and their closest at Denny’s within the hour.” He jerks his chin toward me. “No fucking exceptions.”
Wordless nods and chin dips are all we can convey as we all glance around at the carnage.
It’s when Russell looks up to the second floor and freezes that I follow his line of sight and still—chest seizing. Tobias stands at the top of the stairs, Dom’s lifeless body cradled in his arms, drawing every eye to him before he slowly starts to descend. An anguished mewl erupts from Sean before he hits his knees, palming the top of his head, body bent as if taking cover while his grief echoes around us.
One by one, heads start to bow as Tobias draws closer, face twisted in agony, tears spilling from his lifeless eyes.
My own eyes spill over as Tyler clips out a hoarse request. “Russell, grab your—”
“On it,” he says, turning and making a beeline for his car.
When Tobias hits the bottom of the stairs, we all step back, giving him a wide berth. Unable to look away, I lift my head just as Tobias passes, staring straight ahead as he walks down the porch steps. It’s the sight of Dom’s limp hand that has my throat closing as Sean’s agonized grunts fill the air. With the slam of Russell’s car door, the morningbirds begin to sing as if our whole world didn’t just fucking stop.
My only friend.
