Shattered (LOST #3)(92)

Jax was on his feet now. He wanted to run at the bastard, but he needed the man to get away from Sarah. “Mitch, don’t—”

The blade sank into Sarah’s chest.

“No! Please, fucking no!” And Jax launched his body at the other man. He slammed into him because if he didn’t do something, Sarah was dead. Jax knew it. She was dead.

He couldn’t let that happen. No matter what else happened, he needed Sarah to live.

He grabbed for the knife. There was so much blood on Sarah. And she hadn’t made a sound. No screams. No cries of pain. Not even when the knife had gone into her.

“She’s gonna die, and so are you!” Mitch swung that knife at Jax.

Jax caught his wrist, stopping the knife inches from his throat.

Mitch snarled.

Jax tightened his grip. He kept tightening it and tightening it until . . .

Snap.

The knife hit the floor.

“Not your neck this time,” Jax said, “but I’ll work my way up there.”

Mitch head-butted him. Jax fell back, but then he launched forward again, adrenaline and fury giving him strength. He had to get Mitch away from Sarah. Had to take him out. He drove his fist into the man’s face. Again and again and again.

Mitch just . . . laughed. “Bitch is . . . dying.”

Jax stopped, his hand poised to slam into Mitch again. “Sarah!” Jax shouted.

She didn’t answer.

Mitch was sprawled beneath him, not fighting. Jax glanced over at Sarah. She wasn’t moving. So much blood. “Sarah?” Jax called once more, fear breaking in her name. “Sarah, no!”

He jumped off Mitch.

And Mitch surged forward, grabbing for the knife. Swearing, Jax dove for it, too. He caught it right before Mitch could get it. Then Jax drove his foot into Mitch’s side, sending the man rolling back.

Jax ran to Sarah. The knife was still in his right hand. His left reached down and touched her cheek. “Sarah . . . princess, look at me.”

Her head turned. Sarah smiled at him. “I would . . . always . . . find you.”

Fear clawed in his chest. “I’m going to get you out of here.” He leaned over her. “Sarah, I’m going to—”

Gunfire blasted. At first, Jax didn’t even realize that he’d been hit. He didn’t feel the pain because he was staring into Sarah’s eyes. Sarah’s beautiful eyes. But then he heard her screaming.

She hadn’t made a sound before, but she was screaming as if in agony now. Over and over and she was screaming—

His name.

Jax looked down at his chest. Blood. But I still don’t feel the pain.

“No one hurts Sarah!” It was a roar that came from just a few feet away. A roar that had come from Murphy Jacobs. “I told you to stay away from her!”

Sarah was trying to reach out to Jax. Her fingers were nearly touching him. She was crying. He hated for Sarah to be in pain.

“I . . . love you,” Sarah whispered.

He wanted to tell her that he loved her, too. He wanted to say that everything was going to be all right. But his body was slumping, and even though he tried to touch Sarah, he couldn’t. He couldn’t do anything . . . but fall.

I love you, Sarah.

DEAN SLAMMED ON his brakes when he reached the house at the end of Tibideaux Street. He jumped out of his car, checked his weapon, and ran forward. Another vehicle had been parked a few yards back, but it had been empty. Now he could see Sarah’s rental car up ahead and—

It wasn’t empty.

Dean staggered to a stop. Right then, his whole life seemed to stop. He hurried to the car and yanked open the passenger door. He’d been calling Emma, over and over, but she hadn’t answered. Now he knew why.

She sagged against her seat belt, slumping toward him.

“Baby?” he whispered. She had a huge knot on her head and blood had streamed over the right side of her face. She was breathing—thank Christ. “Baby, please, look at me.”

Her eyelashes fluttered.

His heart started beating again.

“Th-Thought you were . . . the other one . . .” Emma whispered.

The light from the interior of the car was making them a target. He lifted her into his arms. Shut that door. Plunged them back into darkness.

“Man . . . came before . . . went after Carlos and Sarah . . .”

He carried her back to his car. He needed to find Sarah. She was his teammate, but Emma—Emma was his whole fucking life. He had to make sure she was all right. He eased her down behind his car. Dean pulled out his phone. Dialed Gabe as fast as he could. “Screw the house in the bayou, get to Tibideaux Street. Now.” Then he put his gun in Emma’s hands. “I have to check on Sarah.” He tightened his grip around her. “You keep this, and if anyone comes at you . . . baby, you shoot, do you understand?”

Emma gave a faint nod.

He leaned forward and kissed her.

Then he heard the screams.

SARAH COULDN’T STOP screaming. Jax had been there, reaching for her one moment, then he’d been shot the next. She rolled, crawled to him. Her chest hurt. She hurt, and Jax was too still.

“He won’t hurt you again.”

She knew that voice. It was her father’s voice.

Sarah touched Jax’s chest. The bullet had gone in, blasting fast and deep. “What did you do?”