Ember stepped close. Her scent surrounded me, her fingers delving into my hair, the only thing keeping me grounded. She pulled my head against the rough denim covering her thighs. And gods dammit if I didn’t let her. “Shh.” Her voice was thick and shaking as she tried to soothe me.
No one asked who it was that had died, and I couldn’t speak to tell them.
I closed my eyes and concentrated solely on my breathing and Ember’s touch as I promised my brother vengeance. My heart rate slowed a little and my mind settled enough for rational thought. I unlocked my arms from around her thighs and pulled back.
“You okay?” she asked, her eyes large and dark, sparkling with unshed tears.
“No, but…” I pushed myself to my feet, took a deep fortifying breath, and exhaled through the tightness in my chest.
“Who was it, boss?” asked Kawan, his whole body tense.
“D.”
Kawan nodded once before he turned and walked away. I let him go. He and my Russian brother had always been close. I watched, but he only made it as far as the door before he stopped. His shoulders slowly straightened before he turned and stalked back towards us. “It will be over soon. Stone will need us.”
I exchanged a look with Ember, swallowing at that show of solidarity and strength. Even if Stone had ended D, his loss wasn’t Stone’s fault any more than those deaths yesterday were Ember’s. Silently we sat on either side of Kawan. Ember tentatively slid a hand over one of his clenched fists.
I swallowed back the ache in my throat. For all her toughness, my Firecracker was a kind and empathetic person to those she cared for.
Shane sat opposite, there for us all. I nodded my thanks, trying to express how much his support meant, too.
Half an hour later, the doors to the arena stairwell clicked open, and we were allowed down to retrieve the survivors. My fists clenched. Two survivors—out of so many. Saliva rushed my mouth as the stench of death hit me. Pain punched me in the gut and I fought not to crumble. I’d lost one of my brothers today, and D wouldn’t be the last—tomorrow would bring more tragedy. Gritting my teeth, I threw my shoulders back. No way would I give in now. My men and Ember needed me, they needed my guidance and strength, though fuck knew, I didn’t feel strong. I inhaled the subtle essence of the woman at my back, thanking the gods for giving her back to me. Ember probably didn't even realise how much strength she gave me just being by my side.
I took the lead down the stairs, my long legs allowing me to descend two, sometimes three at a time. The guards had opened the doors at the bottom, directly into the cage. They pointed their weapons directly at me, but I didn’t care. I barely registered their presence. My focus was honed in on my brother.
The others ran in directly behind me. There was an audible gasp from Ember.
Stone sat naked and as still as his name’s sake. He said nothing to us, merely got up and went to walk straight past me. Ember tried to mask her horror at the state of his face and body, but it was hard. Even I swallowed hard. Deep gashes marked his flesh. It had to have been him and D who had fought. No one else could do this amount of damage to Stone. And D had got in some vicious strikes. Stone’s face was bruised, his eye socket deformed, and his nose was so swollen it was bent out of shape. Blood trickled from his head, staining his silver grey hair that hung loose around his shoulders, and just like Ember’s had been, his feet were torn to ribbons. He stank of piss and alcohol and blood.
But it was his eyes that scared me the most. They were utterly devoid of any kind of emotion. Dead.
I opened my mouth...
“Don’t!” His ravaged lips dripped blood, and something dangerous flashed in his empty gaze.
I nodded, carefully watching my other brothers as they approached him.
Kawan eyed Stone dully. Unblinking, they stared at each other. Ember moved towards them, but I held her back and shook my head. Their emotions hit me in a wave just as Stone’s shoulders caved forward, his devastation surging through me.
Owen ran in, followed closely by Reed and Myles. They all halted. Understanding and