Damien did not rush forward when he came upon the situation. Instead, he only stood still and let his eyes sweep slowly across the room where everything appeared scattered and in a mess, and then his gaze returned unshaken to the scene of his younger brother being pinned harshly against the wall. Even when he noticed how Declan's face was already turning pale and how his body seemed dangerously close to losing full consciousness, Damien did not utter a word, nor did he make a single move that could suggest intervention. His expression remained detached and almost cold as though he had already judged the matter in silence.
Declan, now weak and desperate, turned his eyes toward his elder brother with a pleading look, hoping that Damien would step in and pull him out of that grip. But what he received was only complete indifference, because Damien's steady gaze seemed to say clearly that this mess was entirely of his own making.
Not even a heartbeat later, another figure emerged quietly from behind Damien. It was Reid. His actions followed almost the same pattern as Damien's as his eyes swept quickly over the disordered room before settling on the main sight before him. Unlike Damien, however, Reid did not simply stand back. He strode forward until he was standing beside Declan and Rose. His expression darkened as his eyes glared sharply at Declan for a brief moment before shifting with equal sharpness to the woman holding him.
"Let him go," Reid said, his voice carrying an icy tone that cut through the tense air. But his words seemed to meet nothing but silence because they were received by deaf ears.
Rose did not even flinch at his command, her whole body appearing as though it was locked into one single purpose. And that purpose was to make certain that the man she had trapped beneath her hands could no longer breathe. Her focus was fixed so heavily that even Reid's cold words slid past her without a trace of effect.
Reid's eyes grew colder, and with each passing second he looked closer to stepping in by force. But when he noticed Declan's body slumping as his strength drained away and his breathing weakened, Reid finally moved forward with determination, ready to pull Rose off him.
Yet before he could act, Damien's deep voice cut across with a single word.
"Don't."
Reid stopped and turned quickly, his eyes narrowing in visible anger as he stared at Damien. "At this rate she'll kill him," he retorted with disbelief.
Damien did not bother to reply to his Reid's protest. Instead, he stepped forward slowly until he reached where Rose stood, still pressing Declan against the wall. Then he extended his hand slwoly and touched her hand that was firmly clamped on Declan's neck.
That small touch made Rose flinch violently as though struck by a sudden jolt, and instantly she released Declan before she spun around with fierce speed, her body ready to pounce on the person who had dared to break into her fury.
But Damien was quicker, as though he had foreseen her very intention before she made the move. He caught both her hands in a firm grip, not allowing her to land a single blow.
"Calm down," he said, his voice not raised nor harsh, but carrying a weight that could make anyone tremble.
Rose breathed heavily, her chest rising and falling as she tried to wrestle her hands free, straining against his grip with all her strength, but Damien held fast. After a long struggle she managed to free one hand, and immediately she swung toward his face with a punch only for him to catch it again in mid-air, tightening his hold than before.
"I'll let you go if you calm down first," Damien added, his voice powerful as ever, but Rose showed no sign of hearing him because she continued thrashing in his hold.
Her heel came down hard on his foot with the sharp tip stabbing into him, and though Damien hissed in pain, he did not release her. He endured her struggles with unshaken patience, even as her fury clawed against him, until at last it was clear she would not yield to words.
Left with no other choice, Damien released one of her hands swiftly, and before she could strike again, he moved with precision and struck the side of her neck with a controlled hit.
Rose gasped faintly and then her body went limp, her eyes closing as unconsciousness took her. She collapsed into Damien's arms.
Without uttering another word, Damien gathered her firmly in his arms and turned away from the room, carrying her out in silence as his figure disappeared beyond the doorway.
The room grew still after his departure, leaving behind Reid and Declan, who now sagged weakly against Reid's chest. With Rose's grip gone, his mind slowly cleared though his body remained heavy and weak, and his throat burned painfully with each breath he took.
Reid steadied him, then guided him carefully to the couch before lowering him down into a sitting position. He too sat beside him, his expression unreadable as his eyes rested on Declan with a look that was impossible to measure.
Finally, he asked in a cold voice, "What did you do?"
Declan closed his eyes and leaned back against the couch, the back of his head pressing into the cushion as he struggled to form words. When he finally spoke, his voice was hoarse and broken with coughs.
"I was just… being a good… cough… brother… cough… Damn it… my throat really hurts."
Reid exhaled sharply in irritation and shook his head. "You should not stick your nose into people's business," he said flatly.
Declan groaned, forcing his eyes open, and glanced at Reid with a faint smirk despite the pain still written on his face. "Who would have thought… my goodness would be rewarded like… this," he muttered slowly. "That woman is… mad… but more than good enough for Damien… Ouch! Why did you hit… me?… Ouch… Reid!"
Reid had pressed deliberately against one of the wounds on Declan's body, forcing a pained cry out of him. He leaned closer, his eyes hard. "Just shut the fuck up," he ordered, his voice leaving no space for argument.
Declan groaned again and fell silent, his body slumping back into the couch while Reid's cold yet concerned gaze remained fixed on him.
***
"She was my ruin, and still I reached for her. I know, the only thing colder than my body is her heart now."