Jare (POV)
It was up to me now.
The second Jay left with Clyden Kuya, I already knew what I had to do.
If she wanted to get him to the hospital alive—
then I had to clear the path first.
I called Percy immediately while driving.
"They're still following her," I said quickly. "We split them up now."
Percy didn't even hesitate.
"Got it."
That was enough.
The second we confirmed Jay was with Cassian Watson, we moved into position behind her car.
Jay was driving like a complete maniac.
Fast.
Reckless.
Desperate.
But honestly?
I couldn't blame her.
Clyden Kuya was bleeding out in the backseat.
Then headlights appeared behind her again.
Three cars.
Closing in fast.
One of them rammed hard into the side of Jay's car, nearly forcing her off the road.
"Shit!" I cursed.
Percy looked at me through the windshield.
We both nodded instantly.
No words needed.
Then we accelerated.
Our cars slammed into the vehicles chasing Jay, forcing them sideways while Jay pushed through the narrow opening we created for her.
"Go, Jay…" I muttered under my breath. "Just go…"
The gap was dangerously small.
But I knew her.
If anyone could force a car through that space—
it was Jay.
And she did.
Her car disappeared ahead toward the hospital.
Relief hit me for exactly two seconds.
Then I looked in the mirror.
The remaining cars had turned toward us now.
Great.
"They're chasing us," I muttered.
Percy's car swerved slightly beside mine.
Too slightly.
Wrong.
I frowned immediately and drove closer before lowering my window.
"Kuya!" I shouted over the engines. "What happened?"
Percy looked pale.
Way too pale.
"I'm okay…" he tried to say casually. "I just felt numbness when the car hit me…"
But even while talking—
his car drifted harder.
The steering wheel jerked violently in his hands.
And I realized immediately—
he was losing control completely.
"Shit!"
His speed was too high.
If he crashed like this, he wouldn't survive it.
I slammed harder on the accelerator and pushed my car directly in front of his.
"Percy! BRAKE!" I shouted desperately.
But his car wasn't slowing down properly.
No response.
No control.
I gritted my teeth.
If he couldn't stop the car—
then I had to stop it for him.
At first I thought about letting him hit the back of my car to reduce the speed.
But at this velocity?
That wouldn't be enough.
So I made the decision instantly.
I turned the steering wheel sharply.
My car swung sideways directly in front of Percy's vehicle.
"Please work…" I muttered.
Then—
CRASH.
The impact exploded through my body.
Percy's car slammed into the side of mine, forcing both vehicles into a violent skid across the road.
Glass shattered everywhere.
The seatbelt dug painfully into my chest as my head smashed against the window hard enough to blur my vision instantly.
Warm blood ran down the side of my face.
"Shit…"
The world spun violently around me.
Smoke started rising from the engine while sparks crackled near the front of the car.
Fire.
I reached for the door handle—
but my arm felt weak.
Too weak.
Everything felt dizzy.
My ears rang painfully.
Then headlights appeared again through the cracked windshield.
The other cars.
Still coming.
And from the way they accelerated—
they weren't planning to stop.
My breathing became uneven instantly.
No…
No no no—
they were going to hit both cars again.
Smoke filled the inside of the car while blood kept dripping down my face.
Then suddenly—
my phone started ringing.
I looked at the screen weakly.
Mia.
For one second, everything around me went quiet.
I can't stop here.
I promised her.
I promised I would never leave her alone again.
And I promised I would never die before her.
I forced my shaking hand against the door and pushed it open.
The second I stepped out—
my legs gave out.
I hit the ground hard with a groan as dizziness crashed over me instantly.
"Fuck…"
The headlights were getting closer.
Too close.
I forced myself up anyway and stumbled toward Percy Kuya's car.
"Kuya…" I muttered weakly while grabbing the handle.
It took everything I had to pull the door open.
Percy looked half-conscious now.
"We need to move…"
I hooked his arm over my shoulder and tried dragging him out before the cars reached us.
The engines roared louder.
Closer.
Almost on top of us.
Then suddenly—
SCREEECH.
Another car slammed violently into the pursuing vehicle from the side hard enough to send it rolling across the road.
I stared in shock.
The driver's door opened.
Aries stepped out holding a gun.
"Sorry for being late…" he said casually.
Even now.
Even covered in blood.
He still acted cool.
Percy Kuya laughed weakly beside me despite barely being conscious.
"Acting cool after arriving late…"
Aries snorted once while helping me hold Percy properly.
"I'm not losing you again," he said quietly. "Of course I came."
Something about the way he said it hit harder than expected.
Then his expression changed instantly as another vehicle appeared behind us.
"Now stop talking," Aries snapped sharply. "Get in the car. NOW."
He shoved us toward his vehicle before turning around.
Gunshots exploded into the night.
Aries fired directly at the tires of the approaching car.
One tire burst instantly.
The vehicle lost control, flipped violently, and crashed upside down across the road.
Sparks lit up the entire street.
"Move!" Aries shouted again.
We finally got Percy into the backseat while I collapsed beside him, breathing hard.
Aries jumped into the driver's seat and accelerated immediately.
For a few seconds, nobody spoke.
Only heavy breathing filled the car.
Then I looked beside me.
"…Kuya?"
Percy wasn't responding anymore.
His head had fallen sideways against the window.
"kuya?" I said louder, panic rising instantly.
No response.
My stomach dropped.
"ARIES!"
Aries looked back immediately through the mirror before gripping the steering wheel harder.
The engine roared violently as we sped forward again.
Fast.
Too fast.
The road blurred beneath us while smoke and shattered glass disappeared behind us.
Then suddenly—
the gunfire from behind stopped.
For one second, the silence felt wrong.
My phone rang immediately after.
Kiefer.
I answered instantly.
"Is everything okay?" he asked sharply.
I laughed weakly from pure stress.
"Nope," I muttered. "Aries and I are basically speed-running death right now, and Percy collapsed."
There was silence for half a second.
Then Cole Kuya's voice came through.
"Send us your location. Now."
I quickly sent the coordinates.
Beside me, Aries gripped the steering wheel harder.
Too hard.
Blood kept dripping down his arm onto the gearshift.
He was losing strength too.
"Hey, Aries…" I said quietly, trying to keep him conscious. "Doesn't Jay still need us alive?"
Aries let out a weak breath that almost sounded like a laugh.
"Annoyingly enough… yeah."
Then—
gunshots exploded behind us again.
My entire body tensed instantly.
I genuinely thought we were dead.
But suddenly another car appeared beside us at terrifying speed.
The rooftop window slid open.
Angelo and Cole Kuya leaned out while firing toward the pursuing vehicles without hesitation.
Bullets shattered windshields instantly.
And in the driver's seat—
Kiefer.
Driving like an absolute psychopath.
The chase turned violent immediately.
One pursuing car lost control after Angelo shot the tire.
Another crashed into the divider after Cole emptied half a magazine into the engine.
Within seconds—
it was over.
Silence.
Only the sound of engines remained.
Aries finally slowed the car before stopping roughly near the roadside.
The second the car stopped—
he collapsed sideways against the steering wheel.
"Aries!" I shouted.
The doors of Kiefer's car flew open immediately.
All three of them rushed toward us—
and only then did I realize…
they were hurt too.
Blood covered their clothes.
Cole's arm was wrapped badly.
Angelo had cuts across his face.
And Kiefer's side was soaked red from a gunshot wound.
For one second, all of us just stared at each other.
Alive.
Barely.
"What happened?" Cole Kuya asked immediately.
I swallowed hard.
"Percy Kuya got paralyzed for a second while driving," I explained weakly. "So I used my car to block him. We collided instead."
Cole's expression changed instantly.
"Since when has this been happening again?" he shouted angrily. "Why didn't Percy tell me?"
"It just happened because another car hit him…" I muttered tiredly.
Everything around me suddenly started spinning again.
I looked at them weakly.
"You guys okay…?"
Then my body finally gave out.
And everything went black.
Kiefer (POV)
After Jay left with Clyden, we stopped holding back.
Bullets echoed through the hall while bodies dropped around us, glass shattered beneath our feet, and smoke slowly swallowed what used to be an elegant party.
I thought tonight would finally be peaceful.
For once, I genuinely believed everything was going to be okay.
But the second they targeted Jay—
something inside me snapped.
If anything happened to her…
I wouldn't hesitate to wipe every elder out myself.
Clyden stopped me.
But if he hadn't—
I would've already killed them.
My jaw tightened as I fired toward the men trying to push through the left side of the hall.
Is Jay okay now?
"KIEFER!" Angelo shouted over the gunfire.
"What?!" I shouted back while reloading quickly.
"Do you even realize where you're standing?" Cole snapped while firing beside me. "Why are you distracted right now?"
"I'm not," I shot back immediately, firing another round toward the men rushing the stairs.
Cole looked at me like he didn't believe that for a second.
"If you're thinking about Jay, don't," he said sharply. "Trust Jare, Percy, and Aries. They'll take care of her."
Another bullet flew past us.
I fired back instantly.
"Now focus here," Angelo added coldly. "Unless you want to die and make my sister a widow."
Despite everything—
I barked out a dry laugh.
"Wow," I muttered mockingly while firing again. "I found some damn good brothers-in-law."
Then I reloaded my gun and looked straight ahead again.
"And I'm never leaving Jay side."
"Shut up and shoot," Cole snapped immediately.
The three of us moved again, covering different sides while some of the attackers started retreating after realizing they failed to reach Jay.
Cowards.
One of them tried escaping through the side exit.
I shot the wall beside his head hard enough to make him stumble.
"Run faster," I said darkly. "Because if I catch you tonight…"
I didn't finish the sentence.
I didn't need to.
Behind us, the once beautiful hall looked like a battlefield now.
Blood.
Smoke.
Broken lights.
Bodies everywhere.
And somewhere far from here—
Jay was probably crying beside Clyden.
That thought alone made me pull the trigger harder.
Because right now—
she needed me beside her more than anything.
By the time we stepped outside, everyone in the hall was already dead.
The gunfire had finally stopped.
Only silence, smoke, and the smell of blood remained.
My ears were still ringing as we moved carefully toward the cars, guns still raised.
Then suddenly—
I turned instinctively—
and found a gun pointed straight at me.
Before he could pull the trigger again and shoot my shoulder—
a shot rang out beside me.
The man dropped instantly.
Angelo slowly lowered his gun, breathing heavily.
"Kiefer!" Cole shouted furiously. "Didn't I tell you never to let your guard down?!"
I looked down at the dead man near my feet.
The bullet had barely missed me.
"What would you have done if he aimed for your head?" Angelo snapped angrily.
"…Probably die," I muttered.
"That's not funny."
I didn't answer.
Because honestly—
my head was still with Jay.
We got into the cars immediately after that.
Halfway there, I called Jare.
The second I heard his voice, something felt wrong.
"Is everything okay?" I asked. The phone was on speaker.
Jare laughed weakly from the other side.
"Nope. Aries and I are basically speed-running death right now, and Percy collapsed."
Everything inside the car went cold.
"Send us your location," Cole demanded instantly.
Jare sent the coordinates.
I slammed harder on the accelerator immediately.
When we arrived, Percy and Jare's cars were completely wrecked from the collision.
Gunfire still echoed nearby while the remaining attackers chased Aries's car down the road.
"Open the top window," Angelo ordered while grabbing his gun.
The rooftop window slid open instantly.
Angelo started firing immediately, and Cole joined him seconds later.
Bullets shattered through the darkness while one pursuing car crashed into the divider.
Another lost control completely.
They were stronger than the last time.
More aggressive.
More desperate.
But not enough.
The second the shooting stopped, their car finally crashed hard enough to end the chase.
I stopped our car immediately and jumped out.
Percy had already collapsed in the backseat.
Aries was slumped over the steering wheel, barely conscious.
And Jare looked seconds away from passing out.
"What happened?" Cole asked immediately.
Jare rubbed weakly at the blood on his face before answering.
"Percy Kuya got paralyzed for a second while driving…" he said weakly. "So I used my car to block him. We collided instead."
Cole's expression changed instantly.
"Since when has this been happening again?" he shouted angrily. "Why didn't Percy tell me?!"
"It just happened because another car hit him…" Jare muttered weakly.
Then suddenly—
his body gave out.
"Jare!"
I caught him before his head hit the ground.
"Shit—move him carefully!" Angelo snapped.
Everything became chaos again.
By the time we reached the hospital, Percy, Aries, and Jare were admitted immediately while doctors cleaned wounds and checked for internal injuries.
Jare had a head injury and fractures in his leg.
Percy still wasn't fully conscious.
And Aries—
the doctors thought the collision may have damaged his lungs.
Cole dragged a tired hand down his face.
"Jay can't find out about this right now," he said quietly.
None of us argued.
She was already falling apart over Clyden.
I stared silently at all of them.
Broken bones.
Blood.
Gunshot wounds.
Bruises.
Exhaustion.
And somehow—
we were all still standing.
Barely.
Honestly…
I think we were just lucky to survive tonight.
"I'll check on Jay," I said immediately, turning toward the ICU hallway.
"First treat yourself," Cole said sharply.
I looked down briefly.
Blood covered my shirt.
Some of it wasn't even mine.
"I'm fine."
"Kiefer—"
"No," I cut him off quietly. "She'll be crying right now."
Just thinking about her made my chest tighten painfully.
"She needs me."
Before anyone could stop me again, I walked toward the ICU hallway.
The silence there felt wrong compared to the chaos outside.
Too quiet.
Then I heard it.
Sobbing.
Not soft crying.
Completely broken sobs.
My heart dropped instantly.
I turned the corner fast—
and saw her.
Jay was sitting on the cold hospital floor near the glass ICU doors, hugging her knees tightly against her chest while her entire body shook violently.
Her hands trembled so badly she could barely hold herself together.
She looked destroyed.
Not physically hurt.
Broken from the inside.
"Please…" she cried weakly between sobs. "Don't leave me, Kuya… please…"
Fuck.
The sound of her voice nearly shattered me.
I ran to her immediately and dropped beside her before pulling her into my arms from behind.
"It's okay…" I whispered quickly, holding her tightly against my chest. "He'll be okay."
The second I touched her—
she broke even more.
A painful sob escaped her as she turned instantly and buried her face against my chest, gripping my shirt desperately with trembling hands.
"Kiefer…" she cried helplessly.
"I'm here," I whispered immediately, tightening my hold around her shaking body.
But she couldn't stop crying.
If anything, it got worse.
The entire hallway filled with the sound of her sobbing while she clung to me like I was the only thing keeping her from falling apart completely.
And honestly—
maybe I was.
Her fingers twisted tightly into my shirt while tears soaked through the fabric.
"Kiefer…" she choked out, gripping my sleeve so hard her fingers trembled. "Please do something… he's not opening his eyes…"
Fuck.
Hearing her sound that broken nearly killed me.
I looked through the glass again.
Clyden still wasn't moving.
Doctors kept shocking him.
Kept pushing medication.
Kept trying.
And for the first time since this started—
fear actually hit me.
Real fear.
Not for myself.
For him.
For her.
Because if Clyden died here tonight…
Jay would never recover from it.
Her voice shattered again against my chest.
"Why… why does everything come with a price for me?" she cried. "Why can't I just be happy, Kiefer?"
I closed my eyes for one second.
Because I didn't have an answer.
How could I?
Every time she smiled, the world seemed to find another way to punish her for it.
I tightened my arms around her carefully, one hand moving to the back of her head.
"Jay…" I said quietly. "He'll wake up. Trust me."
She shook her head immediately.
"He's not moving…"
"He will."
"What if he doesn't?"
That question hit me harder than any bullet ever could.
For one terrifying second—
I couldn't breathe either.
But I forced myself to hold her tighter instead.
"Clyden won't leave you," I whispered firmly, even while staring at the motionless body behind the glass. "That idiot loves you too much for that."
A broken sound escaped her as she buried her face against me again.
And all I could do was hold her while she cried like her entire world was collapsing.
Because maybe it was.
Then suddenly—
the monitor inside changed.
Every doctor in the room looked up at once.
And my heart stopped.
Then—
"Tss… who the fuck is making my hurricane cry like this?"
The entire operating room froze.
For one second, nobody moved.
Nobody breathed.
My eyes widened instantly.
"Clyden…" I whispered.
Beside me, Jay went completely still in my arms.
Inside the ICU, Clyden's eyes slowly opened despite the oxygen mask over his face.
Weak.
Exhausted.
But alive.
One of the doctors immediately stepped closer in shock while checking the monitors again.
"Oh my God—"
"His pulse getting stabilizing!"
The room exploded into movement again, but this time different.
Not panic.
Relief.
I quickly helped Jay stand before her knees gave out again.
"Kuya…" she whispered shakily as we rushed closer to the glass.
The second Clyden saw her—
he smiled weakly.
Even injured.
Even barely conscious.
He still smiled at her first.
"You scared me…" Jay cried, fresh tears falling immediately.
Clyden looked exhausted, but his eyes softened the moment they landed on her.
"I'll be okay," he mumbled weakly through the oxygen mask, his voice rough and barely audible.
Jay pressed her trembling hand against the glass immediately.
"Kuya…"
A weak laugh escaped him.
"I still need to hold my nephew," he murmured slowly. "Need to finish my sweater for him too…"
Jay suddenly laughed through her tears at the same time, covering her mouth while crying harder in relief.
"You're unbelievable," she whispered brokenly.
The doctors around him smiled slightly now, finally relaxing after the nightmare they had just survived.
But then—
"Jay… don't cry anymore," Clyden whispered weakly. "I'll be okay…"
And slowly—
his eyes closed again from exhaustion.
Jay tensed instantly.
"Kuya—"
"He's okay," one doctor reassured quickly. "He's conscious. His body is just exhausted."
Only then did Jay finally breathe properly again.
And the second the fear left her body—
she almost collapsed from relief instead.
But then her eyes landed on me properly for the first time.
Not my face.
The blood.
My clothes.
"What happened to you?" she asked immediately, panic returning to her voice as her eyes scanned over me desperately. "Did you get hurt too?"
"I'm alright," I said quickly.
Her eyes narrowed instantly.
"Kiefer… don't lie to me."
Before I could stop her, she grabbed my blazer and pulled it open herself.
And froze.
The white shirt underneath was soaked red near my side.
Her breathing stopped.
"Kiefer—!"
The shout echoed through the hallway.
I caught her wrists gently before she could touch the wound.
"It's not bad—"
Then she looked past me.
And finally noticed everyone else properly.
Cole's arm was wrapped in bloodstained bandages.
Angelo had cuts across his face and shoulder.
Nobody had escaped tonight unharmed.
Her expression changed completely.
Like the reality of everything finally crashed into her all at once.
"Where's Jare?" she asked shakily. "Where's Percy? And Aries… don't tell me something happened…"
"Jay, they're okay," I said immediately.
"Then why can't I see them?" she asked, panic rising in her voice.
"They're in the ER," I answered carefully. "They're getting treatment for their injuries."
The second I said that—
I could feel Cole and Angelo glaring at me from behind.
Like they already knew this was a bad idea.
"I need to see them," Jay said immediately.
Before any of us could stop her—
she was already moving.
I followed after her quickly.
The second we entered the emergency treatment area—
she stopped dead.
Jare was unconscious while nurses cleaned the blood from his head carefully.
Percy was lying unconscious on another bed nearby, bruises covering his forehead while oxygen rested over his face.
And Aries—
he also had an oxygen mask on while doctors checked his chest injuries.
Machines beeped quietly around them.
Jay stared at all of them silently.
One by one.
Like her mind couldn't process what she was seeing.
Her breathing suddenly became uneven.
Heavy.
Panicked.
"Jay—"
She grabbed her chest tightly.
Tears filled her eyes again instantly.
"Why…" she whispered shakily. "Why is everyone hurt…"
Her body swayed dangerously.
Then suddenly—
she collapsed.
"JAY!"
I caught her immediately before she hit the floor.
Her body felt frighteningly weak in my arms.
And that's when I saw it.
Blood.
My eyes dropped lower instantly—
to her leg.
Right where the slit of her dress opened against her thigh—
blood was slowly running down her skin.
"Jay…" I said quickly, tapping her cheek gently. "Jay, look at me."
No response.
Cole and Angelo rushed closer immediately.
"What happened?" Angelo asked sharply.
"She's bleeding," I said, panic rising in my voice for the first time that night.
Then I looked at her properly again—
and my stomach dropped.
There was blood near her hairline too.
A head injury.
Fuck.
"DOCTOR!" I shouted loud enough for the entire hallway to hear.
Several nurses and doctors rushed toward us immediately with a stretcher.
"What happened to her?" one of them asked quickly while checking Jay's pulse.
"She collapsed," Cole answered immediately.
"And she's bleeding," I added while helping place her carefully onto the stretcher.
The doctor's eyes moved toward the blood on her leg first—
then suddenly back to me.
"Is she pregnant?"
Everything around me went silent for one second.
I nodded immediately.
The doctor's expression changed instantly.
"Oh no…"
"Move her now. Call OB emergency. We may be dealing with fetal distress."
Without wasting another second, they rushed her inside immediately while nurses called for emergency assistance around us.
The ICU doors closed in front of me again.
And suddenly—
I couldn't breathe properly anymore.
The pressure in my chest became unbearable.
My legs finally gave out beneath me.
I hit my knees hard against the hospital floor, one hand catching myself against the wall while dizziness slammed into me all at once.
The adrenaline that had been keeping me standing the entire night was finally disappearing.
And now—
my body was giving out too.
Blood kept dripping slowly down my side onto the white floor beneath me.
Somewhere nearby, I heard voices shouting my name.
But they sounded far away.
Faint.
"Jay…" I whispered weakly, barely able to breathe anymore. "Please be okay…"
My vision blurred violently.
Then everything went dark.