Chapter Twenty Four - Over

I pant harshly as I push and shove my way through the crowd. It's hard to tell who's an FBI agent and who's working with my dad until I really focus on a person's clothes. Colors other than black flit through here and there which indicates either the team, Cameron, Rodrigo or Benjamin fighting. The safe house is quite large and in the countryside away from the city. I can tell there's far more people outside than inside from all the commotion.

Just as I'm about to cross the threshold into the living room I'm yanked back and thrown to the ground. I cry out as someone stomps on me before I kick back. They scream angrily before lunging at me but I manage to roll out of the way only to be stomped on by several other people fighting and trying to get through.

"Oh, for the love of god!" I yell frustratedly before grabbing my gun firing at whoever isn't an agent or someone I know.

Another guy jumps on me to prevent me from shooting but I slam the butt of the gun into his nose and kick him off me before shooting him. With a tired huff I continue onwards and manage to get past the living room and outside only to be slammed up against a pillar by the back of my neck. I thrash and manage to turn myself around only for my eyes to widen when the familiar man puts a gun to my forehead.

"Jude!" I shriek and he instantly jumps away as if I'm on fire.

"Shit! Sorry love!" He cups my face and pecks my lips sweetly. "There's some crazy bitch after me with the same hair and build as you. I thought it was her again."

"Does she also have pale skin and blue eyes?" I ask as I focus on a woman attempting but failing at sneaking up on us.

"Yeah, why?" He frowns before his eyes widen in realization. "She's behind me isn't she?"

I shoot her before she can touch my Judah. "Not anymore."

"You're so hot when you're jealous dove." He smirks devilishly and I roll my eyes in response.

"Why aren't you at the medical unit?!" I snap angrily when I realize he's by himself. "Where's Parker and Cole?!"

"Same reason why you aren't with Reece I assume? We all got split up when your dad's men started attacking." He shakes his head as we reload our guns.

I punch his good arm suddenly and he stares at me as if I've grown two heads. "I am smart as fuck, I don't call you daddy in bed and you didn't have to tell the whole fucking world that we had sex while my father was on mute!"

"First of all – fuck!" He swears heatedly when someone attempts to hit me from behind. Judah drives a knife into their chest before turning to me. "I'm more intelligent than you and I've proved that several times –"

"Duck." I warn before grabbing his blade and slitting our next attacker's throat when he bends down. "Continue."

He takes my hand as we start making our way to the medical unit. "I wouldn't mind you calling me daddy so by all means don't hold back and lastly, I had to piss him off so he wouldn't hurt you! You're so ungrateful!"

I yelp and race in front of Judah when a man jumps out from the crowd with a gun aimed at his head. I still have the knife in my hand so I drive it straight into his heart before yanking it out. Judah's hands grip my hips as he pulls me back against him while the man shudders and cries out before flopping onto the ground. I pick up the gun from him and hand it to Judah who stares down at me with a smile. My brows furrow in confusion and he nods to the dying man.

"Was that your declaration of love for me Mace?" He gasps playfully with a hand to his heart. "I'm so honored you sexy little minx."

"I'm dating a child." I mutter as I resume making my way past the crowd. "How you find me killing people sexy is beyond my comprehension."

"Guys!" I hear Parker before I see him.

He breaks free from the mob before making our way to us. My gaze, however, focuses on Cameron and my dad fighting. I notice that my brother has several injuries that are wearing him down and many of dad's men are attacking him from behind while Rodrigo, Griffin and Ben do their best to wrestle them off.

"Jude, go with Parker." I order and his eyes follow mine to Cameron.

"Mace –"

"Cameron needs help!" I argue as I struggle in his arms.

"You can't go alone! I won't let you!"

"We'll go with her." Reece and Cole pop out from behind us panting harshly and sporting several cuts. "We won't let anything happen to her. You need to get yourself checked though Judah."

"You're losing blood Judah. We need to wrap up those knife wounds." Parker drapes Judah's arm across his shoulders to support him. "We need to go right fucking now. Reece and Cole, stick with Marcella and don't let her get lost again. Give her a bulletproof vest."

"I love you. I won't get hurt I promise." I whisper against his lips as I kiss him quickly.

"I'll kill you if you do." He seethes angrily before pulling me in for another kiss. "Hurry up. I love you."

I don't hesitate to turn and run towards Cameron's direction. Reece veers off to the side before coming back with a bulletproof vest that I slip on. "Where'd they go?!"

"I think towards the back garden." Cole mutters before shooting down a man and reloading. "Oh my fucking god!"

"No!" Reece mumbles as she catches onto what Cole is looking at before running around the side of the house.

"What?!" I yell before I eventually see a grinning man outside the boundary of the house at the back. I immediately recognize him as my dad's right-hand man and see the grenade he's holding up. "Cameron!"

Reece aims and shoots the man in the forehead but it's too late. Cole drags me back just as the grenade explodes and we're all thrown back. I cry out when the gravel of the driveway scratches at my skin before I land on the grass. My ears are ringing and it's like the whole world erupts into a cacophony of deafening screams and panic. I blink slowly and my eyes eventually focus on people running, bleeding and dying.

Cameron, I panic. I weakly push myself up and find that I'm near the medic tent now. Tears slip out of the corner of my eyes when I look up to spot Cole doing the same a few feet away. His forehead is bleeding heavily and he grunts as he slowly stands before walking over to me. We stumble over to find Reece who is knocked out but breathing fine.

Cole picks her up before we make our way to the medic tent. I look around for my brother only to see much of the safe house shattered, cars rolled over and some are on fire alongside plants. My heart races when I see the professionals stand from behind their setup but I can't find Cameron or Judah anywhere. Cole places Reece down on their makeshift bed so they can work on her whereas I spot Parker and race over to him

"Parker! Are you okay?! Where's Judah?!" I croak as my gaze darts around the area to catch a glimpse of him.

"Where is she?! Macy!"

I pull Parker up before turning to Judah with a gasp. We hug each other tightly and he rains kisses onto my face before we pull away. I make sure he's alright before looking around for my brother where the bomb went off. I can see my dad being turned onto his back by the FBI with a large dagger sticking out of his chest. But I can't see my brother as I walk towards that direction and my heart starts to pound in trepidation.

"I-I need to find Cameron. He was so close to the explosion and now I can't see him. Can you guys spot him?" I ask Parker, Judah and Cole as my throat tightens with emotion. Everyone furrows their brows in confusion as they look around murmuring. "J-Jude –"

"We'll find him my love, don't cry. You stay here while we go look for him."

"No!" I sob as I tighten my hold on his hand to stop him. "I-I can't lose y-you too! I'm coming w-with you."

"Alright sweetheart, we'll find him together. Hush." He soothes as he wipes my tears away before taking hold of my hand once more.

We make our way to the back garden and my heart breaks for all the people dead on the ground who were too close to the explosion. I run over and pull Rodrigo and Ben into a tight embrace when I see that they're safe. They only have some minor injuries but other than that they're fine.

"Cam." Rodrigo coughs out as he points to a motionless man lying a few feet away.

I sprint over to my brother and gasp when I take in all the injuries. He's littered with cuts, scrapes, large gashes and gunshot wounds to his thigh and bicep. I hear the others stop behind me and curse at the sight before Parker says he's going to call the ambulance and medical team.

"Cameron?" I murmur slightly in shock as I kneel next to him. I shake him but he doesn't respond much less move. "Cameron?! Wake up!"

I quickly check his pulse points and gasp when it's frighteningly faint. I hear Judah swear behind me before him and Cole carefully pick my brother up. They all but dash towards the front with me, Rodrigo and Ben following closely behind.

"Are you serious?! Fuck it, we're going!" Parker exclaims as he turns to us and gestures for Cameron to be put down. "We need to stop the bleeding and get him in a car."

We all quickly start tying articles of our clothing around Cameron's heavily bleeding wounds. I turn to Cole and wrap a cloth I found in the medical unit tightly around his head to add pressure to his wound. He smiles gratefully before they pick up Cameron just as we spot Griffin driving a car towards us.

"Get him in! Marcella and Judah too!" He orders and I hop in the back with Cameron laying on top of mine and Judah's legs.

Parker sits in the front with Griffin and immediately calls the nearest hospital as we peel out of the driveway. I look back to see Ben driving behind us with the rest of the crew. My eyes widen when Cameron groans painfully and I whirl around to see his head loll to the side. His eyelids flutter open just a little and I catch a flicker of confusion in them before they close.

"Mar?"

"I'm here. It's over Cam...we're safe." I whisper as I carefully touch his cheek. "You're going to be okay."

"Drive faster Griffin." Judah mutters quietly as he takes note of Cameron's pulse.

I look at him in panic and his serious expression tells me everything. Cameron might not make it.

***

Many hours later everyone has been tended to and now we sit in the waiting room while Cameron is in the operation theatre. He was the first to be taken inside due to Parker notifying the hospital of the casualties. I glance at the clock to see that it's five a.m. and sigh before resting my head on Judah's uninjured shoulder.

"I love you." Judah whispers in my ear before kissing my temple. "I'm so glad you're okay."

"I love you too." I cuddle up to him with a tired smile. "Thank you for understanding my need to help Cam."

"If I wasn't so injured I would've gone instead of you." He grins before sighing heavily. "I'd do the same for my family too so of course I understand."

That makes me think of something and I look over at Rodrigo. "Hey Rod? How did you guys find out that we were in trouble?"

"Cameron had eyes and ears everywhere so the second one of our men in Dublin saw Quintana land we were alerted. Apparently he barely got off the helipad." Rodrigo shakes his head with a huff. "The guy saw him take a call and get right back in. That's when we realized that something was wrong and got on a plane here."

"Thank you...to all of you who helped." I reply gratefully and smile at everyone. "Even you Griffin."

He rolls his eyes with a chuckle as everyone joins in. I settle back into Judah's arms as we wait for Cameron to come out. The minutes tick by before Ben's food delivery arrives. Him and Cole race down to grab it and we dig in eagerly since the canteen barely has anything good to eat.

"We were all pretty bad ass." Ben grins and we all glance at each other with a nod of agreement.

"And Quintana's finally six feet under. It's a shame he won't be rotting in jail though." Rodrigo grunts before taking a sip of his drink.

"Wait...what about your mom?" Reece frowns and I stiffen while Rodrigo and Ben glance at me.

"She's dead. Dad shot her the same day I got caught." I reply and hear Judah's sharp inhale from beside me.

"I'm sorry Mace." He murmurs as he squeezes my hand comfortingly.

"It's alright. She wasn't a good mom anyways." I smile weakly and wait for the others to become distracted in conversation or food before whispering to Judah. "She's the reason for half of my scars."

I see his jaw and fists clench tightly causing me to lean over and kiss his cheek. His ocean blue eyes are dark with anger and concern as he stares at me. I shrug half-heartedly before picking up another slice of pizza. He leans back into his seat as if he's lost his appetite, still staring at me but with a faraway look.

"I have you now." I send him a reassuring smile over my shoulder. "You've proved your point too about not letting anyone hurt me anymore."

"Damn right I did." He grunts as he sits back up to resume eating. He slides over a bag of fries to me and glares when I shake my head in refusal. "Eat. You've barely had anything dove."

"I'm just not that hungry." I shrug but I know he can tell it's because of my worry for Cam.

"Marcella Quintana?" A nurse suddenly calls before looking up from her notepad.

"That's me." I stand quickly and step towards her. "Is my brother okay? Is the operation over?"

"He's stable but the doctor would like to talk to his family. Are your parents here too?" She asks and I swallow harshly.

"It's just me." I state firmly before holding out a hand to Judah. "Can I bring him too? Please?"

"Alright, follow me."

I all but crush Judah's hand because of my tight grip as we follow her down the hallways. The doctor greets us with a small smile before the office door shuts. He gestures for us to take a seat and Judah's hand slips to curl around my thigh. The doctor sighs and I immediately know something is wrong.

"Miss Marcella...good news is that your brother is stable. The injuries were very concerning but we were able to patch him up and he's been moved to a room so that we can keep him under observation." He explains and I catch onto the hesitancy.

"But?"

"The damage was extensive and with him being so close to the explosion...his body has shut down." He reveals and I feel myself become numb. "Cameron is in a coma. We don't quite know when he will wake up. If his body responds well to treatment we're hopeful he'll wake up soon but I also don't want to sugar-coat things."

"I understand." I croak before clearing my throat. "Can I see him?"

"Sure." He smiles and I catch the pity in his eyes. "Room one hundred and forty. Let me know if you have any questions."

"Thank you so much." I smile sadly before we make our way out of his office.

I'm silent as we walk up to Cameron's floor and come to a stop outside his room. There's a circle window on his door and I peek inside only to crumble. A broken sob escapes me when I see all the tubes, machines and bandages. His skin is paler now but it's littered with cuts, scrapes and bruises.

"Judah..." I trail off helplessly but he's there to catch me in his arms.

"I got you Mace. It's okay...he'll be okay." He murmurs soothingly as he brings me into a hug.

"W-What if he never –"

"He will my love. Don't give up hope." He whispers as he sways us slightly. "He's a fucking warrior and I'm confident he won't leave you after fighting for both your freedom. Don't give up on him."

"Okay." I nod as I inhale shakily before turning back to the door.

"I'll stay out here for a bit. Call me when you're ready okay?" He kisses my cheek and I smile appreciatively before stepping in and closing the door.

I slowly make my way towards my brother and lower myself in the chair near his bed. I don't know what to say or do for a long moment before I get up and hug him carefully. He's a little cold which makes me tear up again as I tuck the blanket tighter around his body. I sit back down in the chair again before taking one of his hands in mine. His knuckles are an angry red, a contrast to the purple bruise he has on his wrist.

"Hi Cam. Uh...I don't know if you can hear me. You probably can't." I breathe shakily before pulling myself together. "Thank you...for everything. For being the best brother. I hope you're not in too much pain. I can't wait for you to wake up soon. I'll take great care of you I promise and I'll even sneak in junk food when the nurses aren't looking. Just...please wake up soon okay?"

I'm not able to say much else because I choke on emotion. The tears flow endlessly and I rest my forehead against the bed as my sobs echo in the somewhat quiet room. I cry over all the sacrifices my brother made to protect me. I cry for all the pain he's endured. I cry over the fact that he may not get to live the life he deserves if he never wakes up.

Don't think like that! I reprimand myself mentally as I sit up and wipe away my tears. Cameron is going to wake up very soon. He's a fighter.

I sigh once I've calmed down before gesturing for Judah to come in. He stares at Cameron with sadness before smiling at me. I chuckle when he picks me up and pulls me onto his lap as he takes a seat. He hugs me tightly which makes me close my eyes in bliss for a moment before I turn and kiss him.

It's a short and sweet one, purely for comfort before we pull away. We sit in silence with Judah playing with my hands or my hair. Nothing needs to be said as we watch Cameron breathe steadily. But a few minutes later the silence is disrupted when Judah's phone rings. Griffin had bought him a new one with everything transferred over from his old phone now that he's safe. I catch a glimpse of the caller ID and realize it's his mom before getting off his lap. He presses a kiss to my cheek and walks out of the room to answer it.

I tell the others about Cameron in the meantime and guide them to his room so they can see him. Everyone goes in one by one while I wait outside. Griffin tells me that they've got hotel rooms booked which we'll be staying at and gives me a new phone with everyone's contact numbers in it. He also tells me that Cameron had already advised the FBI of what to do with our dad's body if he was killed so we wouldn't have to deal with him anymore.

"Thank you." I smile at him and he nods firmly. "I'm going to stay here for the night. I'm not sure if Judah will do the same but we'll let you know."

"Oh, he will. He's not going to let you out of his sight for a while Marcella so you better get used to it." He laughs and I roll my eyes playfully before bidding goodbye to everyone.

I wave at them as they disappear around the corner before walking back into Cameron's room. Just as I take a seat Judah steps inside with a smile. There's a lightness in his eyes with a happy glint to match which can only be because he can finally talk to his family again I assume.

"Everything okay?"

"Everything's just fine my little dove." He murmurs before bending down to press a lingering kiss to my forehead.

"You should go visit your family. I'm sure they're worried about you and besides it's just a waiting game until Cameron wakes up." I suggest while nervously fidgeting with the hem of my top.

He settles into the seat beside me with an unreadable look. "Want me to get you a sandwich?"

I gape at him. "Uh...what?"

"I'm still hungry so I'm going to go down to the canteen. What do you want?"