Mended

46

Izzy's POV

They separated us as soon as the doors opened, only allowing me to enter.

"No!" I yelled as two men grabbed my arms forcefully and started to pull me inside. "No, Ethan!"

He surged towards me, doing his best to fight against the hands that held him back. "You said she'd stay with me," he growled at one of the guards, his eyes never leaving mine as I tried to wrench myself out of their iron grips.

"No," the same man from earlier spoke as he held Ethan back. "We said she'd stay in your sight. You'll be able to see her just fine from where you fight."

Ethan ripped out of his hold and lunged for me, but the man moved swiftly, blocking his path to me. I continued fighting and squirming as best as I could, using all the strength I could conjure up. Tears streamed down my face as I desperately looked around, scanning the spectators to see if anyone was seeing this.

If anyone would help us.

But nobody paid us any attention. If I did notice a few people staring at me, they'd quickly look away, as if they were afraid to be caught. Ethan was still not past the threshold, so nobody noticed him yet.

"No," I cried out again, reaching my hand. I managed to grab ahold of the front of his shirt, clenching my hand into a fist to hold on as tightly as I could. "Please. Please. You promised I could stay with him. You promised— "

I broke off, gasping as I was painfully yanked backwards by my hair.

Ethan shouted my name, pushing against the men that held him back harder than ever as I was dragged away. His eyes were blazing as they stayed locked on mine, but he could do nothing but watch as the distance between us grew.

My body went limp in the guard's arms. His grip around my bicep tightened as he dragged me across the floor, but I didn't bother looking to see where I was going as I kept my eyes on Ethan. I only lost sight of him when they shut the doors.

"Get her under fucking control before boss decides to take matters into his own hands," the man growled to someone behind me as he harshly released me, shoving me away from him.

I wasn't expecting the sudden movement, so I stumbled, fully expecting to hit the ground.

But the impact never came because before I could fall, a strong, familiar set of tattooed arms wrapped around me, pulling me into a hard chest.

I knew who it was without even looking, but the relief never came.

Elijah's hands trembled as he crushed me against him, his face pressed into my hair. My arms remained limp by my sides; my body numb.

Vaguely, I registered multiple things happening at once. Elijah pulling away. Kaiden coming up to me. Their hands on my face. Their gazes checking for injuries. Elijah asking if I was hurt. Kaiden asking how I could be so stupid. Their silence when they realized I wouldn't answer. When they realized why I kept looking at the doors.

"Is Ethan back there?" This was the question that wrenched me back to reality.

I stared up at Elijah, meeting his dark grey gaze as he cupped my face in his hands. Kaiden stood right next to me, his hand on my back.

My eyes filled with tears as agony coursed through the cracks of my chest. "He won't win," I croaked. Elijah went as still as death. Kaiden's hand contracted on my back. "He won't win. He promised Fabian he won't even try."

Even if he did try, his body had become too weak.

"What do we do?" I choked out, knowing that we were running out of options and time here. "We have to stop the fight."