Irish Promises

Chapter Forty-Three

Cian

Tunnel vision.

That's exactly what happens the moment the lift doors open.

My body fills with what I can only assume is fear filled adrenaline and my feet have me moving automatically. Before I know it I'm running towards Stas' hotel room without a clue as to whether my brothers are doing the same behind me.

In truth I know they will be, probably just as panicked as me right now and I know I'm running head first into god knows what as well but my whole focus is on getting in there and getting to her.

The whole corridor is eerily empty, not one of Volkov's men in sight and I know that should send alarm bells ringing in my head but I can't even attempt to focus on what it means.

If they're all in that room then so be it because I have every fucking intention of going straight through them if I have to.

Nothing and no one is going to stop me from getting to her and getting her out of there safe.

I'm pretty sure I can hear one of my brothers call my name when I reach the room but instead of waiting for them to catch me up I pull out my gun and fire it at the lock.

Next I kick the door forcing it to fly open but as I step into the room all that adrenaline that seemed to have been fuelling my movements disappears the moment I see all the blood.

Over the bed, smeared across the floor. It's everywhere.

Hand prints, drag marks.

But the blood is nothing when my eyes land on the image of Volkov straddling Stas pummelling his fists into her face.

She's not fighting back, she's not even fucking moving and I'm just completely frozen in place unable to move.

I've seen this type of shit more times than I can even count but not once have I completely seized up like this.

Everything just seems to happen I slow motion.

I see the blur of my brothers move past me, Hugh and Blake pulling Volkov off of her. They drag him away and from the thudding sounds that come next I'm sure they're beating the crap out of him but I don't even glance over.

I can't take my eyes off of her.

Her face is unrecognisable. Not just from the blood completely covering it and staining her hair red but the skin is so swollen and puffy you'd have no idea it was her if it wasn't for the cow socks on her feet.

The fucking cow socks.

Finn is down on the ground at her side in a flash. But as he lifts her she doesn't move, her arms hang loosely and her head lols back.

"Stas?" He calls her name as he lifts her head but it just flops back again. Blood leaking from her mouth as it does.

"She's not fucking breathing" he shouts, his voice filled with a level of terror I've never heard from him before.

"She's dead" Volkov laughs and that completely snaps me out of it.

Somehow blinking out of my daze my limbs unfreeze and I'm moving towards where Finn sits clutching her limp body in his arms.

"Move" I shout at him shoving him aside and lower her back down so she's flat.

I do the only thing I can think of, I bring my hands to her chest and start compressions.

I have no fucking idea if I'm even doing it right but I know I have to do something.

Each time I press on her chest I feel the crunch of her rib bones beneath my hands, the feel of it sickening but despite the bile that creeps up my throat I keep going.

"Come on" I pant not once breaking the rhythm I seemed to have built up. "Fucking breathe" I then shout at her needing for once in her life to actually listen to me.

I can't bear to look at her face for long, I can't take in the swollen and broken skin again. Not when she can't look back at me, can't smile and tell me that she's okay.

"Please Stas come on" I then plead with her, my voice cracking as I do and tears start blurring my vision.

For god knows how long there isn't a single sound in the room, just my panting as I continue the compressions. Or I don't know if there's any sounds because I'm too focused on listening for the sound of her breathing which just doesn't come.

"Cian" I hear Hugh call my name and if he even thinks he's going to attempt to stop me he's got another fucking thing coming.

"Just call a fucking ambulance" I snarl at them all and I keep going.

I'm not stopping, I'm not letting her go like this.

Not when she was alone and without us. Not when she doesn't know that we came for her.

She can't fucking die with her last memory being that sick fuck on top of her. I just won't let it fucking happen.

Not today.

Finn kneels at her head as he cups her face in his hands, his face brought down to hers as he strokes her cheek and starts pleading with her too.

"Come on beautiful" he says softly his voice strained.

I hear Blake talking sounding like he's calling for an ambulance but still no sound coming from her.

The longer I do the compressions the more I start to think that we were too late. That we didn't make it in time.

"Breathe"
"Breathe"
"Please just breathe"

I plead and plead with her other and over again. Refusing to fully give up.

Blood continues to come pooling out of her mouth but then suddenly it splutters and there's a crackling wheeze that comes from her.

Then there's another.

And another.

They're weak and barely distinguishable but she's fucking breathing.