Fated to the Triplet Alphas-Chapter 59: Rescued 2

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Chapter 59

~Xavier’s POV~

Jade’s head tilted weakly. Her eyes fluttered open slowly, unfocused. The sight nearly snapped something inside me.

"Xavier," Xade warned quietly.

I raised my hands slightly. "Do not hurt her."

"Back away!" the man yelled, pressing the gun harder against the side of her head.

Ace roared inside my head. His rage was becoming way more violent and consuming than I liked.

"Blood. His head. Kill. He has our mate."

"Silence," I forced back. "Not yet."

"Stand down," I told Xade and Xander. They did, though the fury in their eyes was unmistakable.

The man smirked, thinking he had control. Ace continued chanting in my head. "Blood. His head. Kill."

"Let her go!"

He chuckled dryly. "I don’t think so. We weren’t told whether she was needed alive. I guess bringing her in dead works."

Before the man could pull the trigger, Xander moved from behind.

One second, he stood far back, and the next, he was behind the man.

His hand thrust straight into the man’s chest. A wet sound filled the air as a silent gasp escaped his lips. With no hesitation, Xander ripped his heart out.

The body dropped instantly; in the same second, Xade moved quickly, pulling Jade away from him. As soon as she was free in Xade’s arms, I was already moving toward her.

"Jade," I called, my voice unsteady despite my effort to remain composed.

Her head lolled weakly against Xade’s shoulder. Her lashes fluttered, and for a split second her blue eyes opened.

They seemed unfocused and hazy. There was blood on her temple, dried in a thin line that cut through her hair. The sight of it sent something vicious through my chest.

"She’s breathing," Xade said quickly, adjusting his hold on her. "Her pulse is steady."

I reached them and cupped her face gently, my thumb brushing against her cheek. "Jade, look at me."

Her brows pulled together faintly as though she was trying to place my voice. "X... Xavier?" she whispered.

Relief washed over me so hard I almost staggered.

"I’m here," I answered immediately. "You’re safe."

Ace growled within me, not in anger this time but in possession. "Ours. Protect."

Xander stepped closer, his knuckles still stained with blood. "Did they hurt you?" he asked, his voice tight with restraint.

She tried to speak, but her lips trembled instead. Xade shifted her slightly and checked the back of her head. "There’s a bump," he said. "They probably knocked her unconscious."

I glanced around at the bodies scattered across the road. The cool midday air smelled of blood and gunpowder. None of them was moving.

"Is anyone alive?" I asked.

"No," Xander replied coldly. "And if they were, they’d better play dead, or they would not be for long."

"Good," Ace muttered darkly.

I ignored him and focused on Jade. "Can you sit?" I asked softly.

She nodded weakly.

Together, we eased her into my arms. The second she felt my hold tighten around her, her fingers curled into my shirt instinctively. That small action did something to me that no battlefield ever could.

"I tried to fight." She murmured something. "There were too many."

"You did more than enough," I said firmly. "You are alive. That is what matters."

Xade’s expression hardened as he scanned the road. "This was not random."

"It never is," Xander replied.

I looked at the lifeless man whose heart Xander had torn out. "Any idea who they were working for?"

"The Prince?" Xander suggested.

"Nah. He wouldn’t do anything so stupid without a proper strategy. He’s too cunning for that," Xade articulated.

Silence fell between us.

"Maybe Troy," Xade concluded.

Ace snarled violently at the name. "He dares. After everything he has done, he still dares!"

I tightened my jaw. "If it is Troy, we will deal with him. But first, we take her home."

Xander nodded. "We cannot leave this scene like this."

"I will call Father," Xade said, already pulling out his phone. "He will send men to handle the cleanup before this reaches the wrong authorities."

I lifted Jade carefully and carried her toward my car. She winced slightly as I settled her into the passenger seat.

"I am sorry," she whispered suddenly.

I froze. All through our contemplation, she hadn’t said anything until now. "For what?"

"For causing trouble."

My chest burned. "Do not ever say that again," I said quietly but firmly. "You did not cause this. They chose to attack you. That is on them."

Her eyes searched mine, and for a second, I saw the fear she was trying to hide. "I was scared," she admitted.

I leaned closer, brushing a strand of hair away from her face. "You never have to face that alone again."

Xander shut the jeep’s door with more force than necessary before approaching my side. "We need to move," he said. "If this was Azriel’s doing, he would want confirmation."

"He will not get it," I replied.

Xade returned, his call finished. "Father is sending men. We have ten minutes."

"Good. See you guys at home." I started the engine, but before driving off, I looked at my brothers. "Once we identify the culprit, this ends now."

"It does," Xander agreed. "We must protect Jade at any cost."

As we pulled away from the scene, the mate bond pulsed strongly again, but my fear sparked.

What would I have done had we not seen her? Or had we gotten there late? The thought alone made me tighten my grip on the steering wheel.

As much as I would have loved to install a tracking device on her phone, I would not want her feeling caged or watched 24/7. Still.

That nagging feeling in my head that I should have done more and...

Ace settled slightly within me, though his anger had not disappeared. "Next time," he growled, "we do not hold back. You three need to mark her. Only then can she truly be tracked and kept safe properly."

I kept my eyes on the road, one hand on the steering wheel and the other resting gently over Jade’s.

"There will not be a next time," I said quietly.