My Boys

Chapter 29

~*~Joey's POV~*~

"Are we going to die?" I whispered, huddled next to Acer in this underground bunker, never knowing if I'd see Atticus ever again.

"No, Baby. We won't. Atticus will protect us." Acre was just as quiet and his eyes were filling with just as many tears.

"Boys, do you want to come sit with us? It'll be ok." Amelia asked, holding a shaking hand out. Marilyn and Aubrey were next to her along with a couple other women I didn't know sitting in the other corner and Natalie cuffed to the vent down here.

"I jus-t w-want Atticus..." Acre cried, hugging Jazmine and me to his chest and kissing us both on the heads. When Jaz started to whimper and cry, Acre cried more as well and pulled us closer. "It's ok, Babygirl. You'll be ok. Your mommy will be here as soon as she can. I'll keep you safe, Sweetheart. I'm so sorry today was ruined for you, Sweet girl."

I refused to look at anyone as I hugged Acre. I hoped Atticus was ok. His goodbye couldn't have been the last one, right? We'd go upstairs and he'd run over and hug us. We would all be happy again. We had to be. I couldn't handle another person I loved dying because of bad people.

"Boys, I've got some news." Amelia spoke softly to us. I looked up and saw the tight expression on her face, worrying me more than I already was.

"Mhm?" Acre mumbled but he was still so focused on Jaz.

"Atticus is ok, but he's at the hospital. He was shot and they're removing his kidney that was punctured. They've got someone coming down to escort us all out and we'll be heading to a safe house while this place gets cleaned up. Atticus will be meeting us there as long as things go well."

"He was shot?" My lip vibrated against my teeth as I covered my mouth to contain it. It didn't work and suddenly I was having a really hard time breathing and I couldn't stop crying.

"Aubrey." Amelia called and suddenly hands were on my back.

"It's ok, Honey. He's ok. Breathe in an out for me. I need you to breathe very slowly and big breaths. Good job, keep breathing."

I felt so tired. I just wanted to collapse and wake up in our bed with Atticus to tell me it was all a dream. He was our rock. When me or Acre could barely function, he was there. When one of us broke, he was picking up the pieces. When anything bad went on, he was there to make jokes and distract us. We couldn't lose him. I didn't want to think about what would happen to Acre and me if we lost him. We'd fall apart and not know how to put each other back together the way Atticus so easily did it.

A beeping nose distracted me for a minute before the door opposite where we came in opened, Mik stepping through and squeezing Marilyn before running over and grabbing me. Steve came in next and hugged Aubrey before doing the same to me as well.

"Grab everything Acre brought down this morning so we can move to the safe house."

"I need to go grab something from our room." I mumbled, my mind stuck on the necklaces I bought and panicked I'd go up and find them gone. I still hadn't given them to them and I was extra panicked that I'd never get to show Atticus. I just wanted to wait for a special time.

"Is it important?" Steve asked and I nodded. "I'll take you up. It's scary in there though, there's... bodies everywhere."

"I just need to go get my thing." I argued and for once, he just agreed and took me out through what seemed like the bunker exit connected to the warehouse. There was blood stains everywhere but no bodies and I could hear screaming coming from the cells. It brought back too many memories and I didn't even realize when I had my hands over my ears and Acre was doing the same for Jazmine.