Broken Bond: Between Vices and Virtues (BL)
Chapter 210: Life was taken and another given

Chapter 210: Life was taken and another given

Athan hit the ground hard, his ears ringing from the explosion. His head spun as he struggled to push himself up. Only then did he realize that someone had jumped on him and covered him entirely.

Through the smoke and dust, he saw chaos, yet unable to see who covered him. Rage’s men were scattered, some injured, others desperately trying to regroup. While his own team was similarly disoriented, scrambling for cover.

In the midst of the chaos, Athan’s eyes caught a glimpse of Azrael, a few feet away from him, lying on the ground, motionless. Roy was nearby, his body limp from the debris that fell on his lower half.

"No..." Athan muttered, panic surging through his veins. His body ached, but he forced himself to his feet, stumbling toward Azrael.

Horror was displayed on his face as he reached his brother-in-law’s side. Azrael’s face was pale, blood seeping through his shirt. Athan dropped to his knees beside him, shaking him desperately.

"Azrael! Wake up!" Athan’s voice cracked at the sight of his brother’s husband. "Get the f*ck up!"

Azrael’s eyes barely fluttered open. He looked at Athan with difficulty, blood dripped on his forehead. Despite this, a smile tugged on his face as he saw Athan safe and lively. He wanted to check Roy but his line of sight couldn’t see him and his neck stiffened like it was cemented so he couldn’t turn it around. "I’m...sorry," Azrael rasped, his voice weak. "Knox...don’t let him...cry too much..."

Azrael won’t die. Even when he has to play tug of war with the grim reaper with his life as the rope, he won’t be defeated so easily. He’d provoke the reaper until it loses patience and decides to send him back instead.

That’s how much he desires to live. He just knew that Know would probably bawl his eyes out again after seeing him badly injured. These days, his pretty husband’s mood swings are extreme and fickle, and he has become too emotional.

"What the f*ck are you saying?! You’re going to live, you bastard! Don’t close your eyes! Keep yourself awake!" Athan shouted hysterically.

Ah...would be nice to see this bastard cry...Azrael thought as his head slumped to the ground without another word. He was still conscious, but it felt like everything turned into a vague background. Moments of Knox and his family flashed in his mind, as he remained in that blurry world.

Athan’s breath hitched. "No, no. You’re going to be fine. We’re going to get you out of here! Just hold on, f*ck!"

But Azrael’s body was growing colder by the second. He had taken the full brunt of the explosion to protect Athan. His chest was riddled with shrapnel, and his breaths were shallow, labored.

Luis and Sandro stumbled over, both of them bloodied but alive.

"We need to move!" Sandro shouted; his voice panicked as he surveyed the destruction around them. "The whole place is coming down!"

Athan’s hands shook as he tried to lift Azrael. "I can’t leave him. Help me!"

Luis bent down, his face grim, but as they tried to lift Azrael, the realization settled over them—Azrael’s condition was dire. His pulse was fading, his life slipping away with every passing second.

Behind them, Rage’s furious roar echoed through the chaos.

"What the f*ck, he’s still alive?!" Sandro exclaimed incredulously.

Despite being injured, Rage staggered to his feet, his face contorted with rage as he realized what had happened. He didn’t order the explosion! It wasn’t him! Who dared betray him and try to kill him?!

Then, it hit him. Someone must have tipped off about the existence of the ledger to the people included in it. And, bombing the place will not only eliminate the Del Valles, but the ledger as well.

Another betrayal that sent Rage to the edge of madness.

He stumbled forward, clutching his side where blood oozed from a wound, his anger burning hotter than the fires consuming the safe house.

Rage roared behind them, chasing them as he crawled. He was like a pitiful worm trying to wriggle its way out from the crumbling soil while shouting profanities and blazing with desire for revenge.

But as weak as a worm he was, he finally lost all his energy and lay limp, unconscious, and motionless.

Athan didn’t care about Rage dying or not. To him, it would be better if he was alive, so he could suffer in an isolated prison all his life, but right now, his focus was solely on Azrael, who was slipping further away from them. "Stay with me, Azrael, please..."

Azrael heard Athan’s pleading voice. How he wished he had the strength to raise his chin and look at his brother-in-law with a proud and mocking smile, but his lips just trembled. He tried to speak, his voice was barely audible, but the words reached Athan. "Tell...Knox... I love him..."

"Boss, that’s so f*cking random and cheesy. Tell him yourself," Luis muttered. Sandro already ran to the car and started the engine. As they helped Athan get Azrael inside, the distant sound of sirens reached their ears.

Extreme relief washed through him, but his heart sank when Athan’s shout became more panicky and hysterical. It was because Azrael’s hand finally went limp in his grasp, and despite his poking and loud voice, he never stirred again.

"No...no... Azrael, stay with me!" Athan begged.

Luis pushed Athan inside, his voice thick with urgency. "Sandro, go! Drive fast but don’t kill yourselves faster! I will follow you after I deal with the police and...Sir Roy..."

Sandro drove away, leaving Luis standing in front of the building engulfed in fire and collapsing, praying for his boss’ recovery. He then turned and dragged the bodyguard’s motionless body away from the building. He sat next to Roy and checked his pulse, but it could no longer be felt.

Luis’ head lowered. As the sounds of sirens gradually became louder, he sat next to Roy’s lifeless body, saddened and mourning.

The night air was cold and biting, contrasting the burning wreckage behind them. The once proud and mighty Rage Del Valle had fallen. Luis didn’t check if he was still alive or not, because he didn’t want to move even an inch away from the bodyguard.

Until the very end, Roy protected Azrael. And he already could imagine how heartbreaking it would be for his boss.

Kayla’s security team had managed to retreat, most of them injured but alive. They approached Luis and inquired about his condition. The police arrived and inspected the site, not long after, firemen came as well.

Corpses were brought outside once the fire was distinguished. Rage was sent to the hospital, because, unfortunately, he was still breathing. All injured personnel were taken too, and the ones who were still capable of conversing and walking were taken by the police.

Luis included.

They were questioned. Luis answered truthfully. An hour later, Attorney Gideon, Horace’s family lawyer, came to his aide. After a few hours of dealing with the interrogation, Luis was released. He immediately asked the lawyer to bring him to the hospital Azrael was brought to.

They came late. Azrael was transferred to the big city already. It took Luis hours to arrive at the said hospital, and as soon as he came, he saw Athan and Sandro, with Rian and another person he only saw in pictures.

Ragel Ford Russel. The name he typed in many documents Azrael told him to before everything went down.

"Why is he here?" Luis weakly inquired. Exhaustion finally dawned on his body, along with the breaking of the dawn.

Rian answered, as weary as Luis, "Azrael needed a blood transfusion. Ragel’s ninety-nine percent a match. They are brothers...biologically, and wholly."

Luis nodded. "I know."

Silence reigned over them. Despite Ragel’s confusion, he didn’t make any noise and simply sat in the corner, waiting for the doctor to come out of the operation room.

*****

Meanwhile, Shawn arrived at Horace’s estates in England, looking equally irritated but resigned to his fate. He went into hiding after his Uncle Steve told him to follow Knox because he didn’t want to leave Kayden, but his father managed to capture him and forcefully sent him off.

It seemed that they knew his relationship with Kayden Montgomery already, despite his impending engagement with Athan.

His irritation disappeared when he saw Knox sitting on the veranda alone, looking troubled yet excited. He approached Knox and asked, "Are you okay?"

Knox blinked. He looked up at the dominant omega and smiled faintly. After he fainted the other day, the doctor said to stay away from stress and strenuous activities as his condition was sensitive.

"Yeah. I didn’t expect you to follow," Knox said, turning his to the garden again. Flowers calmed him, especially the smell of the trees surrounding them. "I’m sure my father insisted you go. I’m sorry that you have to leave Kayden ...but...but do you have any news about Azrael?"

Shawn slowly shook his head. He wasn’t lying. He was already on the plane before he could hear anything, and his uncle never told him about the situation as well. He sat next to Knox. His mind wandered to Kayden again and unconsciously, his pheromones leaked.

Smelling the sweet scent of vanilla Shawn exuded, Knox lurched forward, clutching his stomach. Bile rose in his throat. He immediately covered his mouth and stood, running to the nearest restroom.

Shawn followed him worriedly. "Knox, are you okay? What happened?"

Knox waved his hand as he vomited on the sink. He wiped his mouth and replied in a raspy voice. "The smell of vanilla...my baby doesn’t like it..."

"...what?" Shawn muttered in disbelief.