Nicholas lay motionless on the floor.
He opened his eyes, blinking repeatedly as his brain tried to process what had happened. Nicholas stared up, watching ash rain down from above like little snowflakes falling to the ground.
Nicholas wasn’t sure how long he remained on the floor, but eventually, he rose to his feet. He glanced around, staring at the rubble of what used to be the Silver Bullet—chunks of brick, steel, and glass. The club was in ruins. Alarms were blaring as the emergency lights flashed wildly throughout the club. Nicholas’s ears were ringing so loudly that he could barely hear a damn thing. From his shocked state, Nicholas started to take stock of his surroundings.
People pushed past him, screaming and crying. Those that could walk or run hustled toward the exit of the club, trampling other patrons in their wake.
Glancing around, Nicholas started to panic. Oh God. Damon.
“Damon!” he shouted, terror unlike anything he’d ever known before consuming him. “Damon!” He couldn’t lose his brother, not like this, not now. “Damon!”
Oh fuck. Rory. Rory was with us. He’s here, too.
“Rory! Rory! Can you hear me? Where are you?”
Nicholas’s entire body was shaking with fear as adrenaline rushed through his system. He took a few unsteady steps, searching for his brother and Rory. The two men had to be close by. They couldn’t have gotten far.
“Damon!” Nicholas shouted his brother’s name over and over again as he stumbled through the shambles of the Silver Bullet.
What happened? Nicholas replayed the moment before the explosion through his mind. The bright light. The sound. It had to be a bomb. That was the only logical explanation. But who would want to blow up the club? It didn’t make any sense.
Nicholas shuffled his feet through broken glass and large pieces of debris. He passed abandoned shoes, puddles of blood, torn clothing, and broken bodies.
Please don’t let him be dead. Please don’t let him be dead.
“Damon! Damon!” he shouted, hoping his brother would fucking answer him before he lost his mind.
Sam grabbed hold of his shoulders, pulling Nicholas to a stop. The tiger shifter was filthy, covered from head to toe in ash. He was a disheveled mess, barely recognizable in his current state.
“Nicholas?” Sam stared at him intently. “Nicholas, can you hear me?”
“Damon,” he said automatically. “I need to find Damon and Rory. They were with me right before the explosion.”
“We need to go outside,” Sam told him, his voice calmer than Nicholas would expect under the circumstances. “I need you to come with me, Nicky.”
“No.” He shook his head. “I can’t leave without Damon.”
“Nick, buddy, you’re injured. It’s really bad. Please, come outside with me.”
“I can’t.” Nicholas refused to leave. He didn’t care about himself or his own safety. “I won’t leave my brother.”
“The building is being evacuated. Firefighters, paramedics, and police officers are here to escort us out. I’m sure Damon and Rory are outside looking for you right now.”
“I need to find him,” Nicholas insisted.
“We’ll find him together.” Sam wrapped an arm around Nicholas’s waist, supporting his weight.
“Okay.” Nicholas sighed.
“We need you all to leave the building,” a deep voice boomed. “Everyone who is able, please exit as quickly as possible. We need you to leave the building,” He repeated the words, his voice moving around the space.
Sam helped Nicholas toward the exit. They joined the line of patrons, trying to leave.
Damon’s outside. He’s with Rory, and they’re both out there waiting for me. He’s okay. Everything is going to be all right.
When they stepped outside, Nicholas inhaled the fresh air and started coughing. He cleared his throat, trying to rid his mouth of ash. Thick clouds of smoke billowed out the side of the Silver Bullet. The building was surrounded by the bright, flashing lights of fire trucks, police cars, and ambulances. People were crying as medical personnel tended to their wounds. It was absolute chaos.
Nicholas swept his eyes through the crowds of people, searching for Damon and Rory. He limped beside Sam, grateful for the man’s help. Each step he took became more painful than the last, his body weakening. Nicholas could feel his injuries now, but he couldn’t stop moving, not until he knew for certain that Damon was safe.
When his eyes landed on his brother, relief flooded his system, making him lightheaded. “There he is!”
They made their way over to Damon. Nicholas grabbed him, wrapping his left arm around the other man’s neck while holding onto Sam for support.