When Family Became a Place I Couldn’t Return To novel Chapter 242

The second the dealer shot his men a look, they instantly raised their guns and aimed them right at Nelly’s head.

Nelly’s worry must have shown on her face, because something softened in Brody’s eyes. He opened his mouth to say something, but then his expression changed. “Look out…” he warned.

Before Nelly could react, Brody grabbed her and pulled her close, rolling them both across the floor.

There was a violent jolt that seemed to shake them both. Nelly’s head slammed into the hard floor, but the pain she expected never came. It was like something had taken the hit for her, shielding her from the worst.

Brody was over her, hands pressing down on her shoulders, holding himself up.

Then Nelly’s eyes went wide. She blinked, stunned, as hot, sticky liquid dripped onto her face.

Blood. Brody’s shoulder was turning red, the stain spreading so quickly it made her vision blur and her chest ache.

Brody had moved fast, so the bullet was off by a little, but it still caught him in the left side of his chest. He managed to stay upright for a couple of seconds before blood started to spill from his mouth.

“So it’s true…” he muttered.

He coughed, the sound rough and wet, and more blood gushed out. “When it’s your time, you can’t run from it…”

He had just come back from death’s door, and now it felt like he was being dragged right back.

This time, though, he wasn’t ready. He wasn’t calm. Fate was playing a cruel trick. He’d really believed Nelly didn’t care about him anymore.

He never imagined she’d risk her life to save him.

After what she’d just done, how could she still pretend she didn’t care?

But he realized it all too late.

“Brody!” Nelly screamed, frozen for a split second before she snapped back into action. She pressed her hands hard over his wound, desperately trying to stop the bleeding.

In that moment, nothing else mattered. She didn’t care about their past or their problems. All she could think about was not losing him. But the blood kept coming, and his skin turned ashen. His body went slack and he collapsed in her arms.

“It’s...”

The dealer glanced out of the corner of his eye and saw the line of identical masks, each one marked with a fox-eye symbol.

He knew instantly who it was. The real boss had arrived.

He bowed quickly and barked at his men, “Stand down. They’re with us.”

“This place has rules, right? I heard she won. You can’t handle losing?” the masked man said, his tone cold but amused.

The dealer’s voice was respectful, but the man with the mask didn’t move his gun. His voice, altered by a device, sounded both chilling and strangely playful.

“It was the boss’s order,” the dealer replied quietly. “We don’t allow cheaters here…”

“Does he have any proof?” the masked man asked, his words even colder now. Even through the distortion, there was a hint of a smile that made the air feel even colder.