“Tarek!” I called. “Tarek, please!”
“Cobra!” Grim called.
We dug frantically through the debris. The first person we found was Kujo. He coughed and shifted, and I slipped to my wounded knees by his side. He was scraped up but otherwise, seemed okay. “Kujo? Where’s Tarek?”
Kujo grunted and I helped him to sit up then smacked out the flames on his pant legs.
“Where’s Tarek?” Grim stressed.
“He was at the foot of the stairs.” Kujo coughed. “Shit! Cobra! Bear? Maia!”
He pushed shakily to his feet and we continued searching. We found Maia. She wasn’t on fire but Bear, who’s large body took the brunt of the explosion had the back of his shirt singed.
“That son of a bitch!” Bear growled while helping Maia up. “He’d better be dead.”
I stomped my foot in frustration.
“Ellie!” Kujo called. “Ellie over here!”
I took off running to where Kujo was helping Tarek to roll over. My heart fell out of my chest and the pain in my knees didn’t bother me for I was focused on him. I framed his face for a second them began checking his body. The stab wound was bleeding again, and I tugged his shirt up to look at it.
“Tarek?” I whispered.
“I’m okay.” He grunted while trying to sit up.
“Don’t try sitting up.” I told him. “You’re bleeding.”
“I have help on the way!” Maia hollered as the others gathered around.
“Are you okay?” Tarek asked touching my cheek. “Are you okay? Are you hurt?”
“I’m okay.” I leaned forward to kiss him tenderly for his lip was bleeding. When I lifted my head, he smiled at me and tapped the blood away from the side of his mouth.
“Tarek…”
“Stop worrying—I’m good.”
“I love you. I love you. I love you…”
He caught the back of my neck and brought my mouth down to his again. Tarek sucked my confession into his mouth, my word dying in the skills of his tongue, his ability to soothe me unlike anyone else in the miserable existence I’d have.
“I’ll be good.” The first tears rolled down my cheeks. “I’ll stop being a shit human being—I just never want to have that fear again. I want to have you in my arms where it’s safe and no explosions or stabbings or guns…I’ll behave—please don’t leave me.”
“I’m not leaving you.” Tarek promised. “I’m never leaving you.”
I stretched out in the dust and devastation and rested my head on his chest, exhausted. Tarek held onto me while the others stood around, like dark angels there for our protection.
It didn’t take long for emergency services to come. They tried taking Tarek away, but I wouldn’t give in until Bear put his foot down for them to take me in the ambulance with him. I dove into Bear’s arms, kissed his cheek then darted toward the ambulance. Bear’s laughter rippled behind me as I climbed in.
I held Tarek’s hand all the way to the same hospital my father was being guarded by police. But I didn’t run to him. I’d deal with him later. It was hard enough to let the doctors take Tarek away, but when they told me his doctor would be Malik Jonas, my fear levelled out.
Kujo, Bear, Maia and Grim surrounded me with nothing but love. Maia held my left hand. Bear held my right and Kujo went to find me something to drink. I supposed he figured I wouldn’t be eating anything until I could see Tarek and hold him.
Grim paced the floor like a massive, caged cat.
“He’s going to be okay.” Maia promised. “Malik is the best.”
I nodded. “I can’t lose him, Maia. The strange thing is, before he walked back into my life, I couldn’t imagine myself in love with anyone. But the thought of him being in there alone, without me, kills me. It breaks my heart and—I’m sorry.” I sniffled.
