I unzip the hoodie to see she’s wearing the bulletproof vest that was hanging in her closet. “Have to get it off. Hang on, Eve.” I yank on the Velcro straps, and Haidyn helps hold her head as I push it up and over her before tossing it aside along with the hoodie. “Start compressions,” I order him.
He positions his hands on her chest and presses down. The sound of her ribs breaking makes me flinch.
“Fuck,” he curses, yanking his hands back.
“What are you doing?” I bark. “Keep going.”
“I’m breaking her ribs.” His large eyes meet mine in horror.
“Fucking break them,” I snap. Bones will heal.
He places his hands back on her chest and presses down.Crack.“Sorry.”Crack.“I’m so sorry…”
I tilt her neck back, opening her airway, pinch her nose, and breathe into her blood-covered mouth.
“She’s not…” Ryat trails off as he and Sin come back.
“Fuck.” Sin places his hands on his head and sighs, looking down at her.
“Go to the basement,” I rush out, trying to think of what’s here that wecan use. “The triage…find me adrenaline.” It has to be here. I’ve seen them use it before.
“Kash—”
“Fucking go,” I shout at them, interrupting Saint. “Now.”
Ryat and Sin both take off, and I go back to breathing into her mouth.
“Come on, angel,” I say, feeling her neck again for a pulse while Haidyn counts with each chest compression, apologizing for hurting her. “Come on.”
“See if you can find the source of the bleeding,” Haidyn barks at Saint.
He drops down at her feet and rips open her bloody jeans. “She’s got a bullet wound in her thigh.” Saint undoes his belt and ties it tightly above it. “Another in her arm. Doesn’t look like either one has an exit wound.”
“Take my belt.” I sit up straighter but refuse to remove my finger from her neck.
He does so and ties it off as well.
“Another in her upper chest, underarm area.” He goes on searching. “Looks like it went right between the opening of her vest. It…I…”
“You what?” Haidyn growls. “Spit it out.”
“I need to pack it with something.”
“Then find something,” Haidyn snaps at him.
“Here”—Hooke yanks his shirt off—“use this.”
“Got it,” Sin calls out as they return, and he hands me the syringe. I bite off the cap as Haidyn sits back, and I shove it into her chest, plunging the adrenaline right into her heart.
“Come on, Eve. Come back to me,” I say, looking down at her. But nothing happens. I rub my knuckles roughly into her sternum. If her ribs breaking didn’t do anything, my hands won’t. “Give me another one.” I look up at Sin.
His face falls, and Ryat places a hand over his mouth. “That…that was all there was.”
The sound of the double doors opening echoes in the cathedral, but I ignore them, knowing it’s just Tyson and his guys.
“Start compressions again,” I order Haidyn.
He immediately goes back to CPR, and I breathe into her mouth, willing her to live. To not leave me.
