His legs buckled again, and I scrambled to hold him up.
“No, no, no. Stay awake,” I whispered, pressing my hands to his chest. “You don’t get to die on me now.”
He slumped more heavily as he tried to open the passenger side door. He groaned but didn’t fight me when I wrapped my arms under his and tried to lift. Tried. I wasn’t strong enough. Not even close. But I got him halfway up, dragging and half-pulling, forcing my body under his to shift his weight toward the car.
“Please,” I breathed, teeth clenched. “Don’t make me do this without you.”
One more heave and I managed to get him into the passenger seat. His body slumped, blood painting the seat and his clothes, sticky and soaking. His head lolled against the headrest. Hisright arm hung limp, fingers twitching. I leaned across him, yanking the door shut, then scrambled to the driver’s side. The second I started the engine, he stirred.
“I can drive,” he mumbled.
“Shut up.” My voice cracked, raw and choked. “You’re half-dead.”
I threw the car into gear and peeled out of the lot, hands trembling around the wheel… but I had no idea where to go.
“You’re bleeding out, Halo. I need you awake. I need you to tell me where to go.”
His head lolled toward me. His mouth opened, but it took him a second to focus. He was fading fast.
“We can’t go back to the motel,” I said, glancing at him.
A slow nod.
“Then where?”
He didn’t answer for a heartbeat. I thought he was gone. I reached over, shook him.
“Halo.Where?”
“Safehouse,” he slurred. “East side. Old mechanic shop next to the train yard. Black gate… code’s 0713.”
I repeated it aloud, desperately burning it into my brain. “0713. 0713.”
“Take…” He cringed, trying to move in the seat. “Take 42nd to Boyle, turn left. Then the alley behind Carson’s.”
It was a thirty minute drive, and I felt every second of it. I cried quietly so he wouldn’t hear me. When we were almost there, I stole another glance over at him. His breathing was shallow now. Too shallow.
“Halo? Stay with me.”
No answer.
I slammed my fist on the wheel. “Don’t you fucking die on me! You don’t get to check out after everything… Do you hear me?”
I bit down on the scream in my throat. One more turn. One more street.
The mechanic shop looked abandoned when I pulled in. I was getting tired of these empty places full of empty people. The chain-link gate was shut, but not locked, and it groaned like it was dying when I pushed the car through. The gravel scraped under the tires like it didn’t want to let us in.
When we were along the front of the building, I slammed the gear into park and flew out of the car. My legs almost gave out, but I didn’t stop. The keypad on the side wall was crusted over with dirt and grease. I wiped it clean with my shirt, heart pounding in my throat.
0713.
The lock clicked, and the door popped open. Inside, it smelled like old oil and dust, but it was cleaner than I expected. There was a battered leather couch, a workbench, metal cabinets, a neglected cot. I also found a first aid kit, thank God.
I ran back to the car. Halo hadn’t moved. His lips were pale now. When I unbuckled him and tried to move him out of the seat, I saw that his clothes, jacket, and the carseat were soaked with blood. So much fucking blood.
“Okay… Okay. Come on, big guy. You got me out. Now I get you out.”
He didn’t respond. I braced myself against the edge of the seat. Dead weight. He was solid muscle and he wasn’t helping. I managed to get him upright, pulling him with everything I had, dragging him into the shop one agonizing step at a time.
