I don’t wait to hear more. Sprinting through the chaos, I round the corner and stop dead in my tracks. My eyes land on Jenna at the bottom of the stairs, barefoot and covered in blood. Her once olive-colored dress is now deep brown, soaked in thick red blood. Jack is slumped against the wall, dead. Jenna’s expression is one of grim satisfaction before her eyelids start to droop. My legs move on their own, propelling me forward just in time to catch her as she collapses.
The knife she’s clutching falls from her hand, clattering to the ground. Cradling her in my arms, I start running my hands over her body, desperately searching for the source of all the blood. My heart pounds so loudly that it drowns out everything else. Pulling my hand back, I see it coated in her blood, dripping onto the floor.This is too much blood. There’s too much blood.
My fingers find the small bullet hole in her abdomen, and my heart stops. I rip my shirt off and press it as hard as I can against her wound, my hands shaking.
“Get the fucking car!” I yell, my voice breaking. Someone sprints out the door, but I don’t know who. My world narrows to her.
“No, baby, please open your eyes. Fuck!” I plead with her to open those gorgeous green eyes for me. “I’ve got you, Jenna. Just hang on for me.” My words falter as my throat burns with unrestrained rage and fear. My angel, my everything, lies broken and bleeding in my arms.
A hand clamps down on my shoulder, and I glance up to see Blaze. His expression is filled with worry, but I don’t have time for sympathy. My focus snaps back to Jenna. I see Prince and Cal rush into the room, their faces pale.
“No,” Cal whispers, his voice cracking. He sprints toward us and drops to his knees beside Jenna. “No,” he repeats, his hands trembling as they hover over her.
“The car’s out front. Knife’s ready to go,” Blaze says urgently. I scoop Jenna into my arms, careful not to jostle her. She feels too light, too fragile.
I push through the front door and rush toward the waiting SUV. Climbing into the back seat, I lay her down gently, keeping pressure on her wound. My forehead presses against hers as I whisper, “Stay with me, Angel. Please stay with me.”
Her skin is icy, her lips pale, and deep purple rings circle her closed eyes. She looks like she’s been dragged through hell and back. My stomach twists, bile rising in my throat.
“God, please open your eyes, Angel. Stay with me. Please,” I beg, my voice breaking. Blood pools under her, soaking through my jeans and onto the car seat.
A roar tears from my chest as Knife slams on the gas, sending the SUV hurtling down the highway toward the emergency room.
CHAPTER THIRTY-FOUR
jenna
Death is calm.Death is peaceful.
The moment I see Axel, I know I am safe. My body reacts before my brain can catch up, becoming numb, almost relaxed, as if it feels itself slipping toward peace. Allowing myself to settle into the comfort, my mind files through all of my favorite people and memories: my parents cheering me on at my college graduation, Marley with her crazy hair and sleepy face greeting me each morning, Cal and Sarah stopping by my classroom at the end of each day to check in and tell me about their day. And Axel—the man who forced his way into my heart even when I tried like hell to push him away. Each one imprinted in my mind as I latch onto every happy moment.
“No, baby, please.” I hear it in the distance. It feels like I’m underwater and someone is yelling at me from above. Reaching through the darkness, I try to fight against the heavy weight surrounding me, trapping me inside. The harder I fight, the more tired I become, and I know I won’t be able to break through. I settle back into the peace, allowing the darkness to swallow me.
“Beep…Beep…Beep…”
I quickly reach my arm out to slam the snooze button on the extremely annoying alarm, only to have it snap back into place as pain laces up my arm. What the hell?
Pulling the weights from my eyes and opening them for what feels like the first time in months, I stare around the dark space. Light filters in from under the door across the room, but the rest of the area is lit only by monitors to my right. Looking down, I see why I can’t move my arm. There are more lines and tubes attached to me than I ever thought possible. Taking a slow, solid breath, I count to ten and try to recall the last thing I remember.
My heart rate picks up, and the monitor sounds loudly next to me. The sound of running water comes from the door where the light is peeking through, and I watch as it opens and Axel steps into the room.
He keeps his head down and turns off the light as he exits the restroom, not yet noticing me. I take him in: his disheveled hair, the way he runs his hands through it, his shoulders slumped like he has the weight of the world on them. The machine monitoring my heart hasn’t relaxed, and I watch as he notices the change in pace. His eyes snap to mine, and I feel all the air leave my lungs. Great, here comes the tears again.
He freezes for only a moment, closing his eyes and muttering something under his breath before rushing to my side. Grabbing my hand, he peppers light kisses over my bruised and scraped knuckles.
“There’s my girl,” he says, his voice thick with emotion as he cups my face with his hand. “I am so sorry, Jenna.” His voice is low and gruff. I lean my cheek into his palm and let his presence soothe my frayed nerves.
“I-” I try to speak, but my throat feels like it’s on fire. Axel turns and grabs the small white Styrofoam cup off of the tray and brings the straw to my lips.
“Shh babe, you need to let your throat rest.” Axel mumbles as he smooths my hair back. I take small sips and watch him look at me like I’m going to disappear at any moment. I can tell he feels guilty about what happened but honestly, I never would have been the target had I not been the center of Jack’s sick delusions. It was the perfect storm, turf war and a crazy ex-boyfriend. I slightly push the cup away weakly and try to talk again. “It’s not your fault,” I croak, my voice weak and gravelly.
Axel’s eyes narrow, his glare stopping me from continuing. “Are you joking? Jenna, you wouldn’t be here if it wasn’t for me!” He straightens his body and looks massive in this tiny room; I watch as his shoulders tense and he runs his hand through his hair again.
“God, I should have protected you. When I woke up and you were gone…” he stops and stares off above my head as if he’s in a trance. After a few moments his Adam’s apple bobs as he swallows his pain. “I didn’t think I was ever going to see you again.” He all but whispers.
“Axel,” I say but he stays staring over my head like I’m not even here anymore. “Axel, look at me!”
This time I break through and his eyes flick to me. Darkness swirls in his deep brown irises, a rage and pain like I’ve never seen in him before.
