“Can you wrap your good arm around the back of my neck for me, Cara?” Cal asked, pulling my attention back to the task at hand. I nodded as Dio stood, then he was at my side. He leaned in to take the gun from my lap, where it still sat, slipping it into his pocket, then he helped to guide my weak and shaky arm around Cal’s neck.
“Just go slow, Cal. Tell us if the pain’s too much, Cara, okay?”
“I’m good,” I lied.
Cal slid his hands under my thighs and butt, then lifted me from the cold ground. Dio grabbed me from behind and helped to ease the movement. It still hurt like hell as Cal pulled me against his chest and wrapped my legs around his waist. My side, where one of the bastards had kicked me throbbed painfully, on the same side as I already had bruised ribs, then Cal went to put his arms around me, and my left arm was jolted slightly against his body. I couldn’t help but cry out in agony at the pain that caused through my shoulder and up and down my arm.
“Fuck! Sorry, babe. I’m so sorry. Did I knock your arm?” Cal panicked as he froze right where he was and looked to me with horror.
“What happened?” Arran barked. I knew from his voice he was close, but I didn’t open my eyes. I couldn’t. I was barely holding it together with the pain I was in, and my head spinning from all of the movement.
“Give her to me!” There was no mistaking that bark came from Dante.
“We’re not moving her again. I’ve got her now.” Cal snapped.
“Get yer arse in the bloody car, Dante!” Arran hissed. “Ye cannae be of any help ‘til ye get yerself cleaned up.”
“Do we need to get Cara to the hospital?” Rafe asked, and he was closer now.
“I want to go home, Rafe, please. I j-just want to go home!” Gia cried breathlessly.
“I’m okay,” I said, but it was barely even a whisper this time.
“No you’re not, Cara. You don’t have to keep on saying that,” Cal told me. I pushed through the agony it caused to move closer to his chest, until finally I could rest my head against his shoulder. I felt so much safer and warmer there against him, and finally I just let go. The merciful darkness descended.
CAL
“Can you all just shut the fuck up?!” I yelled as I felt Cara’s weight go limp in my arms. She’d likely passed out from the pain it no doubt caused her to push close enough to me to rest her head against my shoulder.
Finally everyone around me stopped their bullshit and looked to me with worry.
“Cara?” my brother said as he moved around me to try and see her face.
“She’s blacked out. She’s in agony, concussed, and likely traumatised. Can we please just get the fuck out of here and to a doctor?” I barked to them all when they looked concerned.
“Is calling in Doctor Barnes enough, Cal, or does she need a hospital?” Rafe asked with worry.
“I can’t Rafe! Please! Don’t make me go to a hospital!” Gia wailed. She was clutching onto Rafe with everything she had, and I knew she had to be shaken and scared, but she was still moving, and didn’t look badly hurt. I just wished she would tryto consider her sister - who risked everything to save her - just for a moment at least.
“Dario can take you home. I need to be with Cara right now,Tesoruccia. She’s badly hurt,” Rafe told her.
“What? You’re picking heragain! After I was kidnapped you still pickher!” Gia screeched bitterly, as all of her fear seemed to vanish, replaced by fury.
“Gia!” Rafe snapped.
“I’m not leaving Cara right now,” Dario said at the same time.
I looked past them all to my brother and Dante, both of whom seemed to be staring down at Cara with the same fear that I felt inside.
“Home or hospital?” Arran asked over the continued drama between Rafe, Gia, and Dario.
“Home. Doc Barnes can handle these injuries,” I said with confidence.
“I’m driving. Get her in the back of my car,” Dante announced, then the three of us were moving.
Dante jumped in the driver’s seat, the only sign of his earlier, blood rage, the red staining his face and clothes. He started the car as Arran helped me to climb carefully into the back, still clutching Cara to me, then he jumped in beside me, closed the door and we were off, ignoring Rafe and Dario when they started yelling at the moving car.
“Call Barnes. Get him to our place now!” Dante commanded, but Arran was already bringing up the number of the doctor, who we used occasionally, for injuries which we didn’t want to have to explain to hospital staff.
