Without thinking, I reached for his hand and extracted the revolver from his slackening grasp. Razortip’s expression unfurled into something malicious and evil.
“What are you planning to do with that, little girl?” he asked mockingly. His own gun was still aimed at my lover’s face.
I didn’t waste time with a reply. This wasn’t one of those film scenes when the girl wavers or loses focus. My finger tightened on the trigger, and I squeezed. It would be hard to miss at this distance – a fact I was relying on. The explosion jerked my wrist so sharply I dropped the gun. But in front of me, Razortip’s expression had morphed from malice to horror as he was thrown backward abruptly. There was a hole at the base of his throat; dark blood spurting. He slapped a hand over the gaping wound, but there was no hope for him now. Even if he could be saved, there was nobody here who would do it.
He made a choking sound as his legs gave way. Suddenly he was sitting on his ass and then toppling onto his back. The sounds he made should have filled me with horror, but I didn’t bother looking at him after that. Perhaps I should have felt remorse at what I’d just done, but Icouldn’t give a fuck. I would have killed him twice if I’d had to do it again. And I had more important things to worry about.
I dropped to my knees beside Alec and stared into his face. He’d gone white as a sheet, his pale skin flecked with blood. His breath rattled as he wheezed to choke in air.
“Alec,” I cried. Why had he stepped in front of me when he’d given me his vest?
And then I stared down in horror at the mess of his chest and tried not to let panic overwhelm me. The position of the entry wound began to dawn on me…that bullet had been heading for my face. The vest wouldn’t have protected me.
“Oh God, Alec…” I was shaking so hard it took me a second to realize he was too. Shock. It had to be shock setting in. Footsteps thumped from the vehicle and I risked a quick look up. Andy was bearing down on us, followed by several others. A band of grim-faced men with guns. His team.
“Alec, I’m here,” I choked out. He was trying to push himself up. “Don’t try to move.”
Oh, my God. The blood…
“You’ll be okay,” I sobbed. “You’re going to be okay.”
Please be okay…
“I love you,” he bit out, blood tinting his lips as it bubbled up. I fought back tears.
“Please don’t leave me!” I couldn’t help myself. The words came out on their own.
“I’m not going anywhere,” he said hoarsely, his voice barely audible. His fingers curled through mine. So weak. He was so weak. “Always and forever.”
I could hear each breath as he fought to inhale. I pressed a palm over the bloody hole in his chest, fighting back bile. “I love you,” I choked out, praying silently to myself. “Always and forever. I’ll be right by your side.”
And then there were men surrounding us, voices urgent as they tended to him, and I was swept away in the tide.
Chapter 11
Prince Walker
The steady beeping sound that seemed wired into my dreams came into focus as my eyes flickered open, then objected to the brightness of the light.
“Fuck,” I groaned roughly. I felt as if I’d been hit by a freight train. My chest was so tight it was hard to draw breath. Then it occurred to me that something was over my face, pressing against my nose. I raised a hand to push it away, but the movement seemed to be in slow motion. Trailing tubes made the gesture harder.
“What the fuck,” I muttered.
Hospital. Obviously. I was attached to a machine, and there was a drip in my hand. Oxygen mask over my face. That explained it.
At least I was alive.
Sasha!
I tried to get up. Too weak. Too damn weak.
“He’s awake,” someone said. And then a hand on my shoulder pushed me back against the pillows.
“Sash…” I ground out through gritted teeth. Things around me took shape. Colors beginning to make sense. I was looking up into a face.
An angel.
“You’re okay,” she said softly. My heart clenched. I tried to smile.
