Total pages in book: 67
Estimated words: 62811 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 314(@200wpm)___ 251(@250wpm)___ 209(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 62811 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 314(@200wpm)___ 251(@250wpm)___ 209(@300wpm)
“Where’d you get hit?” Tristan asks, appearing in my line of sight. He touches the spot just below my wound, and I groan in pain. “Shit, you’re losing a lot of blood. Don’t move.”
I try to focus on my breathing and not the stinging pain in my shoulder or the stench of blood in the air. The room starts to swim around me, and it feels like I’m losing more blood than I should be. I can hear Tristan urgently telling Cleo what to do after he finishes untying her, but the words don’t make sense in my head. I hear Cleo’s voice—either talking to Tristan or on the phone.
“Tristan,” I say, but I can barely hear myself. I watch as Tristan calls the police and helps Cleo off the bed. She quickly gets dressed in her own clothes and comes over to me, cradling my face in her hands.
“Help is on the way,” she says, tears in her eyes. “Thank you. For everything.”
I only nod. There’s so much I want to say, so much I want to tell her, but I can’t muster up the energy. I groan when Tristan applies pressure to my wound. “Just hold on, Talon,” he says.
And it’s the last thing I remember before I succumb to the fatigue weighing me down.
CLEO
While the paramedics quickly attend to Talon and carry him off to the nearest hospital, two officers pull Tristan and me aside to question us. Tristan is calm and cooperative despite all the chaos going on around us, as well as his brother getting shot, but my mind is still reeling from everything that happened. Prior to the guys coming in, Garrett had stepped into the bathroom to “prepare” for my punishment, saying he was going to take a pill that would ensure his longevity to make me pay for whatever he thought I’d done.
I remember praying to whatever God would listen to me, that they’d send Talon or Tristan to come save me. I told myself that if they came through for me, I’d take back all the horrible things I’ve said, the way I’ve acted, and would keep them around because they continuously show up for me despite me pushing them away.
When they burst through the bedroom door, I’d never felt so much relief in my life. Seeing the way they came to rescue me after the way I’d last treated them only showed me the kind of men they truly are. I can’t hold their father’s mistakes over their heads because they are not their father. I definitely have to talk with both of them and tell them the truth.
It’s the least I can do after the way they’ve risked their lives for me.
“Ma’am?” the officer says.
I notice the two officers watching me expectantly, as if they’re waiting for an answer. “I’m sorry. What did you say?” I ask.
“We were asking about your relationship to the deceased,” he repeats.
I run a shaky hand through my frizzy hair. “He and I dated really briefly, but I ended it when he showed that he wasn’t a nice guy,” I explain. I tell them about Garrett’s stalking and the lengths I went to remain hidden. The officers both jot down notes on their notepads and ask Tristan and me to give our version of events. Just as I finish telling my story, a couple of people come into the bedroom with a body bag. The last time I saw a dead body was when Tristan and Talon’s mom died, but I’ve never seen someone die in front of me. While it was traumatic, there’s a peaceful feeling that washes over me as I watch the coroners put him in the bag, zipping it up.
“I think that’s all for now,” the officer says, pulling my attention back to them. “We’ll be in touch if we have any other questions.”
Tristan and I watch them walk away before he turns to me. “I need to call Dad and let him know what happened.” He sighs deeply. “Do you want a ride back to the apartment?”
I shake my head, the mentioning of his father bringing those previous walls back up. Of course, he has to call him; his father would be concerned to know that his son has been shot. A paramedic approaches me.
“Ma’am, do you have any injuries that we need to check?” the woman asks me as her eyes scan my body.
Tristan excuses himself to make his phone call and a sick feeling settles in the pit of my gut. Once Tristan tells him what happened, I know he’s going to ask about me or discuss wanting to see me. That means I don’t have much time to get to the hospital to see Talon before their father gets there.
“Ma’am? Do you need any help?” the woman asks again.