Page 78 of Forever Only Once

“Baby, oh my God.”

“Quick, help me get out of these, I’m almost out of the restraints, but they’re digging into my right wrist, and I can’t get free.”

She was rambling, not making much sense. I needed to run my hands over her and catalog every single cut and bruise. There were so many. She was covered in blood, her face bruised, and I knew there were probably more injuries I couldn’t see.

That fucker.

“Let’s get you out of here. The cops are on their way.”

“Good. Macon. I’m so sorry, Cross. Thomas. It was Thomas. My ex. He shot Macon.”

I froze, my hands shaking. Her ex? It was her ex. Fucking hell. My mind went in a million different directions and I didn’t know what to say, what to think, so I didn’t. She was safe—or would be. And my brother had to be safe. There was no other option. I pushed all of those thoughts from my brain, however jumbled they were, and finally answered.

“The cops should have him by now. He should be safe,” I said.

At least, I hoped so.

I’d left my brother bleeding and to be handled by strangers so I could save Hazel. I never would have forgiven myself if either of them had died.

My hands were shaking as I got her out of the final restraint, and then I lifted her to her feet, both of us moving to get out of there.

Suddenly, there was a noise behind me. I turned, covering Hazel with my body as the shot rang out.

Fire singed my side, and I staggered back, falling to my knees. I felt Hazel’s hands on my back as if she were trying to catch me, but I was too heavy for her.

Blood flowed from my side, and I looked down and cursed.

The guy had been faking. Or, I hadn’t hit him hard enough.

I looked up as the other man sneered at me, blood covering his chin and forehead from where I had hit him, his arm trembling, and the gun shaking in his hand.

“She’s mine,” he growled out.

“Never yours,” Hazel whispered.

I tried to reach out to her, attempted to tell her that we’d make it out, that we’d be safe, but everything was going dark. I cursed under my breath.

I was losing blood too quickly. I just had to hope like hell that the cops would get here soon.

They had to have followed where I had gone. Followed the sounds. The drag marks left such an easy trail.

Hopefully, Frank could tell them where I had gone. And Macon, too. After all, he had told me.

I couldn’t really think right then, though. All I knew was that I needed to make sure Hazel was going to be okay. And my baby brother. And everyone else.

But I couldn’t focus.

“Come closer to me, Hazel. Get closer to me, and I won’t hurt him again. But you keep touching him, and I’ll shoot him right in the fucking head.”

“I’m fine, don’t listen to him. Save yourself,” I whispered.

“So valiant. And yet, she’ll still come to me. She always will.”

And then Hazel squeezed my shoulder just a bit before she stood on shaky legs. I tried to reach out to her, but my hands slid against her blood-slick ones, and I cursed.

“Don’t hurt him,” she said, her voice far stronger than I thought possible.

“As long as you’re mine, I won’t hurt anyone else.”