Page 109 of The Tattoo Artist

Once he’s free, he breathes heavily, taking a moment to regain his strength and helps me onto my feet, examining my face. “Are you okay?” He asks me.

“Are you okay?” I whisper, my hand trembling as I reach out to touch his face gently.

He turns to me with a reassuring smile, though exhaustion shadowed his eyes. “I’m okay, Alex. Don’t worry about me.”

“But you-” I began to protest, but he silences me with a soft kiss planted gently on my forehead.

“I’ll be fine,” he assures me, his words a soothing balm against my rising fears.

I wanted to believe him.

I wanted to believe that we had survived it all, that we were stronger together. But as he turns away, my heart lurches in my chest, and my eyes fell upon the gruesome sight of his back.

His shirt was torn apart, revealing gaping wounds that marred his skin. Blood seeped slowly from the injuries, staining his clothes, and dribbling down in rivulets of crimson.

I stifled a gasp, a hand flying to cover my mouth in horror.

“Ares, your back.”

He turns around to face me, and I can see he’s struggling to remain standing. “I’m fine, Alexandra,” he forces out, but I can see the effort it takes for him to stay upright. He stumbles slightly on his foot, and my heart clenches with worry.

“Ares, you’re not fine,” I hurry closer to him, placing my hands on his arms to support him. “You need help, let’s get you to a hospital.”

Suddenly, his weight leans onto me, and I struggle to lift him back onto his feet.

Instead, I sink down onto the floor, with his huge body resting against me. Panic surges through me as I realise the severity of his injuries. “Ares, please wake up!” I plead, gently slapping his cheek, but there’s no response. Tears fill my eyes as I frantically try to slide out from beneath him, but his weight is too much for me to bear.

He is too heavy for me.

With all the strength I can muster, I manage to shift Ares enough to free my legs from underneath him. I use the support of my arms and legs to lift him up, leaning his body against mine.

I felt my bones wanting to crack, but I had to get him help.

He needs help.

My phone was nowhere to be reached or seen. I try my hardest to drag Ares, but his body was fully limp. “Ares! Wake up!” I cry out in desperation, but there is no response from him.

Suddenly, the temperature began to rise in the library.

I look towards the corner and my eyes widen as I see the fire, the orange and red flames moving forward, rapidly engulfing the books. Fear grips my heart as I realise the dire situation, we were in. The fire is spreading fast, and time is running out and Ares is unconscious.

“Ares! Wake up!” I beg him, hoping that he would be able to hear me. I trip over something, and he slid out of my arms, falling to the ground. All that work just to get him to move a little is now all gone!

I never worked well under pressure.

And now the pressure being Ares makes it so much worse.

Tears stream down my face as I try to lift him once more, but the smoke and heat were overwhelming. The fire is moving faster than I could handle, and the thought of leaving him behind to save myself flashed through my mind.

But I couldn’t bear the idea of abandoning him.

I love him too much to let him die alone.

Determination surged through me as I made a split-second decision. With the last ounce of strength left in me, I crawl back to Ares and pull him close, shielding him as best as I could. Sweat is dripping from my forehead, and we were still so far from the door.

The door felt like it was miles away, an insurmountable distance separating us from safety.

“Need some help, angel?” Luca’s voice sliced through the tension, his grin sending shivers down my spine.

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