Page 78 of Addiction

“Because I love you, Armaan.”

His eyes rounded. And then his face erupted in a smile. Her own lips curved. Armaan looked beyond her, and his expression changed to one of surprise. Before she could turn to see where he was staring at, there was a loud thwack in front of her. Her skin chilled as Armaan’s eyes rolled back, and he collapsed into her, lifeless. She stumbled under his weight. She barely managed to hold on to him when she saw the leader of the gang standing in front of her with a rod, his battered face twisted in a cruel smile. Her throat knotted, and goosebumps erupted on her flesh.

The man took a step closer. From behind him, several security guards ran toward her, with Ananya following closebehind. The man in front of her looked between Armaan and her, and then at the approaching men. He dropped his weapon and began to run.

Ignoring him, she clasped Armaan tighter. Stickiness coated her hand as she cradled his head. Blood. Her hand was smeared with blood. A new kind of fear assaulted her. She lay him down on the ground, resting his head on her lap.

“Armaan,” she whispered. “Open your eyes.”

But there was no response. Ananya dropped to the ground next to her.

“He’s n… not responding, Ananya,” Navya cried, tears streaming down her face.

Ananya grabbed his wrist. “His pulse is weak.”

“I won’t lose him, Ananya. I c… can’t.”

From her side, Ananya began making calls, but Navya wasn’t paying her any attention. She caught Armaan’s hand in hers and kissed it.

“Armaan,” Navya said. “Please, I’m sorry. I’m sorry for not realising I am in love with you. Please, you need to open your eyes and let me show you how much you mean to me.”

Ananya squeezed her shoulder. “The ambulance will be here soon. He will be fine. Just hold on, okay?”

Silence settled between them. Their security guards stood in a circle around them. Her heart was running out of control now. How had this damn night gotten from bad to this worse?

“Where’s that fucking ambulance?” Navya yelled.

A phone beeped, its noise loud in the silence. It was neither hers nor Ananya’s. Ananya patted Armaan’s pockets and came up empty. But the phone continued to buzz.

“His jacket,” Navya pointed to the side. “His phone must be in his jacket.”

One of the security guards handed her the phone. It was Mihir. The sound of a siren distracted her. She pocketed Armaan’s phone as the ambulance appeared.

Minutes later, she was seated in the ambulance next to Armaan’s unconscious body, clasping his wan hand. Ananya was following in her car.

She breathed out. “You’re going to be fine, you hear me? Just hang in there for m… me, please.”

Armaan’s phone beeped in her pocket. Seeing that it was Mihir again, she answered the call.

“Where the hell are you, Armaan?” Mihir yelled into the phone. “I told you categorically not to leave the house tonight. Vedant’s been?—”

“Mihir, it’s N… Navya,” her voice shook.

Mihir quietened. “Where is my brother?”

“He’s h… hurt. I’m in an ambulance, taking him to the hospital.” She relayed the name of the hospital to him. “Four men attacked us tonight.”

“How is he? Tell me he’s alive.”

“He’s breathing, but barely. He’s suffered multiple injuries, including a bad head wound that is concerning me. I’ll know more when we reach the hospital.”

“Explain everything from the beginning.” Mihir’s tone was chilly.

She told him everything quickly, and as best as she could.

“Fuck, he knew that the Estonians were after us,” Mihir said tightly. “I’d warned him to stay at home tonight. Yet, he came for you. This is all your fault. He’s in that condition because of you. He never should have gotten involved with you.”

She stared at Armaan. He was barely breathing beneath the oxygen mask. Tears fell down her cheek. Shit. This was all her fault. Had she not been so stupid and spoken nonsense toAnanya, they never would have been outside in that parking lot. Armaan wouldn’t be in the condition he was in.

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