Page 223 of Cross & Crown

“Go call an ambulance, Irish,” Kelly said to him. He was

working on JD, trying to stop the blood.

“Kels,” Nick whispered.

“Go cal !” Kelly shouted without looking up.

Nick nodded. When he turned to go after his phone,

though, a man was standing there, gun drawn, badge out.

Nick stopped in his tracks, blinking at him.

“Son of a bitch, Nick!” Hagan shouted.

Nick winced, and his head pounded. He took a step back,

his foot hit something on the floor, and he sat down hard.

Kelly’s hand groped for him, his fingers finally threading

through Nick’s as Nick lay back and put a hand over his eyes

to block out all the brightness.

223

“You’re hit!” Kelly shouted at him.

“It’s not bad,” Nick muttered. “Not bad.”

“Stay with me, bud,” he could hear Kelly saying. “Don’t

let go.”

Nick turned his head. Kelly was sitting between JD and

Nick. He was holding his shirt to JD’s wound with one hand,

and pressed Nick’s palm to his own wound with the other.

Nick cried out.

“Don’t let go, okay?” Kelly whispered to him, applying

more pressure to the wound.

“Never,” Nick managed to say. “I love you.”

Kelly leaned over and kissed him gently. The warmth of

his lips was painful on Nick’s.

“Is he okay?” Nick asked, head rol ing in JD’s direction.

“He’ll be fine if we get an ambulance to him soon.”

Nick closed his eyes. The pain from the pressure against

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