Page 76 of Jack

She does. Once she admits it to herself, she and I will explode like fireworks. The seductive gleam returns to her eyes. Oh, she’s halfway there already. I crook my finger and motion her to me. Her grin widens. She lowers toward me.

And the world explodes.

Chapter 33

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Jack

And I mean literally explodes.

Shots fire.

Glass shatters.

Lily’s eyes widen, and her mouth falls open.

More shots.

Blood drips.

Oh, please, no.

Before she falls forward against me, I grab her around the waist and flip us to the floor. Hard. All I had time to do was to keep her head from slamming against the floor. The weight of my body crushes her. Thank God I’m big enough to shield her completely. Bullets hit the walls and everything else in the room. From the floor, I slap my hand across the top of the nightstand until I feel my phone.

The covers bounce from the bullets. From this side, the bed shields us from the worst. Not true. The worst has already happened. My hands shake as I open my phone. Lily lays motionless under me. Her eyes are closed, her mouth slightly open. There’s blood. Too much blood. It’s not mine. I know I’m not hit. Why did I have to flip her on top of me?

“Lily? Angel? Stay with me.”

She doesn’t move or respond. I quickly go to the top contact on my phone. He answers before I hear it ring.

“Jay! My house is under fire!”

“Stay down!” Jay shouts back. “We’re coming through the trees now! We’ll get ‘em, cuz!”

“Jay! Jay!”

He’s already gone. I didn’t get to tell him Lily was shot. She’s dying. I know she’s dying. I pull up the keypad on my phone and dial the three numbers I never wanted to dial again.

“911. Where’s your emergency?”

“My house is under fire! My ole’ lady’s been shot. We need an ambulance!”

The dispatcher is quiet for a brief moment.

“Calls have already come from your location. Officers are arriving as we speak. The ambulance is three minutes out.”

My location? I didn’t give her my location. Her voice is familiar, but I don’t have time to figure it out.

“Thanks.” I end the call and let the phone drop to the floor.

I quickly lower my head over Lily’s when another round of shots starts. These don’t hit anything in my room.

“Lily, can you hear me?”

She doesn’t answer. I lay my hand on her chest. I can’t tell if the movement is her breathing or my hands shaking. I move my fingertips over her lips. Her breath is faint and too far apart, but she’s breathing.

“Stay with me, Lily. Don’t leave me, angel,” I cry.

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