Page 42 of Love Fire

He cringes. I narrow my eyes at him. Why that face?

“Aren’t you gonna do what she said?”

“Give me a moment will you?”

His hands are inches away from the gaping hole in my body. I’m getting frustrated at this point because the drug’s effects are still going strong. I exasperate and grab his wrist.

“Will you just fucking do it? There’s nothing wrong with you touching me. I’m your fucking cousin.”

“I know! I just don’t want to touch your blood.”

“You snorted the shit you just put in me but can’t touch your own family’s blood?”

“Listen to yourself. It sounds horrific.”

I snap my teeth at him. “DO IT.”

With a tiny shriek, Alessandro finally puts both his hands over my chest. His facial expressions contort between disgust, fear, and horror.

“You’re more freaked out touching my blood than my fucking well-being, asshole.”

He rolls his eyes. “I am worried about you. I’m just sensitive to the sight of blood. You don’t know what I’ve seen.”

“Erin, had no problem doing it,” I mumble.

I meant it as a jab towards him. Instead, there’s a small smile on his face. I’m confused and start getting jealous.

“That girl really cares about you. You know that, right?” he says.

I relax. Then I lay my head back on the ground and smile to myself.

“I know. I feel the same for her.”

36

ERIN

“Okay, please hurry.” I hang up the phone. Nate is on his way. He’ll be able to help Brent. I know he will, he has to. Nate will get here and Brent will be fine.

But then I see Brent again as Alessandro helps him inside. His entire front side is drenched in red. A blood trail follows him as he limps along. God, I hope Nate can help him. Please be able to help him.

I help Alessandro keep Brent standing as we lead him up the stairs. The process is slow, Brent is only getting weaker as he loses more blood. But we eventually make it to the top of the stairs and to his bedroom.

I lay some towels down on the bed before I help Alessandro lower Brent down. I’ve never seen Brent look so weak and frail. I wish I knew how to help him. But instead, I have to just wait and hope.

This is all my fault. I could’ve been honest with him or run away from my father years ago. There is so much I could’ve done that would mean Brent never gets shot.

Brent weakly reaches out for me and I take his hand and kneel beside him. He can’t manage the strength to say anything, but he doesn’t need to. We just hold hands in silence. He will survive.

It’s not long before Nate arrives. “Hello?” His voice echoes from downstairs.

“Up here!” I yell back as Alessandro rushes to him.

A moment later, Alessandro practically drags Nate into the room. “Please, hurry, help my cousin.”

Nate stands at my side and looks at Brent’s wound. “Okay,” he says. “Shifters like Brent have advanced healing, so the quickest and less painful option is to push the bullet through to the other side.”

Alessandro looks surprised, “It’ll be painless?”

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