Page 141 of Empire of Ache & Ruin

I run to the white van to help Jacob. But when I get there, he already has Tristan lying in the back of the car, half dead. I have no words. I climb in and take his pulse. It’s faint, but it’s there. He’s still alive. Though looking at all the blood, I can’t be sure for how long.

“We need to put pressure on the wound.” Jacob drops into the driver seat and careens off. “Where the fuck are we taking him? Will the hospital call the cops if we show up with him? Does it matter? Should we be calling the cops?”

“Oh sure. Let’s call the Senator’s buddies so they can finish him up.” I glare at Jacob’s reflection in the rearview mirror then turn to Tristan and start unbuttoning his tuxedo shirt.

He’s dead weight as I slide my hand under him to feel for an entry wound. I apply pressure to it. I can’t tell if I’m doing anything of consequence to stop the bleeding, but I keep trying. His body feels cold to the touch. The idea that Tristan might die tonight takes hold of me, and suddenly I can’t breathe.

“Gardenia,” Jacob calls out. “What’s going on? Is he?”

“No.” I shake my head. “What are we going to do if he dies?”

“We knew this was a risk.” He turns onto the main road out of the Hamptons.

“Did we?” I raise my voice. “Did we know those assholes were going to shoot him in the back?”

“Gardenia.” His voice is incredulous. “This revenge plan, fucking up the Senator, it was never a game. Tristan ending up dead in some ditch was a very real risk.”

“Stop talking.” I purse my lips.

Yeah, I knew going against a powerful senator could end in tragedy. But I figured the odds of Tristan not coming out on top were low, so low the Senator would be in jail for years before he realized who put him there, who took everything he held dear.

“What do we do then?” Jacob has his foot to the accelerator even though no one is chasing us. “Can Fisher patch him up?”

“No. Um.” I glance around the dark van, looking for the one solution that can save Tristan. “You’re going to have to call Santino. Dr. Salvatore is the only one who can help us. She won’t call the police.”

“Okay. That’s a good plan.” Jacob nods. “The city is closer than Bedford.”

He fumbles with his phone, swerving out of his lane. Luckily, at this hour we’re the only ones on the road. After scrolling through his contacts, he finally puts the call on speaker phone. With every ring, the panic in my chest grows. Santino is our only hope.

“This can’t be good,” Santino answers.

“It’s not.” I call from the back of the van. “Archer got shot. That fucking asshole Hunter shot him in the back.”

“Fuck,” he mutters. “Where are you?”

“We’re about forty miles out.” Jacob meets my gaze in the rearview mirror. “He needs a doctor.”

“Okay.” Santino releases a breath. “I’ll call Donata. She can see him at her hospital. I’ll drop you a pin. When you get there, go straight to the truck delivery door in the back. You’ll see the signs as soon as you pull in.”

“Got it.” Jacob nods at the phone.

“We got you a doctor.” I turn my attention to Tristan. “Hang in there. This is not how it ends for you. Do you hear? It’s not fair.” I continue to press my palm to his side, while taking in his beautiful face. Even in this state, he still looks formidable to me. “You had to go after her. Didn’t you? If it weren’t for her, this business with the Senator would’ve ended months ago. And you wouldn’t be here. Dying.”

I’m mad at him for being so stupid. Why do men only think with their dicks? Why? Since the night he met Paloma, he’s been making one mistake after another. And it’s all because he wants to keep her. He thinks she’ll forget her old life and live happily ever after with him. But that’s a fantasy. Paloma is too damaged to see what the Senator has done to her. She’ll never see her father for the cold-blooded killer he is.

Tristan is so blinded by her; he can’t even fathom the idea that she may not love him the way he loves her. I swallow the lump in my throat. I don’t need to be a genius to know he loves only her. And he’s too stubborn to see that life with me would’ve been as easy as breathing. We’re already a family. If we were together, our bond would be even stronger.

After what feels like hours, Jacob finally pulls into a private hospital in Midtown. The minute I see Dr. Donata Salvatore in her white coat waiting by the delivery door, my entire body begins to shake uncontrollably. This is it. If Donata can’t save him. I’m going to lose him forever. I cling to Tristan’s body in a desperate attempt to revive him with my love. But he doesn’t move. And he’s so cold.

“Gardenia,” Jacob says gently in my ear as he grips my shoulders. “Let them do their job.”

I hug Tristan’s unconscious body for another beat, then let Jacob slowly help me out of the van and bring me into his embrace. His body feels hot compared to Tristan’s cold lifeless body.

“Why is he not moving?” I bury my face in his chest.

“He’s lost a lot of blood.” He holds me tighter. “Gardenia, we have to call Freya.”

“I know.” I sob. “This is exactly what she warned us about. She knew the plan against Senator would get Tristan killed somehow, just like how it happened with his dad. We should’ve said no to helping him. He wouldn’t be here if we hadn’t agreed to help.”

---