Page 1 of Playing the Game
CHAPTER 1
DORI
“Jami! No, God, no!”I scream and attempt to push Jamison’s limp and bloody body off me.
What happened?
Why is he not moving?
Please, let him be alive.
“Jami, talk to me.” I tremble, terrified he’s gone forever. “Please, open your eyes.”
I can’t get him off me. He’s nothing but dead weight. A man rolls him over and I slip out from underneath him.
Blood covers Jami’s jacket near the right side of his chest as a streak trickles down his face above his ear. It oozes around his mouth and lips. Adrenaline screeches through my body.
“Help him!” I clutch the guy’s arm, begging him with my eyes. My heart races with each second that passes. “Please help him.”
“What happened?” the guy asks.
“I don’t know.” I glance up at a mass of people gathering around us.
Someone yells, “I think he was shot!”
Someone else says, “Call 911.”
I grab Jami’s face. His eyes roll back as he slips in and out of consciousness.
“Jamison Stone, listen to me. I love you!” I half-choke on a ragged sob. “Don’t you dare leave me like this.”
His eyelashes flutter, and he coughs, splattering blood on my face. Everything moves so fast as the man pushes me aside and works to stop Jami’s bleeding.
I wail and try to get close to Jami. “You do not get to leave me. I love you. We’re supposed to be together.”
A woman takes me in her arms. “Give him space. He needs room to help your friend.”
I freeze. In my scrambling to hold Jami, I’ve pushed away the man. I sit back on my heels, and people rush around me, yelling and screaming things I can’t make out. My body goes cold as I watch Jami dying before my very eyes.
“Are you hurt?” the woman asks.
I shake my head as I stare at him.
He cannot leave me.
I cannot lose him.
She looks me over. “Are you sure? Your vest jacket is covered in blood and you have a hole in the top of it.”
I glance down and shake my head again. “It’s his…”
My heart cracks with every beat. Jami can’t leave me like this. I can’t sit here and witness him die.
The woman yanks my vest open. “You’re bleeding. Your shoulder is hurt.”
“Someone needs to help him. Please, I’m fine. Help him.” I shuck away and take her by the wrists to move her toward Jami.
Sirens blare into my awareness. Police arrive and move the crowd away. At least a dozen of them are trying to secure the area as they take over helping Jami. One tries to move me, but I swat at him.
