Page 92 of Darkest Game
I’m expecting pain to radiate through my body but it never comes.
Because Liam dives in front of me and takes the blow. He staggers back as blood blooms out from his stomach. I watch in horror as he falls to the ground.
Elaine stares at both of us in shock, which gives Ana the chance to jam her elbow into Elaine’s side and force Elaine to let her go.
Ana punches Elaine right in the nose. Elaine drops her gun and stumbles back before she takes off running into the night.
I don’t have time to be impressed by my baby sister’s fighting skills. Not when my husband has been shot. Not when the man I know I love could be dead.
Chapter Eighteen
Irina
Ikneel down beside Liam. His shirt is quickly getting drenched from his blood. He doesn’t have much time.
“I need help!” I shout. “I need help!”
Jimmy, Liam’s guy, runs outside and blanches when he sees Liam has been shot. “I’ll call for an ambulance.”
Ana runs over to my side and throws her arms around me, burying her head into my neck.
“It’s ok,” I say to her. “You’re ok.” I glance up to see that Elaine isn’t anywhere. She’s somehow managed to escape once more. But I can’t worry about that for now. All I can worry about is getting Liam to safety.
“I was so scared,” Ana whispers. “Denis beat me.”
“I know. But Liam needs me right now. He’s hurt.” I pull away from my sister to lean over Liam. He’s gasping for air which tells me he’s still alive. He’s trying to fight it.
“Stay with me,” I say to him. “Stay with me.” I shake my head as tears begin to fall down my face. “Why did you do that? Why did you jump in front of me? You could die.”
“Because… because I had… to save… you,” he gasps out, lifting up his blood-stained hand to cup my face. “I had to.”
“I don’t want to lose you. I can’t.”
“He’s the man who kidnapped you,” Ana says. “The one who got you into this mess in the first place. I’m your sister. I’m the one who needs help.”
A flash of anger runs through me at Ana’s selfishness. “You’re not currently dying,” I snap. “And he’s my husband. Can’t you understand that? He threw himself in front of me so I wouldn’t be shot. Why can’t you and the rest of our family accept him?”
Her mouth hangs open in shock. I’ve never spoken to my sister – or any of my sisters – this way. The sweet, demure Irina. Well right now, I’m done being that.
But Ana isn’t the one I should be telling this. She’s just been through an ordeal herself.
She stands up and turns away from me and I can see her shoulders shaking. She’s crying.
“Don’t,” Liam says, drawing my attention back to him. “Don’t let me… come between… your family. Don’t.”
“Just rest your strength,” I say. My hands flutter over his chest. I’m not sure if I should try to stop the bleeding or if that will make things worse.
“We have to get him out front,” Jimmy says to me. “We have a house full of dead bodies. We can’t have the police asking questions.”
I nod and step back. Jimmy puts his arms underneath Liam’s shoulders and whistles for another of Liam’s men to come help.The other man grabs Liam’s ankles and together, they carry him through the house, full of the dead bodies of Elaine’s men, to the front driveway. Me and Ana follow behind. I grab a blanket off the couch to hide my nakedness.
She shoots me a glare but I know she doesn’t want to actually be alone.
The groan of pain that leaves Liam when they set him back on the ground breaks my heart. This man has done so much to save me in such a short amount of time. It’s unfair that he’s being treated like a criminal. He is technically a criminal but so is Nico and so is Mikhail.
So was my father.
The ambulance quickly shows up after that and they get Liam on the gurney and into the van. A police car also arrives. Jimmy walks over to handle speaking with the officer.
