Page 48 of Captured Pawn
My heart constricted in my chest. Had Nick died while I was away? I rushed back to his side and fell to my knees across from Nathan who was still pressing the gunshot wound.
Unable to speak, I instead reached out to swish a lock of hair off Nick’s forehead, lightly stroking his handsome face, grateful he felt warm to the touch.
“You can’t die on me…” I finally said, even though I doubted he could hear me. “You just can’t. I’ve already lost Matty. I can’t lose you too!”
I’d been so strong, but it was in that moment I could no longer hold back the sob I’d been wrestling to subdue as I leaned down to hug the side of Nick that was uninjured. “Please… keep fighting,” I begged in between sobs. “The doctor will be here soon.”
I silently prayed that he would arrive in time. I wasn’t a doctor, but Nick was losing so much blood, I knew he was in real danger. It had soaked through the thick comforter.
By the time an older man still in his pajamas pushed into the room I was on the verge of hyperventilating. I was so relieved to see a woman come in with him pulling a large suitcase on wheels that I prayed would have all of the supplies he’d need to help.
“What do we have here?” the doctor asked as he knelt at Nick’s head. He started feeling for a pulse before Nathan answered.
“My brother was shot with a revolver about fifteen minutes ago. He was unconscious when I arrived and has lost a lot of blood. We’ve been applying pressure.”
The doctor continued doing his initial examination as he asked more questions. “Was he shot more than once?”
“No,” I said.
“And how far away was he when the gun fired?”
“They were wrestling for the gun. The gun was against his chest when it fired.”
I had to fight back more tears. Nick needed me to hold it together.
“Are there any other victims?”
I was about to tell the doctor there was only the attacker and she didn’t deserve any help until after Nick was stable, but Stevie answered instead.
“The intruder is dead.”
The news hit me hard. While a part of me was relieved the person responsible for Matty’s death and Nick’s gunshot wound was no longer a threat, the fact that she died by my hand didn’t sit well with me. Earlier tonight I’d been concerned with committing a felony at the Bishop estate, but now I could add a second felony—murder—to my growing portfolio.
How quickly I’ve fallen from grace.
But I pushed the guilt aside. There would be time for that later.
“Did he lose consciousness immediately or was he lucid after the injury?”
I felt several pairs of eyes on me as I replayed the horrible scene over in my head before answering. “He was only awake for a minute. He kept fighting to protect me. Then he shouted for me to run to safety right before he passed out.”
It was Pops who chimed in, “Thank goodness you listened and went to call us.”
I could let the men around me assume it was Nick who’d shot and killed Angela. No one needed to know she’d died by my hand, but even in my precarious state, I knew I could never live with that lie.
“I didn’t listen.” Feeling all eyes on me, I paused. They were wasting time with these unimportant questions. I needed to get everyone focused on Nick, so I added, “I fought Angela for the gun. Matty made me take judo lessons in my teens so I could protect myself. I guess the classes paid off because I overpowered her.”
“Way to go! Matty was right. You really are a badass,” Stevie added.
“Yeah, well, this badass is going to kick all of your butts if we don’t stop talking and start taking better care of Nick.”
My words finally got a flurry of activity going in the room with several of the men lifting and carrying Nick to his bed where the nurse had already set up a makeshift emergency room of sorts.
I tried to stay close, but Nathan put his arm around me, pulling me to the side of the room, near the mirror we’d been having sex in front of less than an hour before. Somehow, I knew he felt as helpless as I did, standing there watching as the medical team started an IV, administered drugs I’d never heard of, and talked about the possible complications they’d encounter as they tried to remove the bullet.
“Are you sure we shouldn’t take him to the hospital?” I asked. “He needs surgery.”
Nathan’s voice was low as he answered. “It’s too risky. Dr. Torino has performed harder surgeries than this here at The Compound. We’re staying here.”
