Page 50 of This Is Love (The Light to My Darkness 3)

I suddenly felt faint and I teetered forward slightly.

"Ellen!" he yelled at the top of his lungs. "Ellen, call William and tell him to get the car started!"

I winced in pain. Why was he calling for her? I had just asked him not to.

Ellen came running down the stairs and gasped. The look of horror on her face matched Rob's.

I followed her trail of vision and stared down at the pool of blood at my feet. Seeping into the carpet. Dripping down my legs. The blood was everywhere.

"You're okay," Rob said as he scooped me up into his arms and started running. "You're going to be okay."

But I wasn't. I just knew I wasn't. Because the pain in my stomach was growing worse by the second. And my son wasn't kicking me. He wasn't fucking kicking me.

"Christ!" Rob yelled as he slammed his fist against the elevator button.

Porter and Briggs ran out of their office down the hall.

"What happened?" Porter asked. He reached out to take me from Rob.

I grabbed the collar of Rob's shirt. I didn't want him to let me go.

"I've got her," Rob said.

"This way then," Porter said and ran toward the staircase.

"I'll call James," Briggs said and ran back to their office.

I closed my eyes. Each step downwards on the stairs made my stomach ache more. I heard a car door open and close.

I heard the squeal of the tires. Cursing. I had never felt more weak. It felt like the life was draining out of my body. And not just my son's. My own. My heartbeat seemed to slow. A chill entered my bloodstream. It felt like the coolness was pulsing through my whole body.

"It's okay," Rob said. "We're almost there." I was vaguely aware of the fact that he hadn't set me down in the back seat. That he was cradling me in his arms. Like he knew if he let go, I'd be gone.

"Take care of him," I said.

"Penny." His hand on my cheek felt scalding hot.

"Promise me you'll take care of him."

"You're going to be alright. Everything's okay."

I looked up at his face. It was wet with tears. I had seen him cry once before. When James had gotten shot. When we thought we might lose him. And I knew it then. He thought I was going to die. I thought I was going to die. And I felt the death in my stomach. I felt it rip my heart in two.

"Promise me." My voice came out as a whisper.

He shook his head.

"Take care of Scarlett."

"Penny..."

"Take care of my family."

"We're almost there," he said.

"I'm scared." I tried to grab his hand, but my grip was too weak. The pain was easing as the feeling of ice spread. It was peaceful. Like my body was trying to comfort me as I slipped. As it became harder to breathe. "I'm so scared," I whispered.

"Penny, open your eyes."

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