Page 102 of Hollywood Comes Home

“Knight!” Alejandro said to Ian as he wandered the area in front of him. “Do you remember Roman?”

Ian rolled his eyes. “You’re a friend of his?! Figures. That mother fucker almost killed my wi—”

“No, no.” Alejandro wagged a finger at him. “Careful what you say about my family.”

“Family?!” Ian huffed. “What the hell are you talking about?!”

“See, I knew you had a thing for warehouses because of last time. So, I figured this would be the perfect end to your seemingly flawless life. I’ve been watching you. After all, it is a replica of the place where you ended the life of my father.”

“Your father?! Who the fuck is your f—” Ian’s voice trailed off.

Alejandro nodded. “Your wife’s father killed my uncle. Then you! You killed my cousin, step-sister, and father! You left me with no family!”

“Fuck,” I muttered in a hushed tone.

“And now?” Alejandro drew his pistol, pointing it at a motionless, slumped over Tyler. “I’m going to end your brother-in-law, your wife, your kids, and leave you to wallow in depression for a while before I kill you.”

“GET DOWN NOW!”

Suddenly, the entire room filled with a blinding light and a loud bang, disorienting all of us. Ian rocked his chair enough to fall to the floor. Diving toward Tyler’s chair, I tilted it sideways, bringing him to the floor as gently as I could, cradling his head so it wouldn’t take any more damage.

A shooting spree rang out, echoing through the warehouse as orders were barked from authorities in all directions. I closed my eyes, hoping they’d take out Alejandro and all his men instead of us. My ears were buzzing, but I remained still as possible. My lower back suddenly burned from the fall, but it was nothing compared to what Tyler had been through.

“Chance! Tyler!” Ian called out, his voice muffled by the deafening sounds.

I couldn’t respond. I was just trying to protect Tyler from further damage and didn’t want to bring attention to him. One more blow and he’d die if he hadn’t already. It felt like hours before hands reached down, pulling Tyler from my arms.

“Get him to a hospital NOW!” A familiar voice commanded.

Instantly, I was being held to the floor, hands forcing me into the solid, cold, blood-soaked concrete.

“Get off me!”

“Chance, shut up,” Jacob demanded. “You’ve been shot. Let them help you. Hold still.”

“I’ve been shot? No! Help Ty!”

“Mr. Hardwin,” one of the paramedics pressed on my lower back. “Please remain still. If the bullet moves, it could cause more damage and we don’t know the extent yet.”

I HAD BEEN SHOT. My vision tunneled, and my face felt numb and clammy. I opened my mouth to speak to Jacob, yet only incoherent mumbling came out. Then everything went black.

20

RECOVERY

AMBER

Chance has been shot. Get to the hospital now!

Those are the words I woke up to eleven days ago, after dozing off from the exhaustion of worrying about Chance going to find Tyler. It shook me to the core.

He was lucky. The doctor told us if the bullet had struck slightly to the right, it would’ve severed a major nerve trunk. He may have been paralyzed for life. A little to the left, and it would’ve severed the large artery, killing him. Higher, it would have severely damaged the main muscle. The damage would’ve required months of rehab after surgery.

Fortunately, the bullet was lodged in the corner between the spine and pelvis. It couldn’t be removed without major damage to adjacent structures, so he was stuck with it. We were informed the body would surround it with fibrous scar tissue to prevent it from becoming a problem for him.

The saddest news came when the surgeon and doctor stood in the room with us, delivering the worst news possible; at least for an actor. For the rest of his life, any hard impact in that area, like a car accident or performing any stunts on movie sets, could cripple or kill him.

Tyler’s injuries were extensive. After hours of surgery, he remained in critical condition. With his vital signs unstable, and the amount of damage his body experienced, only time would tell. It didn’t seem favorable. Guards stood outside his door at the hospital around the clock, making sure he was safe. Only the family was allowed to see him.

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