Page 83 of Captive Bride

“Tristan!” I scream, seeing him pass through the doorway, Merc and Benny hot on his heels.

The guard never finishes his sentence or any other for that matter.

Tristan’s finger moves inhumanely fast on the trigger of his gun, three loud shots ringing out in the enclosed space.

All three guards collapse as one, blood quickly pooling onto the floor around them.

“Isobel,” he says, relief evident in his voice.

He rushes to me, at my side in the blink of an eye.

“Are you okay?” he asks, his hands already running the length of me, checking for himself that I’m okay.

“I—I’m fine,” I answer, my own hands reaching back at him. “Tristan, you were shot!”

He smiles weakly, looking at me with eyes that seem glazed.

“I’ll be okay,” he says, turning to Benny and Merc.

“We need to check the rest of the rooms,” Merc offers. “Make sure no one’s hiding in any of them.”

“Yes,” Tristan says. “I’ll help.”

He begins to walk forward, motioning for me to follow. He makes it only a few steps before he starts to sway. His hand reaches for a nearby dresser, clearly trying to lean his weight against it.

It swipes a few inches short, his body leaning dangerously. He collapses the next instant; the sound of his body hitting the floor draws a cry from my lips.

I drop to my knees beside him.

“Tristan!” I scream.

“I’ll go get the doctor,” Merc says, disappearing from the room in a flash.

“Here!” Benny shouts, tearing the sheet from the bed before handing it to me. “Press this to his wound.”

He kneels beside me, his hands guiding mine.

“Press hard,” he tells me, and I do so without question.

“Isobel...” Tristan chokes out in a hushed voice.

“I’m right here,” I say. “Everything’s gonna be okay.”

His hand finds my face, fingers trailing delicately across it.

“God, I love you Isobel,” he says. “You’re the only good thing that ever happened to me.”

“I love you, too,” I whimper. “So hold on!”

“For you?” he asks. “Anything.”

There’s a faint smile on his lips as he loses consciousness.

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