Page 41 of Under His Watch

“Romeo!” She screamed it as she dropped to her knees and laid her hands on me.

Then I was out. Right when I had to stay up and alert to saveherfrom anyone coming back and making good on this vendetta Stefan was determined to see through, no matter the costs.

16

TESSA

“Romeo!”

He slumped to the floor as soon as I wrenched the door open. Without putting his arms out or turning to break into the drop, his body plummeted like a lifeless sack.

“Fuck.Romeo!” I sank to my knees, ignoring the ache of pressing my still-healing wounds to the hard surface. My heart hammered so fast, I felt like I was on the verge of passing out, but that was the very last thing we needed. What good could I be if I was lying on the floor next to him, out of it and unable to achieve any sense of safety?

“Romeo. Please. Romeo, wake up.” I grabbed his arm and tried to roll him over. His right arm and side were soaked in blood, so I didn’t touch him there. But tugging on his left got him to budge a bit. He was big, so heavy even when unconscious, but I strained and pulled until I maneuvered him right side up.

His face was slack and his eyes remained closed. As I grabbed something out of the bags of clothes on the floor, I shook it out for makeshift compression. Nina and Eva likely dropped themoff for me to wear, but it was the closest thing at hand to push down on the bloody holes on Romeo’s upper arm.

“Romeo. Wake up.”

Fear gripped me tight as I tried to compress the bleeding. I’d been rooted in terror—again—with today’s episode of hell. When I spotted those two men out the window, about to smash it in, I grabbed the gun, just like Romeo had instructed me to in case trouble came near. I was so skittish that I got the gun out when he left. That was how nervous I was. And it was a good thing that I had.

Those two men showing up scared me, but I had the foresight to get the gun and back up to safety.

Seeing Romeo shoot one was the moment I swore my heart skipped a beat. It palpitated under the stress, but when he shot at the other one and made him scream, I lost the willpower to watch. Hiding behind the couch wasn’t a tall or thick enough wall to block out what was happening. But I stayed there, wishing the gruesome memories away until I heard Romeo call out for me.

“Please, Romeo. Wake up.”

In another rush of being tense and fueled with adrenaline alone, I stared at his face and chest, making sure that hewasbreathing. He was out cold but capable of respiration. That had to be a good thing, but I couldnothandle this on my own.

Danicia?She was the first person I thought to call, but I didn’t want to risk scooting away from Romeo long enough to grab my phone.

“Romeo. Please, please wake up.” I blinked at the burn of tears stinging my eyes. Sniffling, I refused to cave to all these emotions swirling within me. I couldn’t be sad or scared. I had to remain strong for him, logical and quick to action. Yet, as I tried to find my phone while pressing the shirt to his wounds, I struggled with the terrible worry that replayed like a pesky news ticker in my mind.

What if he dies? What if he doesn’t wake up? What if he dies!

The buzz of his phone made me flinch. It came from him, vibrating through him, and I removed one bloody hand to grab it out from his pocket.

The caller ID showed Franco’s name, and I answered immediately.

“Franco!”

“Wait. What? Tessa?”

“Help! Come back to the cabin.”

Squealing sounds came from his end. “Why? What happened? Tell me what happened.”

“Romeo was shot. A couple of men tried to break in and he was shot. He shot one. Both. But they were all shot and?—”

“Is anyone still there?” The roar of an engine filled his end, and I hoped that meant he was speeding back here. They hadn’t leftthat long ago, but I bet my sense of time was all out of whack, skewed by fear. “Are you safe?”

“They’re dead.”

“Who’s dead?” he demanded.

Romeo had yet to flinch. I winced as I leaned on his wounds and prayed he wouldn’t join those other two men. “The men. Romeo was shot, but he’s still breathing.”

“I’m on my way. Stay put.”

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