Page 74 of The Hunted

He’s dead! Knox is dead!

Oh, my God. They’ve killed him!

Tears slick my face. My heart fractures and splinters, and a hollowness consumes me.

I…I shot a man…

“Raven, let go of the gun, sweetheart. Let me have it.” I vaguely hear Lazz speaking quietly to me, and then a few seconds later, I feel him prying the gun from my hands. My arms drop, and I fall to my knees as a wail escapes me.

Nothing.

All of this death has been for nothing. I found the man I love, and now, he’s gone. I crawl the few feet over to where Knox lies in a pool of blood. Ace is frantically working on him, applying pressure to his wound.

I cry as I kneel at Knox’s side.

“Please God, please! Don’t leave me!”

I sob uncontrollably as my world tilts on its axis.

“Lazz, a little help here. He’s got a pulse, but it’s weak. He’s lost a lot of blood.”

“He’s not dead? They didn’t kill him?”

He’s not dead!

I scramble to my knees and begin searching Knox for his heartbeat. The faint thrum of his pulse beneath my fingers lights my heart on fire.

“No, and he won’t be on my watch. We have to move, though. Hold pressure on this wound while we carry him to the infirmary.”

Ace’s words bring me some measure of relief but it’s fleeting. Knox is in a fight for his life.

“One of the brother’s is a medic. I’ll call him and have him meet us. He’ll need access to the building, Ace.”

“I’ll release the locks from Knox’s place. I can get into his security room and do it from there.”

Lazz digs into his pocket and retrieves his phone before he steps out into the hall to make the call.

“He’s a fighter, you know. He has you to fight for now so, he isn’t about to go anywhere,” Ace says as he looks down at his friend, concern passing over his face.

“He has you to fight for, too. You’re his best friend, his brother.”

Ace smiles at my words. I think he deserves to know how important he is to Knox, too. Knox loves him. He is his family.

Lazz returns and they pick Knox up, carrying him out the door. I move with them, keeping steady pressure on his chest. His blood seeps between my fingers, and I use both hands as I try to hold his life inside him.

How the hell did this happen? How could it have all gone so wrong?

“Snake is riding in. He should be here in just a few minutes. I told him where to find us. We need supplies. He’ll have a few, but I’m not sure what all he needs.”

“I can get him whatever he wants. The infirmary is fully stocked. Let’s just get him upstairs.”

Panic chokes my breath and tears blind my vision as we wind our way out of the elevator and down the hall, working as a unit. I can barely keep my shaking hands on the wound.

God, let him be okay. I need him to be okay.

We get to the infirmary and Ace pops his finger up to the lock. The door clicks open. We push our way inside as the lights come on. We move together as one to place Knox on the bed. A slight groan escapes his lips as we settle him.

“Knox, you’re okay. We’ve got you. Help is on the way.”

---