Page 81 of When We Fall: Part Two
“E! E!” I shouted, shaking him to try to pull him out of his panic. “Fucking listen! We need to find Rosalie. Have you seen Rosalie?”
“I-I can’t find her. She was over there, and now she’s gone. Fuck. FUCK!”
I shook him again. “You need to get it together. You can do this. Focus, brother. Please. I need you, man. Come on?—”
A burning ache went through my arm, sending me to my ass.
E surged forward, trying to drag me away, his body shaking violently, his eyes wild. Tears flooded his cheeks. He got us behind a table.
I winced and reached for him, cradling his face.
“It’s just my arm. I’m fine. I’ve been shot before. Nothing big. Focus, E. Come on. You can do this. I believe in you. We need to find Rosalie and the guys. Focus, brother. Please.”
E nodded. “O-OK. Find Rosalie. The guys. OK.”
“I love you.”
“I love you,” he answered, breathing in a shaky breath.
“Straight to an exit. Watch your surroundings. Don’t stop until you get out. If you find Rosalie or the guys, leave with them. Got it?”
He nodded, his eyes still wild and tears still flooding his cheeks.
Fuck, I didn’t want to leave him, but Rosalie…
I got to my feet, gun in hand, and forced myself through the crowd, screaming Rosalie’s name.
And that’s when I watched my father aim at one of the ski-masked men. That man wasn’t the issue. It was the one who approached from behind. I shouted for my father, my gun raised. I pulled the trigger to stop the man from murdering my dad.
It was too late. The shot from the other ski-masked man rang out, red blooming over my father’s chest.
I shot that man too, raced forward, and caught my father as he fell and tugged him behind an overturned table.
“Dad,” I choked. “Fuck. Dad!”
He let out a wheeze, his eyelids fluttering.
“Get… Mom…”
“Dad.” I wiped at my eyes, my hand over his chest.
“Lorenzo…”
“Dad,” I rasped. “Please…”
“Let Rosalie go… You… have to. Vander Veer. Marry…T-Take over. Kill t-them.”
“Don’t go. Don’t leave me. I can’t do this?—”
“I l-love you,” he choked out, clinging to me. “P-Proud of you, my… boy. My s-son. S-So proud. S-Save M-Mom.”
“I love you.” My tears dripped onto him as he stilled, his eyes fixed on a point far away.
FUCK!
“Dad. DAD!” I screamed on repeat, rocking his body against mine, his blood soaking my white shirt. This wasn’t happening. This wasn’t fucking happening!
I had to go. I knew there was nothing else I could do.
