Page 33 of Carved in Ice (Made of Steel 3)

“Eli, we need to go.” I intertwined my fingers with his and tried to pull him.

A horrible gasping noise escaped his throat.

“Eli?” I turned back to him. Something was wrong. His face was pale. “Eli?” I said again, but it was like he didn’t hear me.

He coughed and blood sputtered out of his mouth.

“Eli!”

I held my breath as he fell to his knees, pulling me down to the ground with him. For one second.

His free hand was pressed against his stomach. For two seconds.

Blood was seeping into his winter jacket. For three seconds.

So much fucking blood. For four seconds.

No. The sound of the sirens were drawing closer. For five seconds. It took me five seconds to realize that my life was still a nightmare.

I pulled my hand out of his and touched the side of my watch. “Eli’s been shot! Someone help!” I put my hand on top of his, hoping to stop the bleeding. “You’re going to be okay, Eli. We’re going to get you out of here.”

“He needs medical attention,” Liza said through my earpiece. “You need to leave him.”

Leave him? I can’t. I looked down at his face. His eyes were focused so intently on mine.

“Go,” he whispered. More blood dripped out of the corner of his mouth.

It was so soft, I thought I imagined him saying it.

“Summer, you have to go.”

“I’m not leaving you,” I said and touched the side of his face, smearing blood onto his cheek. God.

The sirens were getting closer. He’d be arrested. What did it matter if I was arrested too? I wasn’t going to leave him like this. I’d never leave him.

He gasped for air.

“You’re going to be okay,” I said as calmly as I could muster. But it didn’t seem like he was going to be okay. He was growing paler by the second. The life was draining out of him.

“I will always love you, Summer.” His voice was raspy. He took a huge gulp of air. “Always.” He gasped.

“Eli, I’m not going anywhere. We’re in this together remember?” Stay with me.

He didn’t look like he was focusing on me anymore.

“Eli?” I touched the side of his face again and his head fell to the side. “Eli?” He blurred in front of me as the tears streamed down my cheeks. “Eli! You can’t leave me.” My body started to shake as I let my fears take over. “Please, Eli, you can’t. I love you.”

V grabbed me around the waist, lifting me away from Eli. My fingers slid off Eli’s cheek, leaving lines of blood against this neck.

“No!” I shouted and struggled in V’s grip. “Eli!”

But Eli didn’t move. His body was so still.

“Let go of me!” I thrashed in V’s arms. Months of training proving useless against his strength.

“We have to go,” he whispered in my ear.

“Not without him! We can’t leave without Eli.” I kicked and screamed.

---