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But, no.
He was still standing in front of me.
Then, all of a sudden, he was turning, grabbing me, and crushing me against his chest.
“You’re okay. It’s okay,” he said, voice coming from far away. “Are you?” he asked when I couldn’t seem to say anything, just standing there stiffly, my body still trembling with unspent adrenaline. “Mills, are you?” he asked.
Then his hands were on me, moving over my face, neck, shoulders, back, stomach, legs. Looking for something, but I couldn’t quite figure out what.
“Is she hit?” Miko asked, rushing up.
“No. I don’t think so. I think she’s in shock or some shit.”
“Get her inside,” Miko suggested. “We will double-check everything,” he added.
Then Silvano was scooping me up and carrying me toward the cabin.
He placed me gently down on the bed, then moved around in the dark, finding the camping lanterns, and turning them on before coming back to me, looking me over again.
It wasn’t until I saw something that I started to click back into my own mind, my own body.
Red.
Running down his arm.
A strangled cry escaped me as my hand went toward it.
“It’s nothing,” he insisted, pushing my hand away. “It’s a graze. Stop,” he demanded as I tried to pull up his sleeve. “Millie, stop,” he barked, voice firm enough to finally snap me back, feeling a little disjointed, but fully aware again. Fully me.
“You’re shot.”
“I’m fine. I told you I’d be fine. I told you to stay in the hotel. I told you—“
“Now who’s bitching?” I interjected, catching him off-guard enough to let out a snorting laugh. “You’re welcome,” I added.
“I had my gun raised, Mills,” he said, voice soft, regretful. Even his eyes were uncharacteristically sad.
Like he was sorry that I’d used the gun, that I’d taken a life. Like he was worried I might regret it.
“I was faster,” I said. “I’m not sorry,” I said, voice a little weaker than I wanted. But I meant it. I really did. “I would have shot all of them to save you,” I added, feeling the tears finally prick my eyes. “I was just… the panic… it was too much. I’m not sorry,” I added, sniffling.
“Okay,” he said, reaching upward, wiping some of the tears off my cheek. “It’s alright. It’s all over now. For good,” he assured me.
I gave him a nod.
Then threw myself at him.
“You’re not allowed to be so stupid again,” I told him as his arms squeezed me tight enough to make it hard to breathe. But didn’t care. It meant he was here. With me. Alive.
“Can’t make that fucking promise,” he said, making my lips curve up. “Where the fuck did Miko and Nero come from?” he asked.
“Neo’s car,” I explained.
“Right.”
“Then Miko…”
“Yeah,” he cut me off. “I know how Miko operates,” he told me as his hands slid up and down my back.
