Page 114 of All I Feel

“Help him,” I begged as my wrists strained against the bonds. “Ace, please help him.”

Something flashed in his eyes, but no sooner did I see it, it was gone. He reached out, grabbed a blanket off the couch, and applied it to the gunshot wound in Ryan’s back. If Ryan hadn’t done what he did, the bullet would’ve pierced my chest.

“It was all her, Ace,” I shared. “She’s his ex, and she was the one who hired that man to run me off the road and kidnap me today. She’s responsible for the gas situation here at my place. It was her. She wanted me dead, so he’d stop wanting to be with me.”

“Tessa,” Ryan groaned, his breathing labored. “I’m sorry for everything.”

Though I’d never be able to look at him like I once did, I certainly didn’t want the man to die. I dropped to my knees and shimmied the best I could to where he was. My eyes met Ace’s, and I turned slightly to show him my bound hands. “Do you have your pocketknife on you?”

He hesitated for a beat, reached into his pocket for his knife while using one hand to continue to apply pressure to Ryan’s wound, and cut off the zip tie. I shook out my hands, rolling my wrists, and ultimately reached for Ryan’s hand. “The ambulance is on the way.”

“I’m so sorry, Tessa,” he whispered. “I fucked up.”

I nodded, tears filling my eyes again. Was this man going to die because he’d taken a bullet meant for me? “It’s okay.”

“You were the best thing that ever happened to me, babe.” He took several more labored breaths. “I should’ve taken better care of you.”

“Shhh. It’s… Don’t worry about that now. Just… Just keep breathing and stay awake.”

“I love you, Tessa. I always will.”

I attempted to swallow past the boulder in my throat, the only relief I felt when I heard the sirens in the distance. “They’re almost here, Ryan. Just hang on a bit longer.”

His eyes drifted shut. “It’s not so bad.”

“What isn’t?”

“Your face being the last I see before…” he trailed off.

I squeezed his hand and gave him a slight shake. “Ryan? Ryan, wake up.”

“This is all your fault, Tessa,” Georgia snapped from the opposite side of the room. “If he dies, it’ll be on you.”

“You shot him, you crazy bitch! You shot him because you wanted to kill me. If he dies, you’re going to go to jail for murder.”

I had a matter of seconds to take in the horrified look on her face before the police swarmed the place. Fortunately, given the close working relationship the police department had with Cunningham Security, Kash was able to identify himself and give them a quick rundown of the situation.

Once the police confirmed the home was secured, the paramedics came in to work on Ryan. Ace moved out of the way before reaching for me and urging me to do the same.

I tipped my chin up, took one look at him, and burst into tears.

TWENTY-NINE

ACE

My whole life,I’d never once seen Tessa looking like such a shell of herself.

We were back at my place, and her body looked so small as she sat, chin to her knees, arms wrapped around her shins, in the corner of the sectional.

A spot we’d curled up in a handful of times since I’d moved her in with me a couple of weeks ago.

And as I looked at her, a lifetime of memories flitted through my mind. Family trips to the diner before a day of snowboarding. Working on a car and watching her haul a boatload of bags filled with her purchases from the mall. Days at the beach with her. Nights out with friends at Lou’s. Birthday celebrations. Holidays together.

So many places we’d been and memories we shared. No matter how wonderful they’d all been, it was the memories of her that were most important.

Her beautiful smile pointed in my direction when sheopened the door to me. The feel of her lips. The taste of her kisses. The softness of her skin. The smell of her hair. The touch of her fingertips. The sound of her moans. The warmth of her embrace.

As all those memories assaulted my mind, I felt an overwhelming sense of dread. I’d never felt so conflicted, uneasy, and terrified all at once.