Page 137 of Watched

The night breeze slaps my dripping face, and warm blood pours under my vest as Blade throws me over his shoulder into the trunk of an SUV.

“B-baby?” I cough, looking up into wet, green eyes hovering above me.

“Rain,” Rome chokes.

The god that is Rome Aston finally admits he loves me, and now I get shot. Great.

“Breathe, baby.” Rome’s tears drip to cool my heated face, the faint sound of a trunk door closing echoing, and I sway a little from the car taking off.

Pain sears my back, and I seethe, burying my face in the carpeted floor when someone—I’m assuming Blade or Kieran—rolls me to my stomach and shoves something against the wound.

“I need an ambulance from Princess Margret Hospital toward Woodside. Now!” I vaguely hear Dad ordering directions.

Rome shakes his head as he lays beside me, and I latch onto the feeling of his hand squeezing mine, the other holding my face. I unstick my heavy tongue from the roof of my mouth, trying to swallow back the copper liquid filling the back of my throat.

Rome’s soft lips coat mine with tears. “You aren’t leaving me,” he whispers against them. I use all my strength to squeeze his hand, a tear rolling onto my nose.

He’s warm, so warm, and that kiss seemed to subside the pain. My head’s spinning, and I feel like I’m fighting with my eyelids, trying to keep them open.

“Hurry up,” I faintly hear Rome bark in a choked voice. “He’s going pale.”

I’m thankful when the burn in my lungs disappears, and I reach for his face. His tears continue fall when I lose the battle with my eyes.

I can’t die, Smith may be dead, but Rome’s just made a deal with my father, and I need to stop it.

“Rain!” I faintly hear Rome’s addicting voice. “Please, no. Baby…can you hear me? Please…please! Rain!”

Chapter fifty-six

ROME

Istare through the glass panel, watching strip after strip of bloodied gauze be thrown away. A nurse moves toward the door, blocking my view. Ripping off her mask, she steps in front of us, Rain’s blood splattered all over her floral scrubs.

“He’s lost a lot of blood,” she informs quietly.

“And?” I whisper, my bloodied hands trembling at my sides.

She looks left to Blade and Aaron, then right to Xan with a nervous swallow. “It um, the bullet, it...”

“Spit it out!” I demand.

“It ripped right through his kidney; it’s a type designed to splinter on impact.” The weight of her words slam into my chest. “They’re removing his kidney.”

I lock my gaze on Rain, getting a glimpse of his beautiful face now and then. Police came earlier, but I refused to move, leaving Aaron to deal with them.

Aaron clears his throat. “Is he going to make it through this?”

“We’re not certain,” she whispers.

A painful chill sinks into my bones.

“I need a fucking cigarette,” Blade spits.

Aaron scoffs. “You’re leaving?”

“I’m about to go in there and hold a gun to that doctor’s head.”

The shattered pieces of my heart pierce my chest when chaos takes shape behind the doors and Rain’s flipped on his back.