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The second Ariel heard that information, she lowered her hand and stopped attacking me. Her mentality changed, turning from anger to pragmatism. “Where is he?”
“Follow me.” I ran inside and led her to where he lay on the rug in the grand hallway. “Help me pull him.”
Ariel gripped one edge and began to pull. “Crewe, I’m here.”
Crewe stared at the ceiling.
Ariel pulled the rug with me, but we weren’t making as much progress as I had when it was just me. She gave up and kneeled beside him. “Crewe, I need you to walk. Now.”
“No.” Crewe didn’t look at her either. “You were right about her. I’m sorry.”
Ariel grabbed his hand. “I know how you feel right now. But we need to get you to the hospital. You’re gonna bleed out and die.”
I stood back because I knew I wouldn’t be any help. I would just make it worse.
“Then let me die,” he said simply.
Ariel stared at him hard then leaned down and whispered in his ear. I had no idea what she said. Perhaps she spoke of something only the two of them knew about.
I hoped it was enough to get him up.
Crewe lay there for a few more seconds before he finally sat up, his movements wobbly because he had already lost so much blood.
I cried harder when I saw him get up. “Thank god…”
Ariel hooked her arm around him and helped him to the door. “Get a car.”
I sprinted outside and found a Jeep parked along the grass. The engine was still running, but it had been abandoned by Crewe’s men. I got the back door open and watched Ariel get him inside. She took the seat beside him and placed her hand over his chest, keeping the pressure on. “Drive, bitch.”
I hauled ass away from the castle and drove straight into the city. I knew we weren’t far from the rest of civilization, but I had no idea where the hospital was.
Ariel directed me. “Make a left here.”
I turned and sped through traffic, cutting off anyone who got in my way. I accidentally scraped against a parked car on the side of the road, but that didn’t stop me.
“Right,” Ariel commanded.
I nearly hit a person in the crosswalk, but luckily they dodged out of the way. I finally pulled into the entrance of the hospital, the roundabout where the emergency department was. “We’re here.”
“I can see that,” Ariel hissed. She threw the door open and helped Crewe out.
But he stumbled until his knees hit the ground.
“Crewe!” I rushed to him, leaning over him, seeing his eyes close. “Stay awake. Come on, stay awake.” I slapped his cheeks to make his eyes open again.
Ariel sprinted inside and got the attention of the staff. They ran out with a stretcher and a team of doctors and nurses, getting him on the gurney and rushing into the department.
I jogged after the gurney, seeing them push him through the double doors and out of my sight.
Ariel stopped when security told her to turn back.
She stood in front of the double doors with her hands on her hips, her arms covered with blood. She slowly turned around and looked at me, her eyes acting as two guns. If she could shoot me and get away with it, she would.
And I knew I deserved it.
Ariel and I stayed away from each other.
One by one, Crewe’s men arrived at the hospital. Dunbar was one of them, and fortunately, he hadn’t been injured. But from his report to Ariel, they’d lost a few men in the attack.
I felt worse.
Dunbar stared at me coldly from Ariel’s side, his glare just as terrifying as hers.
The longer I stayed, the more I put myself in danger. Crewe’s team wouldn’t hesitate to kill me after what I did. I betrayed him and everyone else. They didn’t understand that I never wanted Joseph to storm the castle like that. They didn’t understand that I specifically told Joseph not to hurt anyone, especially Crewe.
Hours passed, and we didn’t hear anything. The nurse said he’d been rushed to emergency surgery, complications from the bullet lodged in his chest. He probably had internal bleeding along with a few broken ribs.
I hoped he would be okay.
I hoped he would make it through.
I cried on and off as I waited in the emergency room, my arms tight across my chest. If he didn’t make it, I wouldn’t know what to do with myself. I did what was necessary to be free again, but now that he wasn’t with me, I didn’t feel free at all.
I was trapped all over again.
Hours turned into days. I didn’t sleep because I couldn’t leave, not when I didn’t know if he was going to be okay. More of Crewe’s men arrived at the hospital, but that didn’t scare me off. They lost some of their comrades because of me, so of course, they wanted me dead. Even when the threat grew bigger and bigger, I still didn’t leave. I didn’t sleep either.
