father, but there is no other way.”
The knife traveled back to her throat. His hand covered her mouth. Lucy squeezed her eyes shut. I love you, Nathan . The first slice of the knife. The pain was sharp. Make it quick .
A shot rung out.
***
Lucy’s eyes fluttered open. There was pressure against her throat.
“This is Nathan Stark. I’m at 555 Deacon Street. Send an ambulance. Goddamn it! My girlfriend’s throat’s been cut open! Send a fucking ambulance now!”
“Nathan,” Lucy whispered.
“Lucy, are you with me?” Nathan’s voice was hoarse.
“Not dead?”
“No, babe... you’re fine. You’ll be fine.”
“Hurts.”
Nathan made a guttural sound between a growl and sob. “I’m sorry. I was too late Lucy, god. Fuck.”
“Nathan.”
“Stay with me. Please.”
“OK.”
“Babe, stay with me. God Lucy... I love you.”
Nathan’s voice faded into blessed oblivion.
***
There was too much blood. Nathan washed his hands, rubbing them together under running water until they felt raw. His hands that had tried to stem the flow of blood that spurted out of Lucy’s slender throat. He had been too late. The fucker Sayeed had pressed the knife against her throat. Nathan didn’t know how deep it went, just that there was so much fucking blood.
The paramedics had arrived quickly—Tim had made a judgment call and notified them immediately after calling the MPDC. They pulled him away, giving him assurances that they would do everything to help her. He nearly lost it when she lost consciousness and her mouth filled up with blood. He had not wanted to remove his hand, he feared that if he did, she would simply die. The knife had nicked an artery and it was only through his AGS training that he had the presence of mind to reach into her throat and pinch off the bleeding. As he watched the paramedics work over her, he could feel the blood roaring in his ears, everything had slowed to him hearing every fucking breath he took.
He splashed water on his face. Nathan stared at his reflection in the mirror. Her blood on his shirt had dried up. He couldn’t lose her. He loved her so damned much. Why did this happen to her? He would gladly take every shred of her pain and endure it for her. She looked so frail when they loaded her into the ambulance. It was as if her life force had been sucked out of her.
Leo crashed through the restroom door. “Anything?” The nurse must have told him where he was. He had remembered to call Leo and Eva before he left for the hospital.
Nathan shook his head. Leo stared at his bloody shirt, turning white as sheet. “Is that... her... blood?”
“Come on, man,” Nathan urged as he guided the dazed Leo out of the men’s room. Eva was sitting on the floor crying.
“She’s going to make it,” Nathan stated resolutely. And he knew he said this more for his sake than for Leo and Eva. “There was a lot of blood, but the paramedics were able to stabilize her and stop the bleeding.”
“Why? Who would want to hurt my sister?” Leo said angrily.
“Akheel Faheed found out your father made a deal with the FBI to give him up,” Nathan said. “Before the FBI was able to shut him down, he managed to call a hit on your sister for retribution.”
“Son of a bitch!” Leo muttered angrily. “How much more will we pay for our father’s stupidity?”
“Hopefully, this is it.” Nathan said quietly.
A man in blue scrubs walked through the double doors into the waiting room. His gaze zeroed in on Nathan and his bloody shirt. “Lucy Cortez?”
CHAPTER ELEVEN
4 weeks later
“I think it would look better over here,” Lucy said, eyeing the wingback loveseat that Leo and Nathan were carrying.
“Whatever you say, babe,” Nathan replied good-naturedly.
“Quit being so difficult, Luce,” Leo grumbled.
She was officially moving in with Nathan. She had been staying at his place for the past four weeks anyway; it only made sense to terminate her
The knife traveled back to her throat. His hand covered her mouth. Lucy squeezed her eyes shut. I love you, Nathan . The first slice of the knife. The pain was sharp. Make it quick .
A shot rung out.
***
Lucy’s eyes fluttered open. There was pressure against her throat.
“This is Nathan Stark. I’m at 555 Deacon Street. Send an ambulance. Goddamn it! My girlfriend’s throat’s been cut open! Send a fucking ambulance now!”
“Nathan,” Lucy whispered.
“Lucy, are you with me?” Nathan’s voice was hoarse.
“Not dead?”
“No, babe... you’re fine. You’ll be fine.”
“Hurts.”
Nathan made a guttural sound between a growl and sob. “I’m sorry. I was too late Lucy, god. Fuck.”
“Nathan.”
“Stay with me. Please.”
“OK.”
“Babe, stay with me. God Lucy... I love you.”
Nathan’s voice faded into blessed oblivion.
***
There was too much blood. Nathan washed his hands, rubbing them together under running water until they felt raw. His hands that had tried to stem the flow of blood that spurted out of Lucy’s slender throat. He had been too late. The fucker Sayeed had pressed the knife against her throat. Nathan didn’t know how deep it went, just that there was so much fucking blood.
The paramedics had arrived quickly—Tim had made a judgment call and notified them immediately after calling the MPDC. They pulled him away, giving him assurances that they would do everything to help her. He nearly lost it when she lost consciousness and her mouth filled up with blood. He had not wanted to remove his hand, he feared that if he did, she would simply die. The knife had nicked an artery and it was only through his AGS training that he had the presence of mind to reach into her throat and pinch off the bleeding. As he watched the paramedics work over her, he could feel the blood roaring in his ears, everything had slowed to him hearing every fucking breath he took.
He splashed water on his face. Nathan stared at his reflection in the mirror. Her blood on his shirt had dried up. He couldn’t lose her. He loved her so damned much. Why did this happen to her? He would gladly take every shred of her pain and endure it for her. She looked so frail when they loaded her into the ambulance. It was as if her life force had been sucked out of her.
Leo crashed through the restroom door. “Anything?” The nurse must have told him where he was. He had remembered to call Leo and Eva before he left for the hospital.
Nathan shook his head. Leo stared at his bloody shirt, turning white as sheet. “Is that... her... blood?”
“Come on, man,” Nathan urged as he guided the dazed Leo out of the men’s room. Eva was sitting on the floor crying.
“She’s going to make it,” Nathan stated resolutely. And he knew he said this more for his sake than for Leo and Eva. “There was a lot of blood, but the paramedics were able to stabilize her and stop the bleeding.”
“Why? Who would want to hurt my sister?” Leo said angrily.
“Akheel Faheed found out your father made a deal with the FBI to give him up,” Nathan said. “Before the FBI was able to shut him down, he managed to call a hit on your sister for retribution.”
“Son of a bitch!” Leo muttered angrily. “How much more will we pay for our father’s stupidity?”
“Hopefully, this is it.” Nathan said quietly.
A man in blue scrubs walked through the double doors into the waiting room. His gaze zeroed in on Nathan and his bloody shirt. “Lucy Cortez?”
CHAPTER ELEVEN
4 weeks later
“I think it would look better over here,” Lucy said, eyeing the wingback loveseat that Leo and Nathan were carrying.
“Whatever you say, babe,” Nathan replied good-naturedly.
“Quit being so difficult, Luce,” Leo grumbled.
She was officially moving in with Nathan. She had been staying at his place for the past four weeks anyway; it only made sense to terminate her
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