"I know we broke up, but.., " he whispers in my ear, trailing his finger lightly along my arm. He places a soft kiss on my collarbone, making a shiver course through me.
He tilts his head so he's staring straight into my eyes. His pupils dilate as...
Oops! This image does not follow our content guidelines. To continue publishing, please remove it or upload a different image.
Gray's POV
Aaron rushes into the room, pushes me aside, and immediately begins to apply pressure to Ashley's bleeding wound. My mind is still a bit hazy from the shock when another message pops up on the phone screen.
36a, Brimley street. Come alone or Dove's next.
Seeing Dove name on my screen clears the fog in my mind. Snatching the phone from the bed, I push it into my back pocket before anyone else could see it. Ashley stirs on the bed, coughing up blood while Aaron tries to hold her, all the while applying pressure to her wound.
Although Ashley and I had never been really close, she was still a constant figure in my life. We were stuck in a constant frenemies stage, but she was always ready to help whenever I needed her.
She grabs my hand, her grip weak but firm, blood sputtering from her lips- down to her jaw- as she struggled to speak. "F-f-fa-faw-f-awn."
I squeeze her hand tightly, shushing her as I patted her hair down. "I know. I know. Don't talk."
Ashley grunts in pain, taking shallow, rapid breaths through her mouth and shutting her eyes tightly. A tear falls from her eyes. "D-do-"
"Don't talk, Ashley," I plead, carrying her from the bed and heading out the room.
"Did you call an ambulance?" Aaron asks one of Kayden's team members, and the guy replies with a nod.
I carry Ashley out to the living room and place her on the floor. She was losing blood quickly, her eyes drooping as her grip on my hand loosened. Removing my shirt, I roll it into a ball and use it to obstruct blood flowing out of her wound.
Aaron claps his hands loudly above my head, snapping his fingers in Ashley's face. "Hey. Hey. Stay awake."
She responds with a low groan, a stray blood-stained tear falling from her eye. I squeeze her hand and shake her body vigorously, pulling her in and hugging her body- which was slowly becoming pale and cold. "I'm sorry. I'm so sorry."
The whirring sound of the ambulance approaches, and Ashley is snatched away from me by one of Kayden's men and rushed outside. Still crouched, I fall to the ground and bury my hands in my hair, tugging on my strands.
"What do we do now, Mr. Stone?" the SWAT team leader asks me.
I shake my head with a sigh. With Luca's message replaying in my head, I knew had to do this alone. The number of people I've put in danger was eating away at me, rendering me helpless with regret. I should have ended Luca when I had the chance. Trying to be just and nice had given me nothing but heartache, drenching the people I loved in despair.
"Nothing. We wait till tomorrow," I reply, dragging myself from the ground and heading out the door.
Aaron places a hand on my shoulders and spins me. "Are you crazy? He still has Dove. What do you mean wait till tomorrow?"
