Chapter 20Ret

Chapter 20

Ret

It was chaos, and all I could see was Helana crashing to the ground. Her blood was everywhere, and as I ran for her, I knew we had seconds until she'd be too far gone. Panic welled up inside me, and I wanted to scream.

After all the shit we'd just gone through, she was not getting taken out by some redneck fucking trapper. From the corner of my eye I watched in satisfaction as Anubis tore out the man's throat. I knew if he hadn't bit his arm in the first place, that the shithead would have shot Hell in the head rather than her hip.

The guys were in a panic that mirrored my own, meanwhile, Travis, Scottie and Niko were blasting the trappers away with the help of several of our armed guards. Alex, Wyatt and Dante were rushing for Hell too, Alex screaming and Wyatt cursing.

I skidded to my knees beside Helana, my hands shaking as I pressed them against the gushing wound on her hip. The blood was hot and slick, pouring out between my fingers no matter how hard I pressed. Helana's face was ashen, her lips tinged with blue as she gasped for breath.

"Stay with me," I begged, my voice breaking. "Baby, breathe..."

The guys reached us, all of them talking at once in panicked voices. Alex dropped down on Helana's other side, his hands joining mine in trying to stem the bleeding. Dante was shouting for the doctor while Wyatt stood frozen, his face a mask of anguish.

"We need to get her inside," Alex said urgently. "Ret, help me lift her."

I nodded, blinking back the hot tears that threatened to spill down my cheeks. Together, Alex and I carefully lifted Helana's limp body, trying not to jostle her too much. Dante and Wyatt rushed ahead to open the doors as we carried her into the house.

The living room was chaos as we laid Helana down on the couch. Scottie swept the coffee table clear with one arm, sending magazines and empty glasses crashing to the floor. Travis appeared with a stack of clean towels, thrusting them into Alex's hands.

I reached for the respirator mask that covered Helana's face, fumbling with the straps with shaking fingers. Her breaths were shallow and rapid, her chest barely rising. I fought down the panic that threatened to consume me. She couldn't die. Not like this. Not now.

The doctor burst into the room, his bag in hand. He took one look at the scene and started barking orders.

We scrambled to obey as he knelt beside Helana, his hands moving with practiced efficiency. He checked her pulse, listened to her labored breathing, then cut away the blood-soaked fabric of her jeans to expose the wound.

I watched, my heart in my throat, as he cleaned and packed the wound, his face grim. Helana never stirred, her skin growing paler by the second. She was unconscious now, dead to the world save for the slow beating of her heart.

The guys and I backed away, falling into various chairs and couches around the room, never taking our eyes off of the beautiful woman covered in blood. My heart was in my throat, and tears spilled down my cheeks.

Dante was at my side in a second, his arms coming around my shoulders as sobs spilled out. I couldn't hold them in. I'd finally admitted to Helana just how much I loved her, and now I might lose her for good. It was all so fucked up, and it just wasn't fair.

I said as much to the guys, and I lifted my head in time to find that I wasn't the only one crying. Alex's face was in his hands as he choked on his tears, and Wyatt stared back at me, his cheeks bloody and tear-streaked.

Wyatt' whispered, "You love her like we do, don't you?"

I stared at him, blinking through my tears. "More than she knows."

He nodded, and Dante's arms tightened around me as his tears leaked onto my shoulder.

Jim worked tirelessly, his silver brows furrowed in concentration as he fought to save Helana's life. The room was silent except for the occasional sniffle or choked sob from one of the guys.

Hell's dad had rushed into the room an hour ago, telling us that the trappers had been eliminated and their bodies were being gathered to be tossed in a bonfire later tonight. I just hoped it was the last of those motherfuckers. He watched his daughter with watery eyes, and my heart broke all over again.

It felt like an eternity before the doctor finally sat back on his heels, wiping his bloodied hands on a towel. "I've done all I can," he said, his voice weary. "The bullet missed her major arteries, but she's lost a lot of blood. It's up to her now."

I nodded, swallowing hard around the lump in my throat. "Thank you," I managed to choke out. The guys echoed my words, muttering small prayers under their breath .

Jim gave a curt nod before gathering his things and leaving the room, Dante standing to lead him out of the house and help him back to his own trailer. The old man was probably exhausted.

As soon as he was gone, and Dante came back inside, we all crowded around Helana's still form, our hands reaching out to touch her, to reassure ourselves that she was still with us.

"She's not going anywhere," Alex said, his deep voice hard with unwavering trust in Hell. There wasn't a shred of doubt in his eyes.

I wanted to believe him, but the fear in my gut wouldn't let me. I'd seen too much death, too much loss. I couldn't bear the thought of losing her too.

Wyatt grasped my hand firmly and said, "She's tougher than any of us ever thought. If she could survive falling from a bridge, a gun to the head, being trapped in a closet trapped by zombies, battling her way out of the trapper pits, and escaping a burning building, then a gunshot isn't going to stop her."

I had no choice but to laugh, shaking my head in utter bewilderment. "She might actually be invincible, huh."

The others laughed, and so did her daddy, his eyes crinkling at the corners as he stared down at her sleeping form. "That's my Hellcat for ya. Don't y'all ever forget it."

I wouldn't.

I couldn't.

Not ever.