“I’ll figure it out.”
“Are you saying I’m equal to the price of this car? Is that what you are saying?”
Killian doesn’t answer because my door is flung open and Jackie and Misty are dragging me out. Hunter is trying to stop them but some guy steps in and grabs him. Killian is out of the car and trying to get to me, but people are fighting, and my ears are ringing as my back scrapes over the ground. Jackie nearly trips, and I wrestle out of my shirt to get away from her. I start to run when Liam grabs me around the waist.
“It’s okay, Liri. I won’t do anything just get in the car.”
“No.”
“Listen, just get in the fucking car and once people clear out, I’ll text Killian and drive you home.”
“Get your hands off her!” Killian’s voice cuts through the chaos.
“We only need to give them a little show.” Liam sneers at him and cups my boob over my bra then forces his mouth down on mine in front of everyone. Tears roll down my cheeks as I push against his chest.
Hunter breaks through the crowd and charges into Liam’s shoulder and takes him down. I hear a horrible crunching and popping sound then Hunter howls in pain. His bad shoulder. Liam looks at me then shrugs. I drop down to the ground where Hunter is clutching his shoulder with tears in his eyes. Liam peels out of the clearing and nearly hits Jackie on his way out.
“I’m going to fucking kill him,” Killian seethes from behind me.
“Enough!” I scream at him. “We need to get Hunter to the hospital, and I am sure your nose is broken.”
“He had his hands on you. He kissed you!” Killian tugs at his hair. “I love you, Liri but he isn’t getting away with that shit.” He gives me a sad smile and climbs back in Ben’s car. I watch him race after Liam and there is nothing, I can do to stop him at this point.
Hayley comes up behind me and hands me my jacket and shirt. “I’m sorry, Liri. I never thought they would take it this far.”
I jerk my clothes from her and turn back to Hunter. “Come on, I’ll drive you to the hospital.”
Hayley and I help him to his feet, and she offers to drive because I’m upset.
Hunter is laid out in the backseat clutching his shoulder. I get in the passenger side feeling violated and numb. Hayley starts the car and it takes us a while to leave because we are stuck behind everyone else.
When we get off Butler Road and turn to go to the hospital, we get stopped in traffic again.
There are blue lights flashing and sirens wailing. A nervous flutter shoots through me. Hayley is tapping on the steering wheel and we aren’t moving.
“I’m going to see if I can find out what happened and if there is any way we can get through.”
“Okay.” Hayley gives me a weak smile.
I press ahead to the end of the street and my head starts to spin. Ben’s car is smashed into the side of another. The front end is demolished and there is a body in the road. My throat goes tight and my feet drag me forward. I can’t breathe. I can’t talk. This can’t be happening. It feels like a bad dream and any minute now I am going to wake up and be back in the apartment with Killian lying next to me. He’s going to stroke his finger along my cheek and give me his charming smirk that gives me butterflies. I go around the police car and stare at the wreckage. Glass is glittered on the asphalt. Bile rises up my throat, and I swallow it back down and look around for Killian. There’s a woman with a gash on her head crying to a police officer.
Another officer grabs my arm. “Miss, you can’t go over there.”
My eyes land on Killian’s leather jacket and a scream pierces through my soul and it doesn’t stop until I realize the guttural sound is coming from me and that the body in the road is that of the man I love.
“No. Nohoo. Please, God. Killian, get up.” I wrestle away from the officer and throw myself down on his chest blinded by my tears. “Get up, baby. Please Get up.” I bang my fist on his chest. “Breathe damn you. Just breathe for me, Killian. Please,” I whisper. “I need you.” I touch my fingers to his top lip and bring my mouth to his, blood smears across my cheek and on my hands.
Arms hook under my shoulders and pull me back as EMTS arrive on the scene.
I kick and scream but they keep dragging me further away. I stretch my hand out trying to grab for his jacket hoping his hand will reach back and take mine, but it doesn’t. He is eerily still.
Hayley has her arms around me. “I’m so sorry, Liri. I’m so sorry,” she cries and pets my hair as they wheel him away on a stretcher.
Fat tears roll down my cheeks. “He has to be okay, Hayley. I can’t lose him. I can’t.”
“Can she go with him?” I hear her ask someone. “They live together.”
Some man takes pity on me and says, “She can ride in the front.”