He hustles me down the last few feet and as he starts pulling me toward his truck, I start to struggle. He presses the gun into my stomach just as I stumble, going down to my knees. He yanks me back up.
“You’re a feisty one,” he says pulling my front tight against his. “I might have to have a little fun with you,” he leers and kisses down my neck, biting as he goes.
Jerking with the sharp pain and without thinking, I knee him in the balls, which releases his grip on me. I fall with a hard thud to the road, which causes pain to shoot up from my bottom making my teeth rattle.
“You fucking bitch,” he hisses between his teeth with one hand on his balls and the other waving the gun at me.
I’d been afraid before, but nothing could have prepared me for the fear that runs through me now.
He looks mad. He looks like a guy who will pull the trigger. My heart bursts in my chest, racing with the fear overcoming me as I stare up at him, half blinded by the sun.
“You know what, bitch. I don’t give a fuck if Joe gets convicted, which means I don’t give a fuck if you die.”
He steadies his arm holding the gun and points it directly at my heart.
“Got anything to say? Any last words for dear daddy?”
Until he flipped, I really hadn’t believed that he’d kill me. If he planned on using me for leverage because of an upcoming case my father is involved with, then I’ll be no good dead. But as my heart pounds in my chest with fear, I realize he means to end my life on the back lot of the hospital.
“Hey!” Chris shouts running toward us, but ducks when the guy who has me turns the gun on him and fires a couple of shots. The silencer covers any noise that would have drawn attention.
I see the distraction as a way to try and get away from him. Perhaps I can make it to the cars parked about eight feet behind me.
Before I can get two feet he turns and fires at me the same time as a bullet rips through his face.
A white-hot pain grips me as I scream. Blood runs down my arm. I grab at it with my hand as I sob in pain and relief.
“Gia. Gia, fuck! I’m sorry. I should have gotten over my hang up with being on the ward and gone into the room with you.” Chris drops to the floor beside me, and looks at my arm. “It’s just a graze, the bullet didn’t enter. You’re going to have to have stitches though as it’s taken a chunk out of your arm.”
I nod.
“Here,” Chris says passing me a clean handkerchief.
“I didn’t realize anyone used them anymore,” I say and then I start chuckling when I realize how ridiculous it is to say that when I’m sitting here in serious pain with blood dripping everywhere. My chuckle turns into a hysterical laugh, which turns into great wracking sobs. Then the boys in blue show up.
“Your father and Hunter are on their way. I called them when I’d realized you’d gone.”
I nod my head and try to look behind Chris to where the guy is lying. Dead. I don’t even need to ask if he’s alive because I already know the answer.
“Don’t look, Gia. He’s not going to harm anyone again.”
Chris picks me up into his arms as my sobs begin to stop and carries me back into the hospital. I watch as some of my colleagues turn to look at me when we pass, but no one stops to help.
“She’s been shot.”
“Oh, my God. Gia, is that you? Shit! Bring her in here.”
Left on the examination table, Chris is backing out of the room.
I don’t want to beg him not to leave me so I stay quiet.
“I have to go back outside to talk to the cops, okay? You’ll be alright now.”
Will I really be okay now?
“Chris?”
“Yeah?”