Nightfall (Devil's Night 4)

Fire exploded across my face, my vision blurring, and before I knew it, he kicked again and then again, straddling me and punching, again and again.

Blood filled my mouth, and I couldn’t open my eyes, but I grabbed his sweater and yanked him to the side, both of us rolling over onto the ground, the fight a mess of fists and fingers digging into each other’s necks.

But then something pierced the air, ringing in my ears, and I jumped, Aydin stopping, too.

Was that a…? A gunshot?

Aydin stared up at me, his angry eyes turning shattered. He twisted his head, looking over, and I followed his line of sight, seeing Alex standing there.

Everything stopped.

The fighting halted, and the screams and growls fell silent as her black pullover darkened with something wet on her chest, and I spotted the hole in the fabric.

Everything broke inside me.

Oh, my God.

I jerked my eyes over to Martin, seeing the gun in his hand as he laid on the ground with it aimed at Alex, and Emmy lying on his back and reaching for it, but she couldn’t stop him in time.

I shot off Aydin, dashed to Martin, and kicked the pistol out of his hand, and then brought down my boot, stomping his face.

I pulled Emmy up, starting off to Alex, but just then I saw Aydin racing over to her and catching her in his arms just as she fell.

Her eyes moved, but she wasn’t blinking, like she was in shock. A trickle of blood seeped out of her mouth, and I shot my hand to my hair, hoping that that blood came from the fight, and it hadn’t hit her lungs.

“I’m calling an ambulance!” someone shouted.

Everyone rushed over to her as Aydin pressed his hand to her wound, applying pressure and breathing hard as tears filled his eyes and he cradled her.

“Look at me,” he said as he ripped off part of his shirt to cover the wound. “Concentrate on my face.”

The wound was between her shoulder and chest, near the joint of her arm.

“Tap a song with your fingers for me, okay?” he said, breathless.

“I’d rather just concentrate on your face,” she whispered, reaching up and touching his cheek.

He slowed, unable to look at her as a tear dripped off his chin.

“Except your hair,” she teased. “You look like you’re in a K-Pop band, Aydin.”

He shot his eyes to her, at a loss for words for once in his life.

Then, he broke out into a chuckle. “I thought you hated the pompadour,” he argued.

“I did.”

He laughed again, tipping her head up. “You take me for a haircut, then,” he said, dipping his head down and holding her close. “Whatever makes you happy. I’ll do anything you want.”

A sob escaped him, but he shook it off and tried to rise to his feet with her, but Kai shot down and swept her into his arms.

“Get off her,” he said.

Kai carried her off, everyone following to the parking lot.

“Ambulance is on its way,” Damon said.

“Wait.” Aydin started after her.