Since when has he been so playful and flirty? Although I have to admit, it was nice to see this side of him.
“Hey!” I yelp and shove him when he smacks my ass. He lunges for me, and I squeak and run away while he chases me. We’re finally off the streets and in the forest nearby our mansion. The usual spot I would go on for my runs early in the mornings while it's quiet out. Much like today, there wasn’t anyone around, just Damien and me, it seemed. It was almost too quiet save for the birds chirping away melodiously.
My lungs start burning, it’s been a while since I went for a run or did any form of exercise— other than sex, of course, but that didn’t count as Damien did most of the work. No, Ezra, get your head out of the gutter. No thinking about sexual things with Damien.
After a forty-minute run and some very heavy flirting, I was knelt over my hands on my knees, panting to catch my breath. “I am so… freaking…unfit.” I wheeze, and Damien smiles, his eyes scanning our surroundings. I notice his eyes suddenly narrow to slits. I straighten when he grabs my elbow, and we begin walking very briskly. “Damien, what is it?” I ask as we round a big rock, and he pulls his gun out and yanks the barrel back, chambering a bullet. Shit. Not again. “Oh God, is someone out there?”
Damien pokes his head behind the rock and holds his hand out to me, I take it without hesitation, and he squeezes gently for a second before he gazes into my eyes. “Ezra, listen to me. I need you to run, don’t look back, and run as fast as you can. Find somewhere to hide, stay low, and do not come out until I come for you. Do you understand?”
I peer up at him, “What about you? What are you going to do?”
“Just run, Ezra.”
“Damien, what about you?” I press, and he looks down into my face, jaw clenched tight.
“I’ll be right behind you.” He assures me, rubbing his thumb over my fingers. I nod reluctantly. Something didn’t feel right. A profound feeling of dread swiftly consumes my heart, and it begins thrashing against my ribcage. “Now.” I let go of his hand and take off running, my knees were shaking, but I ran as fast as my sea legs allowed. I do as I’m told and just continue running.
My heart leaps up to my throat when I hear rounds of gunshots behind me, and I faintly make out Damien’s footsteps as he races twenty paces behind me. I kept running until I heard another gunshot, and then I’m tackled to the ground. A heaviness on top of me. I groan when my forehead collides with the ground. I shake off the blow and turn my gaze when I hear a low groan behind me.
“Damien,” I whisper and turn my head to see the pain-filled expression on his face.
I see blood seeping from the corner of his lips, and I lose my breath. My body starts shaking uncontrollably. Oh no…
“Damien?” I utter horrified when he shifts off me. I push myself up onto my knees and look down at him, lying face down on the ground, his face pales visibly, his breathing scarce. I press my hand to his back, and when I feel the warm liquid against my fingers, I lift them slowly and whimper when I see my fingers saturated in his blood. “Damien!”
Oh God, no, please, please don’t be dead. Please!
He’s been shot in the back. “Damien…say something…please.” I sob hysterically. “Damien, can you hear me.” I lean closer to look at his face. “Damien…hey, come on, talk to me, please, please, say something!” I press my fingers against his pulse and feel it thumping lightly. “Oh, you’re alive.”
He’s alive, thank heavens. Damien lets out a low groan in response.
“Ezra…run..” He grunts and I shake my head swiftly. I look up when I hear footsteps and see a man approaching me, a gun pointing in my direction. I can feel Damien’s gun still in his hand to my right side, away from the shooter's sight, so I take it from his fingers and keep my eyes on the shooter as he nears me. He cocks his gun, and in a single moment, a whole second, my entire life flashes before my very eyes.
I don’t know where I found the courage or how I managed it; maybe it was my survival instinct kicking in, but I raise the gun and, without thinking, pull the trigger shooting him twice in the chest. I watch his dark eyes go wide, and he falls to his knees first, dropping his weapon before he hits the floor entirely. I stare at the dead man before me. My vision blurs with unshed tears, and sheer panic consumes me.
I just killed another human being. I took another person’s life. “Ezra…” Damien’s groan slaps me back to my senses, and I shuffle over to him.
“Oh, God. Damien, I think I’ve killed him.” I sob, and he grunts. “Oh, God, what do I do? Damien, I don’t know what to do. Just hang in there, you hear me, don’t you dare die on me. I’m going to get you some help.”
“Gun…” He barely whispers. “Take…his …gun.” I look over at the hitman lying lifeless in a pool of his own blood, and my stomach lurches at the sight of him. I fretfully crawl over to him and pick up his gun, half expecting him to jump up and grab me like in the movies, but he doesn’t even flinch. I crawl back to Damien. There wasn’t a soul around to help me. Even if I did scream for help, they would call the police, putting him at an even bigger risk.
Holy fucking shit!
“Damien, stay with me. Hey, don’t you dare give up, you hear me. You’re going to be okay.” I pat his pockets and take out his cell phone. I wipe away the endless tears and use his fingerprint to unlock his phone. I swipe through his contracts as quickly as best I could with my trembling fingers. I find the name I was looking for and dial, leaning over and looking down at Damien’s face. “Hang in there, please, Damien, just hang in there. Come on… come on!”
“Damien?” A groggy voice comes from the end.
“It’s Ezra. Damien’s been shot, and I don’t know what to do. Please help him!”
James curses on the other end. “All right, Ezra, I need you to stay calm. Is he still alive? And tell me where you are right now?” I brush my fingers through Damien’s hair and look around the forest.
“Uh, h-he’s alive, j-just about. He’s been shot in the back. We are in the jogging park near my father’s mansion.” I explain quickly, and Damien hisses, trying to move, but I keep him still.
“Okay, the security guys outside your house are on their way. Are you hurt?” I shake my head and keep my eyes on Damien.
“No, I’m fine. I…I... killed someone.” I wail breathlessly down the phone. “I shot him. He’s lying dead ten feet from us.” I tell him, and he sighs and curses.
“Sweetheart, listen to me.” I sob and keep my eyes on Damien. “Hey, Ezra. You don’t need to worry about him. The man you killed is a contracted hitman; he was sent to kill you both. You defended yourself. I’ll take care of him, so don’t worry, all right? Focus on Damien, the boys that are coming know what needs to be done.” I nod and see a pickup truck approaching us. “They’re here,” I tell James and watch as two men jump out and come straight over to Damien. They lift him and carry him to the truck.