40. Chapter Thirty-Eight
CHAPTER THIRTY-EIGHT
BETSY
S earing hot pain erupted across her shoulder. Betsy fell to the ground from the force and sucked in a deep breath. Tears streamed down the side of her face as she took several more breaths in.
Pain.
That’s all Betsy felt as she laid there. Nausea bubbled inside of her and she took another deep breath. No time for puking. She needed to see if Arden was still standing or not. If she needed to get up and find safety.
Lifting her head, she looked across to see Arden laying on the ground. Rolling to her good side, she pushed herself up with her left hand. Betsy grabbed the gun before she stood up. Clenching her jaw, she closed her eyes as a wave of dizziness came over her.
The pain on her shoulder was intensifying with every move she made. She slowly walked towards Arden, shakily holding the gun in front of her. Had she shot him? Was he dead or just pretending?
As she got closer, the first thing she saw was red.
Blood.
Blood pooling out of his head.
Betsy didn't know how she shot him in the head, but she had.
Bile rose up her throat. Leaning to the side, she puked right next to him.
"Shit," she whispered. "What have I done?"
How was she going to fix this? How was she going to hide the body? How was she going to do anything when she had gotten shot?
Puking once more, she started to dry heave. Stumbling back Betsy fell to the ground, her eyes trained on Arden.
He was dead.
He was really dead.
She had shot him in the forehead. How? She had no idea.
With shaky hands, she pulled her phone out and stared at him. Should she call Daddy or should she call Angelo first? She was hurt but she needed to take care of her body.
Tears pooled in her eyes and she took a deep breath. The pain was getting worse by the second, making her vision swim.
Betsy pressed her Daddy's name and put him on speaker. She didn't have the strength to hold her body up.
Had anyone heard the shot? Did she need to get to safety?
"Betsy?" Daddy's panicked voice came through the phone.
She stared at the phone for a couple of seconds, not knowing what to say or do. How was she supposed to tell him she killed Arden?
Her eyes went wide as she looked around. Did he come with any men? Were they lingering around here somewhere, ready to attack when she was least expecting it?
She figured he came alone since she wasn't dead yet. If they would have heard the gun shot, they would have come running with their guns up, ready to shoot whoever.
But they hadn't.
"Betsy? Please answer Daddy."
"D-Daddy?" she whispered.
"I'm here, baby. Tell me where you are. What happened? Why did you leave?"
She opened her mouth but nothing came out. Tears were streaming down her face as she looked back at Arden's body.
Dead.
She had killed someone.
It was him or her, but she had still killed someone.
"Baby, please answer Daddy," he pleaded. "Where are you?"
"I don't know," she mumbled.
She did, but she couldn't remember the name of the streets or where exactly it was on the outskirts of the city.
"Daddy," she whispered. "I. Daddy."
She just wanted to feel his arms wrap around her, holding her as she cried. She wanted to feel safe.
Betsy leaned over to the side, jostling her arm and crying out in pain. The little she had left in her stomach came out.
"Betsy! What happened? Are you okay?" Daddy asked. "I'm on my way to you. You stay right where you are."
She didn't have the energy to move. Anyone could walk up to her and do something.
"Talk to me, Betsy," Daddy said. "Talk to Daddy. What's wrong?"
She sobbed, making her shoulder shake. The pain was getting worse and worse with each movement but she couldn't stop herself.
"Daddy," she cried out. "Hurt."
"Where are you hurt?" Daddy asked. "Shit. I'm texting Angelo to come as well."
"No," she whispered.
More people meant more eyes on them. What if they weren't safe?
"Dead," she looked at Arden. "He's dead."
"Who's dead, baby?" Daddy asked.
"I sh-shot him."
"Who's dead, Betsy? Who did you shoot?"
She blinked several times, placing her phone on her lap, and holding her shoulder. Her shirt and sleeve on the right side was soaked in blood.
Was she going to die from blood loss? Was she going to lose her arm?
"Daddy."
"Baby, answer Daddy. Who did you shoot? Who is there with you?"
"Arden," she mumbled, leaning back on the grass.
She was getting tired and shaky.
"Baby, who?" Daddy asked.
Betsy tried to reach for her phone to bring it closer so he could hear, but she couldn't reach it.
"Daddy?" she weakly called out.
"Betsy, I'm almost there. Stay on the line. Can you tell Daddy who you shot?"
She had shot him. Killed him.
Was she going to get put away for murder? Was she going to be killed because she killed him? Was Daddy going to give her away because she killed someone?
"Betsy, talk to Daddy."
"Tired," she mumbled, closing her eyes.
She was so tired, shaky, and in pain. But her laying down helped her shoulder not move.
"Betsy!" Daddy yelled but it didn't sound like it was over the phone. It sounded like it was coming from right behind her.
"Daddy?"
"Betsy!"
Right as she opened her eyes, Daddy came into view.
"Shit. You're bleeding."
Tears rolled down her face once again. She was so happy to see Daddy, to see him standing right in front of her.
"Daddy."
"Are you hurt or is it just blood from him?"
"Me," she mumbled.
Betsy wasn't close enough to get any of Arden's blood on her. She wished it was his blood and her not being hurt, but sadly that wasn't the case.
Daddy looked away and towards Arden.
"Shit. Fuck. Arden. You killed Arden Jones."
She closed her eyes and took a deep breath. Daddy was going to take care of everything. he had it all under control.
"Baby, keep your eyes on Daddy. I'm calling Rogan and Angelo," he said.
She kept her eyes trained on him.
"Rogan. I need Raynar and a couple guys to come and pick up a body," Daddy said. "Arden Jones. Betsy killed him. I'll send you the address. I've got to get Betsy to Angelo, she got shot. Okay. Yeah. Bye."
Daddy put his phone in his pocket and knelt down next to her.
'Tired, Daddy," she whispered. "So tired and in pain."
"I know you are, baby but you need to stay awake for Daddy. Can you do that for me?"
She shrugged her shoulders and cried out as pain erupted across her right shoulder.
"Shit, baby. Don't move your arm. Daddy is going to carefully help you up and will pick you up."
Betsy just laid there as Daddy picked her up. She whimpered in pain, biting down on her lip as her arm moved.
"I'm sorry, baby. I know it hurts but we're going to get you all better. Daddy is going to take you to Angelo and get you all fixed up."
She hummed as Daddy carefully walked to his car. She hadn't even heard him pull up in the car when he got here.
How out of it was she?
"You're doing amazing, Betsy. I've got you now."
Daddy placed her in the car and hesitated.
"No," she whimpered.
There was no way she was going to get the seatbelt on her today. It would go over her hurt shoulder and she wasn't having that.
"I'll drive extra careful but this will not become a habit, understand?"
"Yes, Daddy."
She didn't like riding in a car without a seatbelt, but there wasn't a way for her to put it on now. Not without it hurting her shoulder even more.
Daddy shut her door and walked over.
"Daddy is going to call Angelo while we go to his house. If you need me to stop, let me know. I need you to stay awake, so play with my hand."
Daddy dialed Angelo's number before he gave her his hand. She started to mess around with his fingers, trying to stay awake but it was so hard. All she wanted to do was sleep now.
Betsy was finally safe with Daddy so she could relax. She was so sleepy.
"Kirk! What's up?" Angelo asked.
"Get your medical supplies ready. I'm coming with Betsy. She's been shot. I don't know if it fully went through or not but be prepared for it not to."
"Shit. How far out are you? Maybe we can meet up at the main compound where everything is," Angelo said.
"I'm five from either."
She relaxed even more into her seat and closed her eyes. The car was warm, lulling her to sleep.
"Betsy, baby. I need you to stay awake for me. Play with my hand. Come on baby, wake up. You're okay," Daddy squeezed her hand.
"Tired," she mumbled.
"Compound. She's lost a lot of blood I think. I don't think it hit an artery, but it hit something. her clothes on the right side are soaked in blood," Daddy rushed out.
Betsy opened her eyes and looked over. She didn't like him looking so worried and panicked.
"I is okay," she whispered. "Just sleepy."
Daddy briefly looked over at her before looking back at the road. "I know you are, baby but I need you to be a good girl and stay awake for me. Can you do that?"
"No."
"Betsy, stay awake for Daddy."
"I'll meet you at the compound in five," Angelo said.
Daddy sped up the car as Angelo hung up.
"Am I going to die?" she asked.
"No, Betsy. You are not going to die. I don't allow it. It won't happen."
"Yeah?"
"Yes, baby. You are not dying. I forbid it."
She smiled. "You forbid it?"
"Yes, I do."
"Can you really forbid me from dying?"
"I just did so you'll have to get over it. You aren't dying. it won't happen."
Betsy squeezed his hand she was holding. She liked it when he said stuff like that.
"I'm pulling up right now. You're okay. Just stay awake for Daddy."
The car jolted to a stop, making her cry out.
"Shit, sorry baby."
Daddy came around the car, picking her up and walking to who knows where. She hadn't been in the main house or whatever they called it.
"Room two!" Angelo yelled. "I'll be right there. Do you know her blood type?"
"Shit. Baby, what's your blood type?" Daddy asked.
"A negative?" she whispered, unsure about the answer.
"A negative but we'll need to make sure. I don't know how coherent she is right now."
"We always check. I'll have a nurse come in and get a little blood," Angelo called out.
Daddy placed her down on the bed. She tried laying down, but Daddy stopped her.
"I need to take your shirt and bra off," Daddy said. "I'll be extra gentle. Better yet, I'll cut around it."
Tears ran down her face.
"I'll buy you the exact same shirt and bra. Don't worry."
She wasn't worried about that. She just didn't want to be on display for everyone to see.
"Angelo is getting a blanket to cover you up but we need the shirt out of the way."
She leaned her head on Daddy's chest as he started to cut away at her shirt and bra. She had no idea where he got the scissors, but he had.
"I'm just going to get a little blood from you," a soft high voice whispered. "I'm Anita by the way."
"Oh, you know my friend," Betsy mumbled. "He gave you money when you stitched his arm up."
"Oh."
Betsy looked over at Anita to see her cheeks had gone bright red. Why?
"Thank you for doing that. I don't think he or I ever got to say thank you in person."
"Oh, it was no problem. I helped you and he helped me."
Betsy looked down at her arm to see Anita had already stuck her and was taking blood.
"Have you talked to him recently?"
"Yeah, but I don't think he's in town. Kind of got into a pickle. Why?"
Anita shook her head. "Oh, nothing. I nothing. I was just wondering. You two seemed close and now you are with Kirk."
"Oh, Kirk is my Daddy and my friend is like a brother to me."
Betsy wasn't sure if she knew his name or not and she didn't want to give it away.
"Oh, that's good."
She scrunched up her eyebrows. It was good? Betsy opened her mouth to say something, but Anita beat her to it.
"Well, I need to give this to Angelo."
Betsy looked up at Daddy with a confused look. "What just happened?'
"I don't know, baby. You can lay down now. It looks like it didn't go all the way through so Angelo is going to need to get it out."
"Put me out," she begged. "Put me out before he digs around."
At this point her arm was numb, but she just had a feeling once Angelo started to fish around for it, it was going to get really painful.
"Baby."
"Please. I don't do well with this pain. Please."
Angelo walked through the door right as she finished speaking.
"It didn't go all the way through," Daddy said.
"Shit."
"She doesn't want to be awake for this."
Angelo looked at her. "Are you sure?"
She nodded. "Please."
Angelo stepped out of the room and called out. To whom? She didn't know but she figured it was someone to help with putting her to sleep.
"You're okay," Daddy kissed the side of her head.
Anita walked back through the doors with Angelo.
"I've got the IV sedation," she said. "You are in good hands."
Betsy squeezed Daddy's hand.
"You can stand at the head of the bed and run your hands through her hair. I need to be on this side and Anita will be on the other side," Angelo spoke. "Ready Betsy?"
"Yes."
She felt a little prick on her arm and she slowly started to feel even more tired.
"I'll be with you every second," Daddy kissed her forehead. "I'm not going anywhere."