Chapter 46
E mma
My back hits the asphalt so hard that for a few long seconds, I can’t breathe, my vision going in and out. Then, with a wheeze, my lungs drag in air, and I bounce up to my feet, driven by a terror so hideous I’m oblivious to any and all pain.
“Marcus!” Ignoring the dizziness trying to fell me, I rush toward the prone figure in a business suit sprawled on the asphalt a few feet away.
All the cars are now at full stop, the drivers jumping out and yelling. The yellow cab driver starts shouting curses at me, but I pay him zero attention. All my focus is on the man lying on his back in front of the cab, his face partially turned away and his arm at an odd angle.
Dropping to my knees in front of Marcus, I frantically search for the pulse in his neck, and a sob of relief bursts from my throat as I feel it, strong and steady. But then I notice blood pooling around his head, and the hideous fear returns with a vengeance.
“He needs an ambulance!” I look around, fumbling in my pocket for my phone. I can’t find it, and my panic spikes. “Someone call 911!”
“They’re already on their way,” a man in a gray suit says, sounding out of breath as he kneels next to me. “I can’t believe Carelli jumped in front of that—holy shit, you’re about to pass out.”
I don’t realize he’s talking about me until someone grabs my arms and makes me lie down next to Marcus, saying something about shock and possible injuries. In the distance, sirens wail, and my dizziness intensifies, bringing with it a surge of nausea.
Rolling onto my side, I retch, and by the time my stomach is empty, we’re surrounded by a swarm of paramedics.