Chapter 53
"GG?! TALK TO ME!"
My heart slammed against my ribs so hard it hurt.
All I could hear through the phone was screaming.
People yelling over each other.
A woman crying.
Then somebody shouted, "OH MY GOD SHE'S BLEEDING!"
My blood turned to ice instantly. "What?!" I screamed already snatching my purse. "Gianna!"
No response. Just chaos in the background. Then a man yelling, "CALL 911!"
The sound of people running.
Car doors slamming.
I felt like I couldn't fucking breathe. "Madam!" I screamed running down the hallway toward the exit. "Something happened to Gianna!"
"What happened?!" she yelled after me.
"I DON'T KNOW!"
I damn near stumbled running through Siren House trying to keep the phone pressed to my ear. My hands shook so violently I almost dropped my keys trying to unlock my car.
Then through the phone—a weak choking sound. Followed by somebody crying, "Stay with me, ma'am! Stay with me!"
"Oh my God…" I whispered.
The phone scraped against pavement like somebody had picked it up.
"Hello?" a frantic voice shouted into it. "Hello?! Do you know her?!"
"YES!" I screamed. "What happened?!"
"She got shot!" the woman cried. "We're waiting on the ambulance now!"
My entire body went numb. "No…" I breathed. I dropped into my seat throwing the car into reverse so hard my tires screeched.
"Please hurry!" the woman yelled through the phone. "She's losing a lot of blood!"
"Please don't hang up. I need to know where they're taking her," I pleaded.
"Okay. I'll stay on."
I drove. Crying so hard I could barely see the road. Me and Gianna always shared our locations. My hands shook violently as I pulled it up, the little dot sitting at some taco joint less than five minutes from the hotel.
I sped through the desert praying hard.
Please God.
Please don't take my best friend from me.
My thoughts were all over the place, replaying the phone call repeatedly. I had heard muffled pieces of the conversation, but I heard what mattered.
That nigga's crazy bitch of a wife shot my best friend.
This had gone too far. I should've stayed with her. The guilt started clawing up my throat so hard I thought I was gonna throw up. She told me to go. Said she wanted to be alone. And stupid me—I listened.
I should've told her hell no. Should've curled up in that hotel bed and annoyed her all damn day until she laughed or threw a pillow at my head. But she was fragile. Barely eating or sleeping. Crying herself sick over Remy. And I didn't want to push her.
"This fucking nigga," I cried gripping the steering wheel tighter. "His fucking wife."
And now my best friend was what…?
Dying?
The thought hit me so hard I started sobbing again.
The woman on the phone kept trying to calm me down while chaos exploded in the background. I could hear sirens now. People yelling. EMT's rushed voices.
"No no no no…" I shook my head violently. "GG, you better not leave me!" I pressed harder on the gas. "Please God," I cried. "I swear I'll stop selling coochie and go to church if you save my best friend's life."
The woman on the phone kept talking to me while I drove like a maniac through traffic.
"Ma'am, the ambulance is here now!"
"Where are they taking her?!" I screamed.
The woman finally shouted back, "Sunrise Trauma Center!"
I damn near ran a red light. "Thank you!" I cried before tossing the phone into the passenger seat and gripping the wheel with both hands.
Please. Please don't die before I get there.
By the time I made it to the hospital, my whole body was shaking. I barely parked correctly before jumping out and sprinting inside. The bright hospital lights made everything feel too real too fast. "Gianna Taylor!" I yelled rushing to the front desk. "She was just brought in—gunshot wound!"
The receptionist startled slightly. "Ma'am calm down—"
"I CAN'T CALM DOWN!" I screamed tears pouring down my face. "That's my best friend!"
People in the waiting room turned to stare but I didn't give a fuck.
A nurse hurried over quickly. "Are you family?"
"I'm her sister," I lied instantly.
The nurse's expression softened with pity.
My heart dropped. "She's alive right?" I whispered.
The nurse nodded quickly. "She's in surgery right now."
My knees almost gave out beneath me from relief and terror.
They took me toward the waiting area while I cried so hard I could barely breathe.
My hands covered my face as I collapsed into one of the chairs. I bent forward pressing my forehead against my knees sobbing into my hands. Praying and rocking.
"Please God. Please…"