Chapter 45
Chapter forty-five
Jackson
Idon’t know how to feel with the outside of my heart fucking dying right in front of me.
As that girl said, Madelyn is not good. She’s fucking struggling and I can do is run.
Run back to the car and drive back to Gateley’s place.
He is far closer than any hospital. Those organ harvesting doctors better be ready to take care of a patient that’s alive.
If they don’t, their organs will be the next thing put in the cooler.
My own lungs burn. My muscles are angry, on the verge of cramping. Nevertheless, my stubbornness has me along with the absolute carnage that will pour out of me if Madelyn dies. I won’t allow it. It can’t fucking happen.
I’ve never been one to give a shit about what happens when I am fulfilling my desires. Not until she became part of the destruction.
Sticks break behind me, signaling that the girl is following close behind. My jaw clinches as I dodge another tree limb. It should be her dying. Not my girl.
The treeline finally comes into view along with the car I left parked.
“Come on!” I bark at the girl, finally reaching the vehicle.
I rip the door open and gently place Madelyn in the back seat with her facing upward.
Her eyes are closed, chest barely moving.
Amelia climbs in beside her, and I shut the door, ready to drive two-hundred miles per hour and risk everything to get Madelyn back to safety.
My hand slips on my door, causing a slight delay in opening it. A fire ball explodes into the sky from where my brother’s house used to be. Peering over the forest, the night sky is saturated with red sparks and smoke. This is a means to an end, and I hope nothing is left of the bastard.
Sirens wail in the distance, another reason to get the fuck out of here. Tossing myself into the driver’s side, I crank the car and put it in reverse. The tires screech as we pull away from my past life of misery.
We race toward Gately’s compound, my feet pressed against the gas, my gaze switching between the road and Madelyn.
Her breathing is becoming more rapid; her skin is pale.
With each mile, her eyelids flutter, unable to open fully.
“Check her pulse!” I demand of Amelia, who’s just staring out the window with no regard to what’s happening.
Amelia glances at me and then at the girl who begged to save her. She fucking hesitates, and that is enough for me to want to toss her off the side of the road. Instead, I do the one thing that makes people hurry.
Pulling the gun out of my waistband, I cock it and point it at her head. “You’re going to do exactly as I say, no hesitation, or I’ll blow your brains out.”
“Don’t do that!” Amelia puts her hands up, seemingly oblivious to what I asked her to do.
“Then don’t give me a reason. I said check her pulse.” With one hand on the wheel and the other keeping the gun on her, I watch as she jumps into action.
Her thumbs press against her neck. “Faint,” she murmurs while eyeing me. “She’s barely breathing.”
My heart jumps into my throat, pouring out in a mix of anger and fear. It’s spewing, clawing its way to the surface. “Do CPR!” A voice I’ve never heard before coming out of me. I turn back toward the road. We are close. A couple of miles away now.
Amelia pauses, “I’m weak, too.”
My head pivots back while I turn my aim toward the back glass. I pop off a shot, missing the girl by inches as glass scatters all over. Some land on Madelyn, cutting her face. “Does it look like a give a fuck? Keep her alive.”
She shakes her head but begins compressions. A single tear rolls down her face as she counts and then blows air into Madelyn’s lungs.
My girl. My girl. Little fire. Madelyn. You've got to stay with me. My hand grips the wheel as I max out the gas. Gateley’s place comes into view and within seconds make a turn into his drive.
The guard recognizes me at the guard post and waves me through, no doubt fearing the outcome if he did not.
The car jolts as I slam on the brakes, stopping at Gateley’s door.
Gateley’s men run out, trying to defuse the situation.
“Get me medical! She needs medical attention!” I order while opening the door.
They all scurry away the moment I pull open the passenger door.
Amelia is slumped over Madelyn with her eyes closed.
I yank her out of the car by the ankle, and her body goes flying onto the ground.
Fresh blood oozes out of Madelyn’s forehead, nose, and cheeks from the glass that’s embedded in her skin. Fuck. Fuck. Fuck. I’ve hurt her. Again.
Carefully, I cradle Madelyn’s head with one arm and with the other I lift her up by the waist. My chest feels the slow rhythm of her heartbeat, but her breathing has not improved.
As I’m removing Madelyn from the car, Gateley appears, hands on hips. Two men with a stretcher and medical bags come up right behind him. “You brought a witness,” he states while poking Amelia’s unconscious body with his boot.
“We will deal with that in a minute,” I say while placing Madelyn on the stretcher.
“Give me a short version of what happened to her,” states one of the men.
“Smoke inhalation.” I leave it at that.
They both nod and get to work by grabbing an oxygen mask and a small tank out of the bags.
After placing the mask on Madelyn, they make a move to take her back inside.
I turn to follow. She won’t be leaving my sight.
Gateley’s hand grips my shoulder, causing me to stop.
“They can’t work with you breathing down their asses. ”
I shrug him off. “They’ll work harder.”
“Trust me, Jackson. My team knows better than to let her die. Go see her when she is stable.” Gateley bends down, looking over Amelia. “How important is this one?”
I scuff. “Madelyn wanted to save her.”
“Interesting,” Gateley checks her pulse. “Still alive. So, are you going to listen to your girl, or are you going to do what you always do and remove a witness from the situation?”
My shoulders tense as I consider the options. The old me would have left her in the burning house. But I’m trying. Fuck, I’m trying to show Madelyn I have some sort of decency about me for her to hang on to. “Get her help,” I mutter.
Gateley raises his eyebrows; a small smile spreads across his face. “You pussy-whipped fucker.”
I shake my head, turning away from him. “Fuck off.” I say, secretly knowing it’s true.
I have gone crazy. Soft. Completely insane worrying about this girl.
Never would I think a girl would pull at my heartstrings the way Madelyn has.
I don’t quite understand myself, but I welcome the change.
All I know is that I want to be a better man, and that means keeping Madelyn happy.
Unfortunately, in this situation, that means keeping Amelia alive, too.