Luxe #2
He shoved me toward the ground and covered me with his body. His chest pressed against my back. His hand cradled my head, shielding it from the concrete. The truck’s window shattered above us. Glass rained down.
I squeezed my eyes shut. Ghost jerked. I tried to turn beneath him.
“Ghost?”
He didn’t move.
“Babe?”
His hand was still wrapped around the back of my head. I reached up and grabbed his wrist.
“Ghost, look at me!”
His grip loosened. The SUV sped past us. Tires screeched against the concrete, then it was gone. My entire world went with it.
For a second, I couldn’t move. Ghost was lying halfway across me. His breathing was harsh against my neck. I twisted beneath him, trying to see his face.
“Babe?”
He lifted his head just enough. His eyes found mine.
“You okay?”
I nodded frantically. I was more worried about him than myself.
“Yes. Yes, I’m okay. Get up, babe.”
He lifted but his body fell back on top of me. My heart stopped.
“Ghost?” I shoved against his shoulder, trying to roll him over. “Babe, get up.”
He didn’t move.
“Ghost!”
I finally managed to move from beneath him. He rolled onto his back, and I saw it. The blood. So much fucking blood. It was spreading across his shirt, darkening the fabric beneath his chest. There was more along his side and beneath him.
For one horrifying second, my brain refused to understand what my eyes were seeing. The man who had been kissing me in my office less than five minutes ago was lying here covered in blood.
The man who had just told me he loved me. The man who was supposed to be taking me home and we enjoying a quiet evening together.
“Babe . . .”
I dropped to my knees beside him. My hands hovered his chest. I didn’t know where to touch him. There was blood everywhere.
“Oh, my God!”
Ghost reached for me. His fingers brushed my wrist. I grabbed his hand.
“No. No, no, no.”
His lips moved, but nothing came out of them but a trickle of blood.
“Look at me, babe. Please.”
He blinked slowly.
“You hurt?”
A sob ripped out of my chest. “Stop asking me that!”
His eyes widened slightly.
“I’m fine! I’m fucking fine, Ghost! You’re the one who’s hurt!”
I pressed both hands against the wound in his chest. Blood seeped between my fingers. It was warm and thick. I pressed harder. Ghost’s body jerked.
His mouth opened in a silent cry.
“I’m sorry! I’m sorry, babe!”
I snatched my phone from my pocket. My hands were shaking so badly that I dropped it twice before I managed to open the emergency service text service.
I typed the address.
Shooting. Multiple gunshots. Man down. He’s bleeding. Send help.
I sent it several times, spamming the hell out of their notifications. My screen blurred. I couldn’t see through the tears. I tossed the phone beside me and pressed my hands back against his chest.
“Help is coming, babe.”
Ghost stared up at me. His breathing was getting faster. “Look at me.”
His eyes drifted toward the ceiling. I grabbed his face.
“Ghost!” He stared at me. “Don’t you fucking do that.” His brows drew together. “Don’t look away from me.” I leaned closer so he could see my mouth. “You hear me? You stay right here.”
He fought to smile. That stupid fucking grin. Even with blood spilling out of him, he was trying to make me feel better.
I shook my head.
“Don’t.”
His lips moved. I leaned closer. “What?”
He tried again.
“Luxe . . .”
“I’m here, babe.”
He swallowed. His hand dragged across the concrete. I caught it. He struggled to lift his fingers.
“Love . . . you.”
Something inside me shattered.
“No.” His eyes searched mine. “No, you don’t get to do that.” I shook my head violently. “You don’t get to tell me you love me like you’re saying goodbye.” He blinked. “Do you understand me?”
His breathing hitched. I pressed harder against his chest.
“You told me you were taking me home.” My voice broke. “You fucking promised me.”
I didn’t know how long we’d been on that concrete. All I knew was that the blood wouldn’t stop. It soaked through my fingers. It covered my knees and stained the diamond on my finger. Ghost grew quiet on me. His chest wasn’t rising the way it had before.
“Babe?”
His eyes barely opened. I forced a smile.
“There you are.” His lips twitched. “See? That’s all I need. Just keep looking at me.”
The first thing I noticed was the vibration beneath my knees. Heavy footsteps. Someone running toward us. I looked up. One of my security guards came around the corner, his gun drawn. His face changed when he saw us. He holstered his weapon and dropped beside me.
“Help him!”
He looked at Ghost’s chest, then at me. His expression told me everything.
“Don’t fucking look at me like that!”
He pulled his phone out and placed it to his ear. Shoot, I had already called for help, and they had yet to arrive. If Ghost were to die, I was gon’ sue the pants off the city. They needed to do better when it came to shit like this.
The paramedics arrived in a blur of flashing lights and hurried movements. Someone touched my shoulder. I jerked away.
“Don’t touch me!”
A woman stepped into my line of sight. “We need to help him.”
I shook my head. “I’m helping him.”
She looked at my hands and then back at me. “We need room.”
“No.”
Ghost’s hand was still in mine. I couldn’t let go. If I let go, something terrible would happen. I could feel it.
The woman knelt beside me. “What’s his name?”
I swallowed. “Ghost.”
She nodded.
“We’re going to take care of Ghost, but you have to let us work.”
I looked down at him. His eyes were barely open. His skin had lost its color. His lips looked funny. Everything was off.
“Babe?” His gaze shifted toward me. I squeezed his hand. “They’re gonna help you, okay?”
His fingers barely moved. I kissed his knuckles.
“I love you.”
His eyes remained on mine.
“I love you so fucking much.”
The paramedic gently separated our hands. I felt the exact moment his fingers slipped away. Like somebody had reached inside my chest and ripped out my heart.
They moved me backward. I stumbled. My security guard caught me before I hit the ground. I watched them cut Ghost’s shirt open. Watched them expose the wounds and press bandages against his chest.
One paramedic looked at the other. Their mouths moved, but I had tuned everything out. All I could hear was the ringing in my ears. Ghost’s body jerked. His eyes widened and mouth parted, then he stopped moving. I pushed forward.
“Ghost!”
My security guard grabbed me around the waist. I fought him as best as I could.
“Let me go!”
The paramedic leaned over Ghost. Her fingers pressed against his neck. Her expression changed. She placed both hands against the center of his chest. I stopped fighting, and my knees buckled.
“No.”
She kept pushing.
“No! No! No!”
The other paramedic pulled equipment from a bag. I couldn’t see Ghost’s face anymore. I screamed until my throat burned. They lifted him onto a stretcher. One of them was still working on him. They rushed him toward the ambulance, and I ran after them.
“Wait!” The woman turned. I grabbed the side of the stretcher. “I’m coming with him.”
She nodded, and I climbed up into the ambulance.