If You Were Ours

Chapter Seventy Five - Kinsley

"Don't leave my fucking side, do you hear me?" Dane said harshly with a mixture of rage and fear in his eyes.

I nodded and clung to him like my life depended on it - and it did.

He moved us across the floor, hunched and hidden between the tables, staying completely out of sight. There was broken glass and blood everywhere beneath us with bodies scattered in every direction. I couldn't tell if the people were hiding or dead, but part of me didn't really want to know.

My side ached from the impact of the floor and my eyes stung with tears as Dane led me toward the door. Dane stayed between me and the gunman as we moved through the ballroom, acting as a human shield the entire time.

We were a few feet from the door when I heard loud pops and bangs in our direction and saw the wooden embellishment on the walls start to splinter and explode in front of us.

They're shooting at us.

Dane pulled me so hard I thought my arm might come out of the socket, but as soon as we reached the door, I felt a sting along the side of my arm before the feeling of warm liquid spread across my skin.

We exploded out of the door and onto the steps with Dane falling on top of me, covering my body with his own as we scrambled out of the way of the door. 

I lifted my arm and saw it was covered in blood, along with the entire front of my dress.

"Let me see." Dane said quickly, lifting my arm up to get a better look at my injury.

My eyes searched for the source of the massive amount of blood, but found only a graze mark on the outside of my bicep.

There's no way all of that blood is coming from that small wound on my arm.

"I don't understand where is all of this..."

The words got stuck in my throat as I saw the red soaked fabric of Dane's shirt continue to saturate and spread.

"Dane...this is your blood...Oh my god this is your blood!"

I became frantic and panicked, forgetting the dangers inside, forgetting the gunman completely as I pushed Dane up to a seated position. He was covered in blood and his eyes were glossy and unfocused as he desperately tried to cling to consciousness.

"You gotta run Kins." Dane slurred, still trying to protect me and keep me safe. 

My fingers fumbled with the buttons on his shirt as he slumped to the side, widening his eyes as he tried to focus and shaking his head in a effort to remain conscious. Giving up on my shaking hands, I ripped the shirt, popping the buttons off to reveal a deep bullet wound on the left side of Dane's chest.

Trying to control my expression and fear in my eyes, I swallowed back my own screams as I surveyed the wound that was gushing blood all over my hands and forearms.

"You're okay..." I managed to choke out. "You're going to be okay".

"Liar." Dane scoffed, giving me a weak smile as his arm gave out, unable to hold himself up.

I caught his weight and lowered him down as gently as I could until he was lying on his back.

I don't know what to do...What the fuck do I do?

The only thing I could think of was to stop the bleeding as best as I could until help arrived, I gathered up Dane's jacket in my hands and pressed hard against his wound, causing him to grunt and grimace in pain.

"I'm sorry. I've got to get the bleeding to stop." I said, trying to control my shaking hands and arms.

This isn't going to be enough. Dane needs a hospital now. Right now.

There was no way that I could lift him and I definitely wasn't leaving him, so I did the only thing I knew to do in that moment.

"Tyson!" I wailed as loudly as I could, leaning against Dane's chest with my full body weight.

Please hear me. Oh my god, you have to hear me!

"Tyson help!" I yelled at the top of my lungs with a gut wrenching scream that came straight from my soul.

Within seconds, Tyson appeared in the doorway, huffing air with wide terrified eyes as he took in the sight of me covered in blood.

"Where are you hit baby? show me where it hurts." Tyson said as he dropped to his knees and started feeling around for injuries on my arms and chest.

"It's Dane!" I screamed, pulling Tyson's attention down to Dane who was starting to lose color in his face.

"Fuck." Tyson said harshly under his breath as he barely lifted the jacket to get a better look at the wound. I watched as the wheels in Tyson's head started to spin, running through different scenarios.

"We were able to take Angelo's brother down and Xander, Vincent, and Leo are taking him to the house, but Dane needs a hospital right fucking now." Tyson said, letting me know we weren't in danger of being shot, but we were in danger of losing Dane.

"I'm going with you." I insisted, feeling my body fill with adrenaline from pure fear.

Tyson nodded and reached for Dane, lifting him up onto his shoulder in a fireman's hold.

"I got you bud," Tyson said with a grunt as he lifted Dane and stood with him draped across his shoulders.

Extending one hand out to help me to my feet, Tyson pulled me to a standing position with Dane laying limp across his shoulders.

"I'm not gonna let this fucking happen, you know that right?" Tyson said harshly, seeing the fear in my eyes.

"We need to go." I whimpered, knowing Dane didn't have much time and comforting me wasn't top priority.

Tyson moved toward one of the cars with a handful of his men trailing behind us, lifting and helping get Dane into the car. Everyone was wide eyed and angry as we caravanned to the hospital, praying that Dane would hold on long enough to get there. 

I moved so that Dane's head was resting in my lap and my whole body ached at the sight of his pained expression. He reached one blood covered hand up to cup the side of my face as if I were the one that needed comforting.

"I love you gorgeous." Dane said quietly in a voice I barely recognized.

Shaking my head, I choked back tears, refusing to say goodbye to him.

"Don't you dare do that, Dane." I said harshly, placing my hand over his and squeezing it tightly.

"Say it back." Dane demanded in a weak voice.

I felt Tyson grasp my other hand and hold it firmly, letting me draw off of his strength as I spoke to Dane.

"No." I refused as tears started to roll down my cheeks.

"Please baby, I need to hear it...that's all I want to hear." Dane's voice was fading and his blinks became longer and slower.

Feeling like a piece of my soul was leaving my body, I leaned down and pressed my lips against Dane's as I sobbed.

"I love you Dane...I love you so much...you're mine." I said softly against his lips.

Tyson squeezed me as tight as he could once Dane's eyes closed and didn't open again, screaming at whoever was driving to speed up and drive faster.

Please don't leave us Dane...we love you.