Crossroads

35 | Stars and Snow

Running to Adelin, I come across Cameron and another guy our age facing each other at gun point.

"Step away from her, you fucking asshole! It's all your fault my sister's in this state. Move or so help me I will not hesitate to fucking kill you Cameron!" The guy yells, fury making him shake and it registers then, him being Adelin's twin.

I throw away all those thoughts, focusing on getting to Adelin. I make haste of cutting the ropes that bind her feet. This is all my fault, I dragged her in into this.

Clutching her hand in mine, I swallow thickly, my throat completely dry at the coldness of it, I check her pulse.

Only breathing when a faint beating meets my ear.

It's faint, but it's there.

Aaron, Adelin's twin, glances at me with a tight jaw to give me a nod, his face is laced with the same desperation I feel consuming me, his eyes conveying all he has to say.

Go!

I scoop Adelin in my arms, all but bolting to the door. Grunts and cusses fill the room but I ignore everything, moving around and over unconscious bodies.

"No! She's mine, leave her!" Cameron yells and I grind my teeth at the fuckers audacity but before I can do anything, another gunshot sounds followed by a sharp stinging pain in my arm.

I stagger, breathing heavily and leaning against the wall with Adelin still in my arms. Looking over my shoulder, I watch Aaron charge for Cameron, tackling him to the floor. Throwing one punch after the other.

Without another thought I rush out the warehouse, winded. My blood quickly soaks up my shirt, the blazer long abandoned. Carefully, I lower Adelin in the car seat, buckling her and placing a kiss on her forehead.

Reving out to the nearest hospital, all the thoughts of the past hour plague me. If only I hadn't left her. If only I hadn't been so impulsive. I wasn't leaving for Paris, I couldn't and I realized that after I reached the gang house.

I'd already been coming to her but then my father had called, boasting about everything going his way. He'd been vague but worry had still gnawed at me so I'd tracked his location.

But it was then that he'd sent a video to me and that was all it took. I lost it, lost control and my Goddamn mind because she was there, screaming in agony and he had her in his clutches, revelling in her pain.

I'd immediately called the guys for backup and almost crashed twice trying to reach her in time.

Parking carelessly outside the brightly lit hospital, I run inside with Adelin in my arms, the strong freezing wind thrashing against me and doing nothing for my burning arm.

I yell for a doctor, dismissing the vicious stinging.

Everything goes by in a blur after that. Staff rushing to me. Them laying her on a stretcher. The doors of the operation theatre closing. The moisture that fills my eyes.

*^*^*^*^*^*

"Where is she?" Noah questions, I look up from my hands, still tainted with red.

My wound had been bandaged-any deeper and there would have been a bullet lodged in my arm and I'd have to go through surgery-but my black shirt is still caked with drying blood.

The rest of the gang follow behind, all with pained and worrisome expressions. Only Aaron and Jas are missing now. I stand up, not being able to meet their eyes while I know that Adelin's in this mess because of me.