Tangled Love

CHAPTER 89

Beep... Beep... Beep...

I lie my head down next to her lifeless body and shut my eyes tightly, letting the tears fall freely. My hand is wrapped around her small one and I squeeze it gently. My heart saddens at the lack of her response. A tube is lodged deep into her throat and wires are attached to every single visible part of her body.

Her eyes are shut peacefully. . . almost as if she's just sleeping. Something I'd seen her do so many times before. I always thought she was most beautiful in the morning, when her mouth was parted slightly and she looked completely content. I always wondered who and what she was dreaming of...

"Wake up please Muffin," I beg her quietly, my voice cracking. It feels like my heart was shattering into a million broken pieces. I still have her blood stained on my clothes and every time I look down, I feel physically sick.

I held her in my arms in that room as I saw her eyes flutter shut and her legs give out underneath her. My screams echoed around the room as I repeated her name over and over again, holding her to my chest. Another gunshot filled the room and I turned to find the man responsible, slumped against the wall, the back of his brain completely blown out.

He'd shot himself.

I cried tears of joy and grief at the same time. Jamie ran to Emily and applied pressure to her gunshot wound, she was barely breathing. I didn't let go of her until the ambulance arrived. I briefly remember telling Jamie to get the hell out of there with our guns before the police came but everything that came after that was a blur.

I could see it in the paramedics eyes that even they thought she was dying. They had pushed me aside and cut open her clothes to tend to her wounds, all whilst I was being held back by Brett. I didn't want

them touching her, I needed to be next to her.

"Let them help her Jake!" Brett shouted at me, pulling me back with as much force as he could. I finally resisted, sinking to the floor, covering my face with my hands.

It's all my fault.

I let my guard down and he shot her.

Guilt filled my body and I screamed louder, pounding the floor with my fists. Brett kneeled down to the floor next to me and grabbed my face in his hands —

"Go with her! Pull yourself together Jake!"

I stopped, slumping my shoulders and nodded emotionless, noticing how Brett's features were also twisted with worry. He nodded at me approvingly before helping me up. I walked towards the back of the ambulance like a zombie, all sounds muffled around me. The paramedics may as well have been speaking another language as the sirens blared and they sped through the dark streets, fighting to save her life. I stood in the corner observing them, my hands tugging at my hair, pulling it painfully from the roots.

A paramedic approached me as I stood in a daze, living a nightmare.

"Are you hurt?" He asked. My eyes never left Emily, there was blood everywhere.

So much blood.

"Sir, are you hurt?" He repeated louder this time, guiding me towards a chair. I shook my head and pointed towards Emily, unable to speak. My throat was lodged up so tightly, it felt like I was being strangled by an invisible force.

"We're doing all we can to help her." The paramedic said firmly before giving my shoulder a squeeze. Soon enough, we arrived to the hospital and everything happened so fast. They had taken her straight through to theatre, the worst few hours of my life.

Time completely slowed down.

Seconds became minutes, minutes became hours.

Emily had suffered massive blood loss, her body weakening considerably but they had stabilised her, removing the bullet from her body. It had pierced straight through her delicate skin and into her stomach, just above her pelvis. It wasn't long before the police were sniffing round, wanting to ask questions. I had told them Jones had kidnapped her, shot her before shooting himself.

"Are we done here?" I asked emotionless. They nodded quietly.

"We'll need to speak to Emily once she wakes up," the female officer said, pocketing her black book. I nodded, knowing exactly how the procedure worked.

"That's if she wakes up." I reply icily before leaving them and going back to Emily's side. She was in her own private room which I'd paid for, wanting her to get the best possible treatment available.

I close my eyes and the sound of the gunshot echoed through my ears almost like it was mocking me. Her scrunched up face flashes through my mind and I whimper quietly, holding her hand tighter.

The door opens and I turn towards it, seeing Ivory and Tobias stand in the doorway. They both rush in and Ivory pulls me into her embrace. She looks worryingly over at Tobias and he mirrors her exact features. I can't handle it anymore, the tears began again. Neither of them knew what to do, I don't ever cry.

Ivory pulls back and a hand flies to her mouth as she takes in Emily's fragile state. Tears began to run down her cheeks and she takes a seat on the opposite side of Emily, holding her other hand.

"What happened Jake?" Tobias asks me quietly, his hand resting on my shoulder. I glance at it briefly.

"Jones shot her. He was her real father.”

Both Ivory and Tobias' face snap towards me and Tobias whistles quietly.

"Damn, thats fucked up."

I nod and realise how messed up the whole situation is. Tobias was also involved with the gang a few years back and knew all about DC Jones.

"How can someone so evil have a daughter like Emily?" Tobias asked no-one in particular. I silently agree with him, Emily is nothing like Jones whatsoever. She is sweet, caring, loving and doesn't have a bad bone in her body whereas Jones is the complete opposite to her.

Call me cold hearted but I'm glad he's dead.

"What did the doctors say?" Ivory asks me, breaking the tense silence between us all. She sniffles and wipes her eyes and I sympathise with my cousin, knowing she treated Emily like her sister. The two became inseparable, Emily had slowly became part of the family.

"They managed to get the bullet out but they'll know more once she wakes up." I repeat the doctors words and Ivory listens intently.

"When will she wake up?" Ivory asks quietly, scared of the answer she might get. There was silence for a few moments, only the sounds of the machines beeping around us. I finally respond, my voice shaking with fear —

"I don't know."