The Lies That Save Us (The Broken Heart Series) by JL Redington Read Free Book Online

smiling.
    “I vote we wait…and see if they come back and…shoot my other arm.  But if they do, you’ll have to…use that coat,” he pointed weakly to the coat she was wearing, not lifting his hand,  “and I want you…to come around this side,” he said, nodding his head toward the driver’s side, “so you have to…to…lean over me like you did only…only on the other side.  I think it may have…have…made the bleeding worse, though…getting the heart… pumping…like that.”
    “Oh, would you stop?” 
    Still feeling the heat of her own embarrassment, she forced herself to focus on the situation at hand.
    “You’re really bleeding badly, Cayman.  I need to get you to a hospital.  Where are we?  How far is the next town?”
    Cayman didn’t answer.  She could see him drifting out of consciousness, getting weaker by the minute.  She quickly jumped out of the car and as gently as she could, pulled him over to the passenger seat.  This was no small feat considering they were separate seats and he was a lot bigger than she was.  When she saw the blood still soaking his arm, the adrenalin kicked in and with one final pull he was on the passenger side.  She buckled him in, ran around to the driver’s side, and slid into the seat.  She pulled out her phone, pushed a button as she gunned the engine, pulling out onto the road and said, “Find me the nearest hospital.”
    The antiseptic voice answered calmly, “There is a hospital 6.25 miles from where you are.  Would you like directions to it?”
    “Yes!  Of course I want-?”
    Realizing she was arguing with a cell phone, she said simply “Yes.”
    She sped down the road using the directions from the phone and nervously glancing back and forth from the road to Cayman, making sure he was still breathing.  The bleeding had not stopped and she was worried he was losing too much blood too fast.
    In minutes they were at the hospital.  She pulled into the emergency entrance, tires squealing as she came to a stop.  She ran into the ER yelling that her friend had been shot, was bleeding badly and she needed help.  Instantly there were emergency personnel rushing to the car with a gurney between them.
    A male nurse was asking her how it happened and as she began to tell him how the incident unfolded, so did her nerves.  She began to cry and couldn’t seem to get any words out. 
    “Miss, let’s get you sat down.  You’re in shock.  Don’t worry about your friend.  He’s in good hands and we’ll take care of him.  His injuries are not life threatening.  Now, deep breaths, that’s right.  Just sit back and keep breathing.  You’ll be okay.”
    The gurney with Cayman aboard sailed through the doors into the hallway.  Alexa and the nurse were left sitting in the sterile waiting room.  The breathing helped and she could finally talk again, explaining what had happened through worry about Cayman and her own frazzled nerves.
    “I’m going to have to call the police, it’s standard procedure with injuries of this kind.  You understand?”
    The nurse touched her shoulder as he spoke.
    “Yes, yes, I understand,” she said, her mind coming back into focus.
    “Will you be okay here while I make the call?”
    “I want to be with my friend.  I don’t want to wait out here.  I need to be with him.”
    “No, Miss.  I’m sorry.  You’ll have to wait here, but I will tell them to come and get you as soon as he is stabilized.  Try not to worry.  Like I said, he’s in good hands in there, the best in the county.”
    As the nurse walked away, Alexa was finally able to think through the events of the afternoon.  She remembered the car coming up alongside the SUV.  But, what had happened next?  It was Cayman.  He’d reached behind him and pulled out a gun!  A gun?  It was a smooth reflex, like he’d done it a hundred times.  Who was this man?  He didn’t even know what was going to happen and he was already drawing his gun