Set Me Free (27 page)

Zach swerved onto his street, spotting a blue SUV on the corner. His racing heart did a double beat and then began pounding in his neck. He was too late.

Screeching into the driveway, he yanked up the handbrake and shot out of the car. The front door was unlocked.

"Dani!" He chose to use that name, just in case someone was in the house.

It was eerily quiet as he closed the door behind him. Glancing into the living room, he saw no signs of life. He turned left towards the kitchen.

"Dani, you home?"

Spotting the note on the counter, he raced to it and snatched it up. A smile pressed across his lips as he read her request. He darted for the stairs, still on high alert, but he could hear the bath water running.

Maybe he was over-reacting. There had to be more than one pale-eyed SUV driver in this state...surely.

"Lucy! I'm back." The spring in Zach's step suddenly faltered as he felt the squelch beneath his shoes.

The carpet was saturated. Running his fingers through the weave, realization hit him like a H-bomb. He lurched up the rest of the stairs, splashing his way into the bathroom. Freezing by the door he took in the scene, horror coursing through him. A big blond guy was slumped against the tub, a thick shard of the mirror protruding from his neck. Water gushed over his clothes and fell onto the floor. But that's not what Zach's eyes were fixated on. As soon as he spotted her, he felt his soul shatter.

"Lucy." His breath hitched. Blood was lacing the shallow water around her, a red python of warning slithering away from her body. Crouching down, he scrambled for her pulse, pushing his fingers into her neck. Closing his eyes, he dropped his head and thought he might cry.

She had one. Barely.

"Lucy? Wake up, baby."

She shifted slightly, a fresh gush of red splurging from her back, filling the water with more blood. The snaking trail was turning into a sea of red.

Her skin had a grey pallor to it that was disturbing. Wrenching the phone from his back pocket, he splashed through the water towards the tub while dialing 9-1-1. The phone rang as he spun the taps, shutting off the flow.

He couldn't even contemplate the clean up and damage right now. None of that mattered. Pulling the plug he let the water drain.

"9-1-1, what is your emergency?"

"Yes." Zach's voice broke. "My girlfriend's dying. She needs help right away."

"Can you tell me her injuries please sir."

Zach spotted the black gun resting in the bottom of the tub and closed his eyes.

"I think she's been shot. I just—I just got home and the bathroom's a mess, she's lying here with blood all over her and she's really pale..."

"What is your location please, sir?"

Sucking in a breath, Zach rattled off the details, hearing a faint clicking of keys as he did so.

"Where has she been shot?"

"In the stomach, I think." Zach knelt down beside her, gently lifting the blood soaked towel beneath her hand. She let out a soft groan, her eyelids fluttering as she whimpered.

His breath hitched as her blue eyes focused on him.

"Zach," she mouthed, a faint smile caressing her lips. She tried to reach for him, but her arms were too weak. He snaffled her hand in his, pressing the back of it to his cheek. Tears stung his eyes as he watched anxiety take over her gaze. He felt like his insides were being shredded.

"Sir?"

"Huh?" Zach focused, remembering that he had a phone pressed to his ear.

"Was she shot by someone one? If so, is the attacker still in the house?"

"Uh, yeah." He stole a glance over his shoulder. "But he's unconscious."

"Is he injured?"

"I think he might be dead. It would have been self-defense. This guy's been trying to kill her for years."

There was a pause.

Zach swallowed, realizing just how much could be read into that statement. He pressed his lips together, not willing to say more.

"Okay, sir, the police and ambulance are on their way, but I would like you to stay on the line please. If the attacker moves in anyway, you need to let me know."

Zach gripped the phone to his ear and nodded. Not that the operator could see that.

"How is your girlfriend now, sir? Are you applying pressure to the wound?"

"She already did that, but the towel is soaked in blood and she's lying in water that's quickly turning cold. What do I do?" Zach pulled in a shaky breath, hating how much his voice was quivering. "What do I do?"

She talked him through the best way to care for Lucy while he waited for the sound of sirens. Upon instruction, he gently carried her from the bathroom. Her cries of agony had him cutting the trip short and laying her flat as soon as he reached a dry patch of carpet. Blood soaked into the wool beneath them as he bent her legs up and pressed a fresh towel against the wound.

She let out another cry that made him want to pull back, the phone operator's firm insistence held him steady.

Pressing his forehead against Lucy's knee, he sniffed at his tears, working up the courage to follow yet another instruction and use his belt as a tourniquet.

"It'll hurt her too much," he mumbled.

"Sir, you want to save her life, don't you?"

With a huff, he got to his feet and charged into his room, yanking the belt from his pants that were on the floor. Rushing back to Lucy, he endured her begging tears as he shifted her body, securing the tourniquet tightly around the towel that had already turned red. He checked her back while he was doing it and informed the operator that there was a distinct hole, which probably meant the bullet had sliced straight through her. For some reason the operator thought this was a good thing, but she didn't explain why. Instead she sent him off to check on Tenner.

He popped his head into the bathroom, making sure the large man hadn't moved, then rushed back to Lucy, to rest his hand on her cool skin and freak out over how pale she was.

His limbs were quivering and it was an effort to keep the phone held to his ear.

"How much longer?" he whispered.

"They should be there any moment. Hang in there. You're doing great."

He closed his eyes, feeling anything but great. He felt useless and helpless as he watched the first girl he'd ever truly loved slip away from him.

A distant sound of sirens made him lurch from his spot. Tears that had been ready to fall evaporated as he pressed his lips against Lucy's forehead.

"They're here, baby. It's gonna be okay. They're here."

He thanked the operator and hung up as someone banged on the front door.

"This is the Danville Police!"

"Come in! We're upstairs! Help us!" Zach yelled.

The door flew open and footsteps thudded through the house. Zach was soon gazing up at two armed officers. Their expressions were grave as they took in the scene. The female officer studied Lucy's blue lips and gave him a sympathetic smile. Seconds later the EMTs pushed in, dumping their stuff next to Lucy and assessing her wounds. They spoked in garbled medical terms Zach didn't understand. He heard oxygen and IV mentioned before being escorted from the room by the female officer. She led him downstairs, gently seating him at the dining room table.

Zach kept his gaze on the door, not wanting to miss them bringing Lucy down. The officer kept pulling his attention back to him, quietly asking Zach questions in a smooth voice that soothed the soul. He stuttered his way through most of it, feeling shaky and ill-equipped for the task. He got a few details wrong, then had to shake his head and repeat himself.

A stretcher was carried down the stairs and Zach lurched from his seat.

"Is she okay? Is she still alive?"

The paramedic nodded, but didn't look overly hopeful as Zach spotted his fragile girl. Her face was engulfed by an oxygen mask and there was a big needle shoved into her arm. She seemed agitated and restless. He wanted to comfort her, but didn't want to get in the way of the paramedic holding a clear bag over her with his free hand. They bustled out the door, leaving no room for him. She was shoved into the ambulance before he could even ask to accompany her. The doors slammed, the sirens started blaring and she was gone.

Zach braced his hands on his knees, wanting to hurl all over the carpet.

"Zach." The officer quietly approached him. "Let me drive you to the hospital. We can continue the questioning there. Is there anyone you'd like to call?"

"My Uncle Alex."

He actually kind of wanted his parents, but that wasn't an option right now. Uncle Alex would be the perfect support during questioning. He had the evidence, and the proof that William Tenner was guilty as sin and Lucy was an innocent victim defending herself. He'd love to know how she did it.

As he followed the officer out of the house, he spotted the ambulance turning out of their street and could only hope that he'd have the chance to ask her.

With a sickening sigh, he pulled out his phone and called his uncle.

Chapter 33

LUCY

"Hello Lucy."

A gunshot rang out.

Glass exploded around my face, stinging me. One piece plunged into my side, driving a searing pain through my core. I jerked, pressing my hand into the wound and trying to stop it.

"Hello Lucy." The sickly sweet voice repeated my name, a dark malicious tenor running through the words.

Gunshot.

Searing pain.

Glass.

"Lucy."

I squeezed my eyes shut. I didn't want to open them and be faced with that cold glare again.

"It's alright, Lucy. It's over."

The voice was changing.

"Lucy. You did good."

Dad?

I opened my eyes and there he was, smiling at me with that pride I used to bask in.

"I love Lucy." He chuckled.

"Dad," I whispered.

His eyes glowed warm before he turned away from me, pulling someone into his arms and resting his cheek against her head. She wrapped her arm around his waist and glanced over her shoulder once to gift me a tender smile before walking away.

"Mom! Dad! No, wait, I want to come with you!"

They didn't turn back to acknowledge my cries, just kept walking.

"No, wait, please! Come back!"

"Come back, Lucy. Time to wake up, honey." A searing light drove into my senses as the soft female voice over-rode my visions.

My eyes fluttered open and I winced.

"There you are." She smiled.

"Where am I?" I winced, the pain from my dream returning. I reached for my side and felt a gauze bandage.

"You're in the hospital. You've come out of surgery and you're gonna be fine. We'll keep you here in ICU for a few days to monitor you, but you don't have anything to worry about, sweetie."

Pulling the watch from her pocket, she held my wrist. Her face was serene as she did her count or whatever it was that she was doing. I studied her soft black curls as she wrote down some numbers on a chart next to my bed.

"The doctor will be by to check on you soon. For now, you need to get as much rest as you can."

I closed my eyes, feeling nauseous, scrambling for memories that seemed distant and fuzzy.

"How are your pain levels?"

"My side hurts, but so does my hand." I lifted up my bandaged hand, feeling confused.

"You have a deep laceration on your palm from the glass."

"Glass?" The foggy images pushed into my mind. As they began to crystalize my breathing grew rapid and I gripped the sheets on top of me.

"Hey, it's okay. It's over." The nurse patted my clenched fist. "You're safe and nothing can hurt you now." Her smile was sweet as she gazed down at me. "From what I understand, you are a very brave girl and your quick thinking saved your life."