One too Many

Chapter 25

Mariposa Samara

It hurts.

Everything hurts.

I can't breathe and I'm cold.

Everything is a blur.

I can feel myself in a strong embrace, a muscular huge one. I wait for the panic to come but I feel none. Strange.

It's warm and dare I say safe.

I try to move my body but it's frozen in place and I can't move an inch.

I try to feel the rest of my body. My neck is wet and sticky. I recognize it feels like blood. Then I feel something gripping my hand, so I try to move my fingers around it.

A hand.

A huge one that's engulfing mine. It's warm and gentle. I know this hand.

The second my fingers move around it, it grips me harder.

"Tiny beauty?" Ian whispers against my forehead.

I try to respond but nothing comes out. So I try to grip his hand harder. Or whatever of his hand I can, which in this case his forefinger only.

He grips my hand harder. "Baby girl?" He says louder and I hear some rustling around us.

"Is she awake?" Someone frantically asks as I feel hands on my face stroking gently. "Amore? Baby, can you hear me?"

I try to nod since I can't talk but that only makes the pain worse causing a whimper to slip free.

Somebody curses before they angrily whisper yell at Cole, "stop asking her to talk, she clearly can't and it's hurting her!" Pretty sure that was Dominic.

Then I hear hurried foot steps and somebody crouches next to my head, "Sam? I'm right here." Oliver places a quick kiss on my forehead as I feel him check me over.

"Is she awake?" Someone asks worriedly. By the deep voice I can tell it's Asher.

"I'm pretty sure she is conscious. I don't think she can open her eyes or speak yet. Let's give it some time." Oliver explains as he gently examines me.

My head is hurting. What the fuck happened? I just remember working, then shooting, Cale injured, and...

Fuck! Cale!

I start to panic as I remember his injury. It wasn't that bad but is he Okay? Why can't I hear him?!

My breathing hitch as I squirm to sit up. I need to see that he is Okay.

"Hey, hey, hey. Easy, Sam. What's wrong? Are you hurting? Stop moving, please, you lost a lot of blood." Oliver pleads as he pushes me back down.

I try to force my eyes open but they close right away. But I try again anyways.

"Sam, calm down, you're going to hurt yourself. What's wrong? Why are you restless?" Oliver's worried tone rings in my ears.

"C-," I try to get Cale's name out but the only thing I can get out is the letter C. I am already tired of talking, it's painful, I can't breathe properly, and the panic is not helping, but I try again.

"C-," I stop to take a breath but it ends in a painful groan.

"Stop trying to talk, you're going to hurt yourself!" Ian shouts, his voice shaking with worry, and I squeeze his hand as hard as I can with my weak one.

I force my eyes open again, and they stay open long enough to see Ian's, Dominic's, Cole's, Asher's, Oliver's, and Oscar's very concerned faces, but no Cale. And the panic raises again, clogging my throat as I will my weak body to move but to no avail.