Protecting the crown

Chapter 8

Chapter 8 | Camila |

He was close. Too close. I could feel his heat seeping through my thin clothes and mentally shivered. I hated the way my body reacted to him. I hated him.

I shoved him away and shot him a cold glare, 'What are you doing?' He seemed to get the message and looked away.

The raised voices brought my attention back to the two men. I looked just in time to see one of them pulling out a gun and pointing it to the other. That escalated quickly. The guy with the gun, Dominic, said something I couldn't decipher, but it seemed to make the other man shudder and back down.

I shifted slightly; the crate in front of me made a loud screech. I froze as still as statue.

The men stopped, becoming silent. 'What was that?' asked Dominic in a deathly quiet tone.

I pushed Roman back, pressing deeper into him, but he got the message. We crouched lower, taking cover behind the crate. I couldn't see what was happening, only glimpsing the dim ceiling lights, flickering above.

Footsteps echoed closer to us, clicking against the cement floors. I tensed as it came to a stop, right in front of our hiding spot. Then, I silently exhaled as it grew distant again. He hadn't found us.

The sudden bang of a gunshot pierced the room.

I flinched as the crate in front of me splintered with a small hole. I didn't feel any immediate pain so the bullet must have missed me. Just to make sure though, I checked my hands and legs for any bleeding. None.

Someone shuffled underneath me. Roman. I completely forgot about him. His face was unnaturally pale and he tightly held his arm, grimacing in pain. Droplets of blood leaked out from his fingers, splattering on the concrete floor.

I crawled to another crate shortly in front of us, taking great care not to make any more sounds. I nodded towards the nearest door. Hopefully, he could make it to the exit.

I looked back; he was sluggishly inching forward, although his face revealed he was in great pain. I sighed. I couldn't do this anymore. I grabbed him by the uninjured arm and dragged him over to the door. Pushing it open, I hauled him outside and slammed it shut, not caring whether anyone heard.

Moonlight spilled over his face, highlighting his arched brows and strong jawline. He was gorgeous, even in this state. I shook my head, mentally chastising myself.

He is your enemy. He is shot. He is the prince.

Wait...he is the prince. I can't just take him to the local healer without them asking questions and being broadcast over the entire kingdom. I would have to fix it myself.

I closely inspected the wound, trying to see past the crimson stains. There didn't seem to be a bullet lodged in there so it must have been a graze. Phew, less work for me.

His eyes slowly drifted shut. "Wake up." I pleaded desperately, lightly slapping his face. No reaction.

He can't die on me.

"WAKE UP!" I screamed and smacked his head as hard as I could. He jolted up immediately, looking around in confusion. "You're awake."

"Camilla." was all he said. His arm was bleeding profusely now. I ripped out a chunk of my shirt and tightly clinched it around the wound to stop the blood. Silently, I helped him stand and we walked in the direction of my house. The streets were empty at this time and we walked freely.