Oops! This image does not follow our content guidelines. To continue publishing, please remove it or upload a different image.
I slammed the van door shut, the engine humming beneath us as we tore through the rain-soaked streets. My knuckles whitened on the steering wheel, eyes flicking between the road and Blake slumped in the seat beside me. She was fading fast, her face pale and blood smeared across her fingers, pressed tightly to her side.
“Stay with me, Blake,” I muttered, the words slipping out before I could stop them. “You can’t go dying now. We’ve got unfinished business.”
She groaned softly, head lolling to the side. “Shut… up.”
I smirked, despite the knot twisting in my stomach. "You know, you're a lot less intimidating when you're bleeding all over my upholstery."
“Is this really the time for jokes?” she rasped, her voice thin and strained.
I ignored her question, my mind already racing. We didn’t have long. The guards would realize the jewel was just a distraction, and soon they'd be on us. But right now, all that mattered was getting her out of here alive.
I made a sharp turn, cutting through an alley and heading toward my apartment. It wasn’t much, but it was safe. At least for now. I could patch her up, get her back on her feet. She’d probably want to kill me afterward for ditching the jewel, but that was a problem for later.
Ten minutes later, I pulled into the underground garage of my building and killed the engine. The rain still pelted the roof of the van, a steady drumming that echoed in the silence between us. I glanced at her, barely conscious, her breathing shallow.
"Alright, princess," I muttered, unbuckling my seatbelt. "Time to play hero."
I moved around to her side, opening the door and gently lifting her into my arms. She made a weak sound of protest, but didn’t have the strength to argue. For once.
“You’re heavier than you look,” I teased as I carried her up the stairs, my voice light despite the weight of the situation.
“If I wasn’t dying…” she mumbled, barely able to finish her sentence.
“Yeah, yeah. Save the threats for when you’re not bleeding out all over me.”
By the time I got her inside, she was nearly unconscious. I laid her down on the couch and grabbed the med kit from the bathroom. My hands moved on autopilot—sterilizing the wound, patching her up. I’d done this sort of thing enough times to know what I was doing, but there was something different about it this time. Something unsettling about seeing Blake like this. Vulnerable.
“Hey,” I said quietly, brushing a strand of damp brown hair from her face. “You’re gonna be fine. Don’t go making this dramatic.”
Her Hazel eyes fluttered open, hazy but focused enough to shoot me a glare. “You… idiot.”
“There’s the Blake I know and love.” I chuckled, but there was no real humor in it. “You really think I’d leave you back there?”
Her gaze softened, if only for a second. “You should have. The jewel was more important.”
“Nah,” I said, shaking my head. “You’re more fun to be around. Plus, I’d miss your constant nagging. Keeps me sharp.”
She rolled her eyes, but the movement was sluggish, her body still fighting off the pain. “This doesn’t mean we’re friends.”
“Wouldn’t dream of it,” I replied with a grin, though something about that stung more than I cared to admit.
I finished bandaging her wound, making sure everything was secure before leaning back, wiping my hands on a rag. She was breathing easier now, her color slowly returning. The worst was over, for now.
“I’ll give you this, Blake,” I said after a long silence, settling into the chair across from her. “You handled yourself better than I expected back there.”
She snorted weakly. “Is that supposed to be a compliment?”
“I don’t give those out often. Don’t get used to it.”
She closed her eyes, clearly exhausted but still managing a smirk. “You’re insufferable.”
“Yeah, but I just saved your life, so maybe lay off the insults for a bit?”
She didn’t answer, already slipping into unconsciousness. I watched her for a moment longer, feeling a strange mix of relief and something else—something I wasn’t ready to deal with just yet.
As I leaned back in the chair, the rain continued to patter softly against the windows, and the apartment fell into a tense quiet. Blake was safe, for now, but the real trouble was just beginning.
And for the first time, I realized how far I was willing to go to keep her that way.
