Ascension

Chapter Thirty-Four

Silence.

Silence is all I wanted. The blaring music could be heard even through the pouring rain and the large crowd of people became louder once the doors were open. The Christmas party. We were supposed to be here celebrating tonight. The Martinez brothers were supposed to make an appearance. There were too many people for us to safely get through the front.

We took the back entrance and Luke made the calls to get employees to move around so they could help Manny. No one questioned his current state. Abel and Lucas did all they could to keep him out of pain, and safely carried him up the stairs. Sixteen flights of them to be exact.

By the time we reached the top, both the men were ready to heave. Manny was the largest guy I have ever met. A tree, if you will. They were carrying the dead weight of a six foot six inch pile of muscle.

I watched a tear roll down his cheek.

Anyone knew when a man like Manny cried, they were fighting some serious pain.

I waited patiently for the doctor to arrive once again with some better equipment, some pain medicine and antibiotics. Keeping him stable for now was my biggest priority. He laid on the large sofa in my hotel room. I was crashing.

I managed to get everyone to go get the rest of their own as I slumped in the recliner adjacent to him. It was past midnight, my eyes were hooded and my body felt like jello. He slept soundly, his breathing ragged every now and then.

I palmed my stomach as it made a large gurgling noise. I haven't eaten anything today. I haven't even thought about food. The amount of blood loss that Manny had was enough to take anyone's appetite away.

The door crept open, he peeked in to make sure I was awake before walking in. Gavin closed the door behind him. He looked exhausted. The skin beneath his eyes seemed to grow darker by the minute.

"Dani, you need to get some rest." Gavin's voice was soft inside the room. He approaches the chair beside me. "I appreciate you wanting to take care of him, but you need to be in oyur best shape to do so."

I pinched the bridge of my nose. "I can't just leave him."

"Sure you can. I'll stay here, go to bed."

I swallow. "I felt him die."

Gavin remained silent.

"I watched his chest stop rising. I felt the blood stop running in his veins." I murmur quietly. "I can't sleep."

Gavin grabs my hand and pulls me to my feet. He guides me into the kitchen where we can talk without being too disruptive. "Dr. Ezekiel says he is stable. He will be here soon."

"I am responsible for him." I say firmly. "These people are you guys because of me."

He shook his head. "These people have been after us for years. This is not your fault. You are not responsible for anything." I tried looking away and he grasped my chin. "You are way too smart to be your number one enemy right now."

I stare into his sleepy eyes. "I know... Everything was going so well, why did they have to ruin it?"

He picks me up in one swift movement and sets me on the counter. "They didn't have the Christmas spirit."

My hands play with his hair at the back of his neck. "What did Navarro need you to do? Why did you have to go in his car?"

"It's something we can discuss tomorrow."

I raise a brow. "Make it short and sweet so I don't think about it all night."

"I went hunting."

Oh.