Chapter 45

Marc's Point of View

I was used to bloody scenes. I was either the cause of it, or Chase was. Either way, I was used to blood, but this - no one could be prepared for this.

I didn't think about it twice. I ran to her, skidding on the blood that covered the kitchen floor, dropping to my knees in front of her.

Hell, where was all this blood coming from?

She was a shade of white I had never seen before. It wasn't pale. No, it was death-like.

She was leaning against the kitchen island, her hand over her left arm. Then I saw it. Fuck. The blood oozing from the cut was unbelievable.

I had to make a decision.

Call it in or take her.

I glanced over my shoulder, seeing his body. The blood coming from him told me he was as close to death’s door as Chloe was.

"Oliver, call Archie." I ripped my t-shirt off. I was not the one you wanted giving medical help, but fuck it, there wasn't anyone else.

"OLIVER, CALL ARCHIE!" I yelled at him again while he just stood in the doorway doing jack shit. He had gone into shock. Hell, he wasn't the one bleeding out on the floor!

“Okay, Chase, I have to go." The shock Oliver was suffering from could be heard in his voice.

"Fuck Chase! Hang up and call Archie!" I knew yelling at him was pointless, but he wasn't listening.

I wrapped my shirt around Chloe's arm, the cut went from the inside elbow to her wrist. It was deep, and the amount of blood oozing from it told me she didn't have much left in her.

I applied pressure and, as I did, Chloe's eyes went wide. Shit, I thought she was completely out of it. The pain must be making her alert.

"Marc?" Her voice was weak while her body was limp as I took her hand off her wrist.

"Yeah Chloe, I'm here." I knew this was the point where I should reassure her or something, but all I could think of was how the hell I was going to keep her alive to get her to Archie. Maybe I should call an ambulance.

The blood was coming out faster.

"Archie wants to know where you want him?" Oliver stood behind me.

Call an ambulance or take her. I reached for my pocket.

"Don't." Chloe's hand was over mine. Hell, was she still with it? Her eyes were on mine, and it was the first time I had ever seen someone settled with their fate; like she knew she was dying and she had accepted it. "I killed him, and I can't do the prison time for that. It's better this way."

Screw that! She might have accepted she was dying, but I wasn't accepting it.

"It was self-defense, Chloe." And we really didn't have time to go over the finer details of this right now. Not as she bled out.

"It won't matter. With my record…" her voice faded.

"Chloe, stay with me." I applied more pressure to her arm and it worked, it woke her up, her eyes going wide again. "Just keep breathing, Chloe." I found myself about to promise her something I didn't know whether I would be able to fulfill. "I'll handle this. You just keep breathing."

Somehow, someway, I was going to make sure she kept breathing and that heart kept beating.

I picked up the knife that lay beside her and took it to her ankle, cutting that stupid device from her leg.

"What are we going to do?" Oliver was watching me as I tied my shirt around her arm.

"Tell Archie to meet us at the Devils, then phone the Devils and tell them they’re having company." I carried Chloe like she weighed nothing at all. There was barely anything left of her.

"What about him?" Oliver grabbed my arm as we walked past. "Can't just leave him to bleed out. That will look even worse in Chloe's defense."

I didn't have time for this; I barely had any time to get her to Archie.

"Fine, after you call them, call an ambulance for him, but you need to do all that and drive. Let's go."

Oliver nodded his head and was two steps behind me until we reached the front door and he bolted upstairs. Bloody hell, what was he doing now?

I didn't wait for him and headed for the car. I was unlocking it when he ran to us carrying a bag.

"What the hell is that?" I grumbled, opening the passenger door and badly sliding in while holding Chloe, making sure not to knock her head.

"Her stuff."

"Well, if you don't start this bloody car up and get us to Archie, she won't be needing her stuff."

"Already ahead of you." Oliver closed the back door and jumped in the front. "Archie is already on his way. Devils said we are welcome, and I called an ambulance so that guy doesn't die."

"Now all you need to do is drive," I gritted out while clamping both my hands around Chloe's arm.

She was limp in my arms now. Blood smeared across her face and body; even her blonde hair had a crimson tint to it. She looked like she was peacefully sleeping, and I was hoping that was the case instead of the alternative.