Chapter 33

Chapter 32
Bree and Justin’s eyes locked as heavy footsteps fell on the steps, “Justin, get Marnie out, please hurry.” She began to walk toward the steps.

Justin caught her arm, “Babe, don’t, I’ll get her out then you, stay here.” He ordered. He began to get Marnie to the window just as a yell filled the entire basement making Marnie jump in his arms.

“Justin, hurry.” Bree pleaded.

He tried to go as fast as he could without trying to hurt his niece.

“Freeze or I’ll blow your heads off!” the loud yell filled the basement again.

Justin didn’t freeze though, he got Marnie out just as two shots went off. His body tensed but he never felt the bullet enter him.

“Justin,” Bree whispered as she fell into him a little just as Marnie was pulled out the window.

He turned quickly drawling his own Glock and fired toward the shadow as Bree began to slump to the ground and the shadow fell face first to the ground.

Justin reached for Bree, “Bree, baby,” he fell to his knees and cursed loudly when he saw the blood coating her white t-shirt near her shoulder and the side of her stomach. “Baby.” He whispered as he felt the tears sting his eyes. “Bree, please.”

She didn’t move, she was breathing but not a muscle twitched on her long enough to scare him.

“Justin, what happened?” Ben's voice asked in his ear.

“Bree’s been shot, Marnie can’t walk, she doesn’t have the strength, I don’t know how to get them all out.” He yanked his shirt off, ripped it the best he could and wrapped it around her shoulder and around her waist.

“Bro, hang on, I’ll be there as soon as I can, we’ll get them out.” Ben tried to reassure him.

Justin knew what his friend was trying to do but all he could think about were two of his girls needed him and he couldn’t do anything about it except curse himself and beat himself up, “Come on, baby, I need you to wake up for me.” He whispered to her, his eyes never leaving her, continuously rubbing his knuckles against her pale cheek.

If he had known this was going to happen, he would have made her stay behind. The woman was crazy for taking a damn bullet for him and he planned to scold her when they got out of here.

All his plans were quickly going up in smoke as his eyes flickered over her limp body, “Baby, please.” He whispered pressing his lips to her forehead.

She seemed to stir a little bit, then he was looking down into her dim but beautiful violet eyes, “Justin.” She murmured as her eyes closed again.

“No, baby, stay with me.” He encouraged quickly.

Her beautiful eyes fluttered open again, “I hurt so much.”

“I know, darlin’, but you have to keep your eyes open for me, I want to see those beautiful eyes.”

She blinked slowly and tried to move but groaned and grimaced.

“No, babe, I need you to stay still for now.”

“You have to go, get Marnie to the hospital.”

“I have to get you there also.” Justin cupped her cheek.

“Justin, I don’t know where to go.” Ben’s voice filled his ear, but he ignored it.

“Justin, please, get the others to the hospital, I’ll be okay.” Her eyes drifted shut.

“Bree, don’t do this, please.” He wanted to punch the man who shot her, not only punch him, but he would also be okay with killing him, hopefully his shot had killed the perv. It didn't deserve anything less. He let go of her long enough to walk over to Sal and restrain him. He wasn't too concerned with making sure he was alive or dead, just to make sure that he couldn't get to Bree while was gone was good enough for him. He headed back to Bree as quick as he could. “Honey, I’m at least going to get you out of here,” he began to scoop her up being as gentle as he could. As soon as he had tucked into his body he stood and headed down the stoned hallway and rushed up the steps.

When he got outside, he sat Bree on the porch and knelt in front of her, “Darlin’, look at me,” he encouraged, and she slid her heavy lids open. “I need you to keep as much pressure on your shoulder as possible for me, listen I’ll be back for you as soon as I get Marnie to Ben, I’ll come back.”

She nodded her head too weak for much of anything else. She was losing too much blood and leaving her was tearing him apart.

He tilted her head up and pressed his lips to hers frantically, “I’m coming back, I promise, love.” He felt so torn as he got back to his feet. His gaze lingered over the one who completely captured his heart then he took off to where he got the girls out.

As soon as he got to the other side of the building, he found the four girls huddled together and Marnie was still on the ground.

He scooped Marnie into his arms and looked to the other girls, “You have to follow me, I’ll get you all out of here.”

“Where’s the girl who was with you? The one who was here and escaped.” The smallest girl, Tinlee, asked, her green eyes wide with fear.

“She’s wounded, I have to get you guys out of here and come back for her.” Justin hated the words that fell from his lips, but he didn’t have a choice, and it sucked. He was aching so bad to have Bree in his arms, safe, and better. He had to do this first though, she knew it, he knew it, but it was killing him inside.

He adjusted Marnie a little and began to make his way through the woods with the girls following closely behind him. He had to get them out of here quick, if not he could possibly lose Bree.

Bree whimpered a little as she went to move, her shoulder was killing her and cold was setting in all over her body. Her shirt felt so wet, and sticky and it wasn’t just from the fall in the creek. She slowly lifted her eyelids, they felt so heavy, and she was in trouble if Justin didn’t come back soon. She let out a scream of pain as she made herself move up more against the wall of the building.

She glanced around slowly before she let her head roll back and land against the stone building a little harder than she meant to. She felt as if she was slipping away, and she never got the chance to tell Justin that she loved him, at least she was pretty sure she did. She let her eyes slide shut again.

At least the others were safe and could go back to their families, she wasn’t worried about herself just regretting that she never let Justin know how she felt, it was only a short period of time and yet she never wanted to know what life was like without him.