I was not ready to die...

I was not ready to die...

Carlos Blaze

Fifteen minutes after this man died, Daisy would be gone. Killed. But how could I be certain that letting Sandro live would actually keep her alive?

I held the power here, yet he controlled what happened at my home.

There was only one possible solution. I had to get back within fifteen minutes.

I turned my back on Sandro for an instant, then drove my foot into the table in front of me with all my strength.

Sandro laughed, and in that moment I spun around and fired at him. I had wanted to make his death slow and painful, but I no longer had that privilege.

I shot him multiple times, catching his men off guard and leaving them no chance to shield him. The laughter died in Sandro's throat as the gunfire erupted around us.

My business here was finished. I dashed towards the door without a second thought. My hand was reaching for the handle when a bullet struck me in the side.

I swore loudly and grabbed the handle, forcing myself to ignore the agonising pain. I pulled the door open and ran outside, doing everything I could to push the injury from my mind.

I threw myself into my car and floored the accelerator. Blood was pouring from my wound, and the pain was unbearable, but none of that mattered.

Daisy's face appeared in my mind over and over, and each time it made me press the pedal harder. I was driving at a reckless speed, but my own survival meant nothing to me now.

"Please be safe. Please," I muttered under my breath. Whether I was begging her to stay alive for my sake or just trying to keep myself conscious, I could not tell. But I kept repeating the words, again and again.

I took a corner at the speed I was going and nearly sent the car crashing into the bridge.

"You idiot! You cannot die now! You have to keep her alive before you let yourself go!" I shouted at myself, slamming my fist against the steering wheel.

Time seemed to race forward, and with each second that passed, my heart pounded harder.

My phone rang. Andro. I snatched it up straight away.

"Protect her with your life. Do not stay alive if anything happens to her."

"I... I did my best, boss." His voice sounded strained, as if he were in pain.

"Wh... What do you mean you did your best?! Andro?! Andro?! What the hell are you saying?!" I screamed down the line.

"She is still alive but... but I will not be by the time you arrive," he said, his voice growing fainter with every word.

"An... Andro?" I called out, but he did not respond.

Andro had been with me for years now, and losing him was...

"Damn it! I hate this night!" I cursed, pounding the steering wheel again.

"You are not allowed to die, Andro. Find somewhere to hide and you had better stay alive!"

I finally reached the house after what felt like an eternity, though it had actually only been thirteen minutes.

I parked the car in the space where several bodies now lay scattered around. Gunfire was still ringing out.

I leapt from the car, clutching my gun and nothing else. The bullet wound had left me much weaker, but I refused to let that slow me down.

I hurried forward, firing a few shots to clear the way of the men in my path.

I rushed up the steps to my room, and for the first time I regretted placing it on the upper floor.

When I reached the door, I found it had already been melted open. As I stood in the entrance, a bullet flew towards me and struck my left arm.

"Bastard!" I roared before throwing myself into the room.

Three men were inside. I shot one the moment I entered.

"Carlos!" Daisy screamed, but I ignored her and kept firing at the remaining men.

They dodged my shots, and my anger flared. My vision was growing dim and hazy, yet two men still stood in this room.

"Just die!" I shouted, channelling every ounce of strength I had left and firing wildly at them.

Another bullet hit my shoulder, and Daisy screamed again. But I managed to take one of them down.

Just one more. One more, and Bella and the others would arrive soon. They would keep Daisy safe for me.

But my body was failing me. Useless body! I had trained it for years, and now it chose to give up on me?

Another gunshot rang out, but it did not come from me or from the remaining man. It came from Daisy. She had shot the last one. Relief flooded through me, and I felt so incredibly proud of her.

The gun slipped from my hand, and I fell to my knees.

"Carlos!" Daisy rushed over and dropped to the floor in front of me.

She held my face in her hands and lifted my head.

"Carlos, please," she sobbed.

"You... you did so well, Cup... Gold. You protected... you protected yourself." I was not certain she could still hear me, or even if I was actually speaking those words out loud.

I felt so weak, so exhausted, so close to the end. And yet, so relieved.

"You are... you are alive and I... I am so glad you are alive. Stay... stay strong for me. Our child, I love... I love our child." I coughed, and blood came up.

"Do not say another word, Carlos. Please," she begged.

"Not another word, please. You are not going to die! You... you will stay with me, Carlos. You will stay with me forever."

I no longer believed her words, though. I could not survive this. Even if Bella arrived right now and rushed me to hospital immediately, I would die on the way there. My time was up, but I had lived well. Very well, in fact.

I had found Daisy, and I had left a baby growing inside her.

"I... I love you," I forced out. My final words.

"I love you too, and you are not dying, so shut your mouth right now! Do not say anything else! Not another word!" she yelled at me, and I managed a smile that lasted only a second on my face.

I wondered if she had even seen it.

Just then, someone else burst into the room, but it was not Bella. It was not one of my men. It was that woman.

Irene.

"I... Irene!" I heard Daisy gasp.

"Come with me now!" Irene grabbed Daisy's hand, but Daisy screamed.

"Leave me alone! Get off me!"

I reached my hand out weakly towards Daisy. I did not want her to leave. I did not want her to be taken by this terrible woman who should have been dead a long time ago.

I wanted Daisy safe, and her safety could never be guaranteed in that woman's hands.

"Carlos!" Daisy grabbed my hand and held on tightly, and as my eyelids began to close in what I knew was certain death, I kept my grip on her.

"Let go of me, you monster! Let go!"

The voice grew distant as several men entered and started pulling Daisy away from me.

I tried to call her name, or at least reach for my gun. I hated this. I hated dying like this. I hated this weakness. I hated that I could not protect her.

"Carlos!!!" she screamed as I collapsed to the floor, my eyes closing while I reached out for her weakly. But she was beyond my grasp now, so far away from me.

Death. I could not die yet. Not yet. Please, I was not ready to die...

But my eyes closed anyway, and the darkness forced itself upon me. Death.