Chapter 28 Don't Leave
Jordan's P.O.V.
Dakota continues to cry as I try to stop Anushka's bleeding. The three security men check to make sure the kidnapper is dead. One kicks his gun away and then comes to my side. One of the men was shot in the shoulder, and another was shot in the leg.
"Here, let me use this to help stop the bleeding." The one who wasn't shot says as he folds up his suit jacket and pushes it onto the wound. The elevator doors open, and police officers come out with their guns drawn. Some of them are the ones that were here earlier.
"Please call an ambulance," I tell them.
"There's one downstairs. The EMTs are on their way up." One of the officers says as he kneels next to me.
"What happened?" I really don't want to discuss it now, but I know they need to know.
"Our power in the penthouse was shut off. That man somehow got inside and grabbed Dakota. He threatened to take her if Anushka didn't go with him. She said she would go, and she traded places with Dakota. He pulled her out into the hallway, and that's when my security showed up." I say, looking at the three men. The elevator opens again with two EMTs pushing a gurney. They start working on Anushka immediately after pushing Dakota and me out of the way. They say she's alive, but they have to get her to the hospital now.
"We showed up when he was pulling her down the hallway. We drew our guns and told him to let her go. He refused and started shooting. He shot two of us. Anushka twisted away from him, and he shot her before I had a clean shot. I shot him in the head." The man who was holding his suit jacket to Anushka's chest replies.
"We have to go," the female EMT says. I pick up Dakota.
"We're going with you. One more thing. When he took Anushka, he said someone paid him to do it. Whoever it was told him, he could do whatever he wanted to her as long as she didn't die." I tell the officers as we get on the elevator with the two men who were shot and the EMTs. When we get downstairs, there's another ambulance waiting for the two security men.
"Todd is sending a few men to the hospital." One of the men tells me.
"Thanks," I reply. As I prepare to get in the back of the ambulance, the female EMT stops me.
"You and the child can't be in here," she says.
"This is the second time we have had someone try to kill us today. Now, my fiancé was shot and is possibly dying. We are not leaving her side. Call the police if you want, but we go where she goes." I push past her and sit down next to Anushka.
"We have bad guys coming after us. We have to stay together." Dakota tells the EMT as she wipes the tears from her eyes. The woman sighs.
"Okay, but don't touch anything," she says as she begins working on Anushka. The other one pulls out into traffic, with the lights flashing and the siren blaring. I'm thankful our building is only a few blocks from the hospital. As we pull up to the ER doors, a team of doctors and nurses are waiting for us. Dakota and I get out and stay out of their way.
"What's her name?" One of the nurses asks me.
"Anushka Wilkins. I'm her fiancé, Jordan Holt, and this is our daughter, Dakota." I tell her as we all run into the hospital. They stop us, so we can't go in the back with them.
"Wait in the waiting room, and we'll be out to get you after surgery." As the door begins to shut, they suddenly stop running.
"She's crashing!" One doctor yells. I watch through the small window of the door as they begin doing CPR on Anushka.
"Clear." Someone yells as they use a machine that makes her body jerk.
"We have to get her into the OR now, or she won't have a chance." The doctor says. A nurse gets onto the gurney, straddling Anushka as she does chest compressions, and they run down the hallway. When they're out of sight, my legs can't hold me up anymore. I slide onto the floor and hug Dakota tight.
"It's okay, Daddy. Mommy's going to be okay. The doctors will fix her so we can all go home." She says as she pats my back. Please let her be right. We can't lose Anushka.
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Anushka's P.O.V.
Everything is dark, but I can hear yelling. Where am I? My body feels numb. What happened? Where are Dakota and Jordan? I can't hear their voices among those I hear yelling. I see a bright light ahead and someone walking toward me. Who is that?
"Mom?" I ask as the woman gets closer. She's trying to say something, but I can't hear her. I want to run to her, but my body feels like it's in quicksand. Why can't I get to her? She's getting further and further away.
"Mom, wait. Please don't leave, Mom. I want to talk to you. I want to tell you about Dakota and Jordan. Please come back." I cry as she moves so far away that I can barely see her. Why did she leave me again?
I clutch my chest and gasp from a terrible pain that feels like it's piercing my heart. What's happening? I scream, but it feels like it's only in my head, and then I'm falling. Everything is black again, and my body feels heavy. Am I dying? As my mind goes blank, my last thought is that at least Dakota will have Jordan.