Chapter 113

Code red

Fuck. What did this have to happen to her? Why would someone do this to her? Were there signs that i

ignored? Was she in danger, and I didn’t notice?

The questions keep bombarding my head as Gabe drives out of the underground parking. I would never

forgive myself if she was in danger and I didn’t notice it, or even do something about.

“Is she alive?” I ask as the fear of his answer chocks me.

She had to be alive. She just had to.

Gabe gives me a side way glance. “I don’t know much, but I know she’s alive”

‘Barely‘

The words aren’t said, but they are implied.

I saw the video. Whoever was after her wanted to make sure that Ava died. That she didn’t have a

chance

of surviving. I don’t know the extent of her wounds, but I know at least two bullets hit her.

“Do you know which hospital she’s at?” I ask, my voice sounding gruff even to my own ears.

I had been so focused on getting to her, that I didn’t even bother asking which hospital she was taken to.

I

just wanted to be there for her.

“Yeah, don’t worry. I called around and got the info. I was told they’re taking her to Avenue Hospital” he

answers.

At least they had the mind to take her to the best hospital in the city.

I try to calm my heart. Try to breathe through the panic that threatened to drown me. It’s hard though. So

fucking hard. I won’t get a moment of peace until I know that she’s okay.

“She’s going to be okay, Ro” Gabe tells me after a minute or so of silence.

I want to be confident about that, but I am not. She might survive, but what about the baby? Not only was

she shot, but when she fell to the ground that impact couldn’t have been good for the baby.

If she survived, but the baby died in the process, she would be devastated. I know Ava. The loss would

destroy her. It would probably be her undoing.

“Can you please hurry up?” 1 demand.

It felt like we were moving at a snail pace. Like time was crawling. Why the fuck is it always like that?

slow motion.

+15 BONUS

“I’m going as fast as I can, Ro”

“It’s not fast enough. I need to be with her” I tell him desperately.

Why can’t he understand that I have to be there? That I need to be there? What if she woke up and she

was all alone with no one by her side? She needs me by her side.

I should have trusted my instincts when I first got that sense of dread. I should have listened. I should

have dug deeper and made sure that all my loved ones were protected. I failed to listen to fucking

intuition, and now Ava has paid the price.

“Do you have any idea who could be behind this?” Gabe asks.

I know what he’s trying to do. He’s trying to distract me so I wouldn’t focus so much on all the negative

stuff.

“Reaper” I growl his name in anger. “He’s the only one with motive.”

If it’s him, then he has won. He has managed to destroy me and get his revenge. Nothing he can do

could

hurt as much as this.

“What about Noah. You have to tell him” Gabe adds.

Fuck. I had completely forgotten about him. He was going to be so heartbroken. He loves his mom so

much and this is going to hurt him.

“What am I going to tell him? How am I supposed to face him and tell him that his mother was fucking

shot? That I wasn’t able to protect her”

I feel the avalanche of emotions try to suffocate me. I can’t fall apart now. Noah needed me and so does

Ava. My emotions will just have to fucking wait until I can deal with them.

“It wasn’t your fault, Rowan. You couldn’t have predicted any of this”

I wanted it to be true, but the guilt was too powerful. I should have just listened to my intuition.

I stay quiet because there is nothing to say. A few minutes later, we arrive at the hospital. I don’t wait for

Gabe to park the car. I just jump out while it’s still moving and rush inside.

“Ava Sharp” I almost shout when I get to the nurse’s station.

One of the nods and motions for me. “Come this way, she was brought in about ten minutes ago. She’s

currently in the emergency room”

+15 BONUS

“How is she? How is the baby?”

“I’m sorry Mr. Woods, but I don’t know. The doctors are with her and I was given directions to guide her

family to the waiting room when they arrive”

I want to scream and yell at her, but I know that won’t do a thing. It won’t help in anyway.

She leads me to the waiting room, and then proceeds to leave a few second later. I’m left with my racing

thoughts and a dam full of worry. Just when I thought I couldn’t take it anymore, I feel small arms wrap

around me.

I turn to face the intruder only to find my mom staring back at me.

“Mom” I whisper. I feel my eyes tear up, but I refuse to let the tears fall.

I’ve never felt so helpless. So weak.

“She’s going to be fine. You just have to have faith”

I nod my head unable to force any word out of my mouth.

“Have you heard anything from the doctors?” it’s only when I hear Letty’s voice, that I realize that

everyone was here.

Travis, Kate, my dad, Gabe, Corrine and even Emma. The only ones that were missing were Nora and

Theo.

“No” I answer. “Have you informed her parents?”

“Yes. They traveled yesterday on a business trip, but they are on their way back. It will probably take

them

at least four hours before they are back”

I turn to face my brother as something hits me. I couldn’t let Noah hear it from teachers. If someone was

going to tell him, then it will have to be me.

“Gabe, get one of our contacts to take the video down”

“On it” he says, before taking out his phone and stepping a few feet away.

“I need someone to get Noah” I murmur, my eyes focused on the emergency door.

Corrine answers. “I’ve already talked to Calvin. He’ll pick him up and bring him here as soon as possible”

I see Emma going still at the mention of Calvin’s name, but I honestly don’t care. Her issues with him

weren’t important right now.

+15 BONUS

The door to ER burst open and a doctor comes out. We all stand and face him.

“Are you all Ava’s family?”

“Yes” I answer. “How is she?”

“Her wounds are extensive, but our main concern is the baby and the bullet that is lodged in her skull” he

answers truthfully.

I hear the women’s gasps, but I don’t pay them any attention. My focus is on what the doctor is saying.

“Since Ava is unconscious, we need permission to perform a C–section”

“But she’s only six months along” Corrine cries.

“Yes. I failed to mention that one of the bullet hit her stomach causing the amniotic sac to rapture. If we

don’t do something, we might lose the baby”

My breathing becomes labored and it literally becomes hard to breathe. Fuck. This is worse than I

imagined. Worry for both mother and baby consumes me.

“Go ahead” I murmur. If it was the only way to save the baby, then so be it.

The moment those words are out of my mouth, an alarm starts blaring and the lights on top of the

emergency turns red. I knew what that meant. It was a code fucking red.

A nurse rushes outside and whispers something in the doctor’s ears. I see the panic in both their

right before the doctor turns to face us.

eyes

“Ava just went into cardiac arrest. The rest of the doctors are doing everything they can but we need to

be prepared. In these cases we may need to make a decision and that’s where you come in” he says

and

the nurse picks up from where he left.

“Given Ava’s injury both may not survive, so we can only save one of them. Who will you have us save?

The mother or the baby?”

The blow of her words hit me square in the chest. How can they ask me to choose? I can’t lose Ava, but

choosing her over her baby is a sure way to make her hate me for life.