7: Mr. Mafia's Bride

Alessia's POV 

"Get down!!!"

Rylan's voice reverberated through my soul, drenching the last sanity I had preserved. I went wild with fear, smashing my head on the dashboard as the car swiveled to the left.

A gunshot was heard, and then another, with the windscreen cracking up from the impact.

The sound was deafening, and I found my hands clasped to my ears, with my head still ducked. The banging pain on my forehead didn't matter at all, I was matter of fact, numb to my feelings.

"Hm."

A soft groan sounded beside me, coupled with the streak of blood dripping on his thigh.

I froze, forgetting how to breathe for a second. Rylan had been freaking shot!

Slowly, I got a grip on my sanity, slowly following the drops of blood up to the source, to see the fine red line thick with his blood as it streamed down his elbow.

"R-Ry..."

I struggled to say his name, shivering like I was having an epileptic episode.

Looking at the spot on his collarbone the bullet had carved in, almost close to his neck, my hands quivered, I was slowly passing out.

He had shot the one aimed at me and sustained a brutal wound before he could save himself.

"Why?!"

I broke down completely, sobbing like a spanked child, terribly shaking all over.

"Stop, Lessi." He groaned, buying down, with clenched jaws. He was battling pain, and bleeding badly, but he couldn't stop or we would both be killed.

Bursting through the back exit, we were faced with another guard. He drew out his gun, with an angry expression.

"Shit." Rylan sighed when his gun fell off by the side of the door. It was either he lost hold of the steering and went for it, or ignored it. Whichever, we both get killed anyway.

He fired a shot before Rylan could pull out a dagger. But oddly, it wasn't at us, as a guard beside my window fell flat from his shot.

Holy skies!

Rylan threw the dagger in his direction, with the sharp blade sparkling as it spun in the air.

The guard didn't move or try to save himself even though he had a gun. Not even batted a lid. He remained rooted on his spot, as if totally trusting Rylan to not kill him, or deciding to die by his hand.

The dagger passed his ear by a few inches and took down a guard behind him.

Rylan slightly nodded at the guard in appreciation and zoomed off, hitting the road at full speed.

"The hospital." I whimpered. "You should branch the hospital or clinic." I cried when he didn't stop to tend to himself after driving for long minutes.

"We need to lose them." He sighed, keeping his eyes on the road.

"You're losing so much blood... Let's go to the hospital, please."

He hissed and looked at his jeans that was soaked with his blood.

"You know I can't go to the hospital or even call Greg." His grip on the wheel tightened, noticing his shot hand trembling.

"He won't be able to meet us. I don't even know where we're going" He chuckled.

"It's not funny." I threw my head backward and cried. "The pharmacy or something." My voice trailed off.

I wasn't a health worker and lacked the basic knowledge of first aid so well. An intuition struck.

Pushing to the edge of my seat, I took off my dress, leaving just my bralette and shorts.

"What are you doing?" He glanced at me and back on the road.

"Don't try to persuade me to stop." I gently stole his hand and wrapped it with my gown, trying to still the bleeding.

He scoffed and continued driving, losing hold of his speed as we slowed down with each hour of riding.

His face was clouded with sweat, as it pooled beneath his chin and soaked his shirt, leaving a dark patch from the blend of his blood and sweat.

Oh, god.

I shut my eyes and wept.

Should I call my father for help? Who the fuck would help right now?!

"We should stop and get you food, anything." I had to mention, seeing how weak he was getting.

He didn't say anything, just kept driving.

I was sure we were almost close to Michigan's border.

He drove into a fuel station and attempted to get out when I rushed out.

"Lessi..."

"Stop." I scolded him. "Except you want to draw attention to yourself." I looked at my soaked gown tightly tied to his shoulder.

"You're naked." He groaned, breathing heavily.

I shrugged and let my hair down as if it would make any difference. The not-so-long red curls covered the back of my bra, and I pushed a good amount of it to cover my cleavage.

"Let me help," I whispered and kissed him to stop another argument.

Leaving him, I filled the tank of our car and rushed into the mall attached to it, with my purse clutched in my hand.

Food. Methylated spirit. Water. More food. Pain killers.

I randomly stuffed my cart with anything that came to my head.

The murmuring behind me intensified, with everyone gawking at me.

For Rylan, going naked wasn't a big deal.

Mothers avoided me as they pushed me to the side, holding the bosom of their teenage daughters and pulling them backward as well.

Good riddance.

I sighed and pushed to the front of the counter, dropping my things to pay and get out.

"Are you okay?" The sales rep whispered to me, looking at me with scrutiny as if expecting me to blink twice.

I smiled and nodded. "Perfectly."

She handed me my bag and swiped my card on the sensor of her machine. Done, she pushed it back to me, with her card beneath.

With her fingers to her ear and mouth, she motioned for me to call her.

"Thanks, but no, thanks." I smiled and pushed it back.

Hurrying out with my bug bag, the murmurs followed me.

"I thought you abandoned me." He hissed.

We were packed at the side of the station.

"How the fuck are you still making jokes, Rylan?"

I pulled out the spirit and the bandage and other things I got.

"Come here." I extended my hand to take his injured arm.

"What are you doing?" He grumbled. "Get in."

"Anything to save your ass." I took his hand and began to loosen my wet dress from his shoulder. "Just so you know, you're stuck with me."

It should make me feel better, give me the feeling that he was going to stay with me... Instead, I pressed my eyes shut, letting my tears flow.

"Don't cry, Lessi." He whispered, his once cold tone now frail.

When he reached out to cup my chin, his knuckles were now white, indicating that he lacked blood, with the hand, struggling to be stable.

"Please." He mumbled, struggling to hold me firmly.

Nodding, for his sake, I cleaned the area with the spirit and reapplied pressure with the bandage.

"Good girl."

He shouldn't have said that... Shouldn't have made me feel useless for only helping with some damn strings to his hand.

Damn it!

I collapsed in his bosom, sobbing without holding back.

"Promise you'll stay with me." I cupped his cheeks, staring at his eyes that was now turning yellow. His lips were parched. "I don't want babies for Christmas..." My breath was warm on his face, causing his lids to flutter.

"I just want you."

He smiled, holding my waist with his good hand and stroking my spine.

"Mi Amore..." He swallowed dryly. "It's my deepest heart desire." He whispered. "To be by your side and fuck you to filth."

I playfully slapped his cheek and giggled. "Don't be silly."

Sealing his lips with mine, I kissed him sensually. Slow at first, until it gradually deepened, with our tongue dancing in a sleek tongue tie.

"I want to drive," I said, not asking for his permission. "Let me."

Stilling his protest, I got myself together and helped him down. Adjusted my seat backward so he could fit in, before getting behind the wheel.

"Here." I set the bag beside him. "Eat for your strength, please."

He nodded and oddly stopped. "Go, Lessi."

I looked ahead to find a group of men whispering amongst themselves as they pressed their phones.

A rush of adrenaline pulsed through me, with my survival instinct kicking in.

"Where are we going?" I looked at him.

"Nowhere, just keep moving." He hissed. "We need to be out of their territory."

He had literally placed his life in my hand.

Driving with no direction, my goal was to head out of Michigan.

For long hours, we kept driving and the more I stole glances at him, the more he was slowly drifting unconscious.

Fuck!!!

Should I abandon his assignment and get him help?

The night sky was already out, with the streetlights and dim moon being the only source of light.

"Rylan?"

There was no response.

"Rylan?" I called again, with my heart in my mouth.

"Hm..."

This time, there was a family murmur.

Fucking shit!

"Rylan?!"

Deadly silence.

My shaky hand found the roof of the car as I battled to turn on the light. I flicked a button and it came on, revealing Rylan who had almost collapsed in his chair.

His eyes were shut and his breathing was like a whizz.

"Fuck!"

I cut the route, driving through a narrow path. Going ahead was like driving on the express.

Hopefully, there was a clinic nearby.

I zoomed passed a signpost, sure that I had entered a quaint town.

"Don't you dare leave me." I gripped his hand with the other on the wheel.

His palm was cool and clammy, and his grip on my hand was faint.

"Oh, my god."

My vision was clouded with tears.

"Stop!"

A loud masculine voice had me stepping on the brakes with full force, almost crashing into him.

"I'm sorry. I'm sorry." I whimpered, rolling down the glass to apologize.

"Who are you?" His angry tone demanded. He switched on his bright torch, channeling it in my face without a care in the world.

"I need help." I cried. "My husband is dying. He needs your help."

He pointed the torch at him and shook his head.

"Take him away." He sounded an order, one my heart forbid to heed.

"I beg you..."

"Now." His tone was flat and he pulled out a weapon, daring me to falter his order.

The group of three men on the other side were whispering as they looked at us, still holding onto the barrel of their guns.

With trembling hands and a broken heart, I started to reverse when a word they spoke hit me. They were speaking a foreign language amongst themselves, not English.

"Certain d'entre eux sont des escrocs. Bâtard" Some of them are con artists. Bastards

I gulped down thick balls of saliva, about to put Rylan's life on my next word. I had only one chance to spew, the next would be our death.

"C'est la saison pour aider les nécessiteux... Je ne peux pas perdre mon amour, s'il vous plaît." Tis the season to help the needy... I can't lose my lover, please.