HE SAVED ME AND MADE ME HIS

Feelings

Caleb

I couldn’t take my eyes off Jane.

She was lying on the gurney, unconscious,as the Doctors and Nurses rushed her into the emergency room . Her face looked pale, and for some reason, seeing her like that made me uncomfortable.

I stood outside the emergency room, staring at the closed doors.

I didn’t even know how long I’d been standing there.

There was still blood on my shirt. Jane’s blood.

I looked down at it and clenched my jaw.

I kept replaying what happened at the mall in my head. The gunshots.She didn’t even think twice.She could have died.

I rubbed my face and let out a slow breath.

I’ve seen people get hurt before. I’ve seen people die. It was never something that surprised me anymore.

But seeing Jane lying there had been different.

I didn’t understand it myself.

Maybe because I’d promised to protect her.

Or maybe because somewhere along the line, I’d started caring about her more than I should.

“Caleb.”

I looked up and saw Marcus coming toward me.

“What happened to the men?” I asked.

“We got most of them. A few escaped.”

“Find them.”

“We’re trying.”

I looked back at the emergency room door.

“How is she?”

“They’re still working on her.”

I nodded.

Marcus stood beside me for a moment before speaking again.

“You should sit down.”

“I’m fine.”

“You’ve been standing here since we got here.”

“I said I’m fine.”

He looked at me for a few seconds, then decided not to argue.

My phone rang.

I answered immediately.

“Talk.”

“We found one of the men who escaped from the mall. He’s injured.”

“Where is he?”

“We have him.”

“Take him to the torture room.”

Marcus looked at me.

“Now?”

“Yes.”

“Caleb, you should probably wait until Jane is—”

“I need to know why Viktor attacked that mall.”

Marcus sighed.

“I’ll handle it.”

“No. Bring him to me.”

He nodded and walked away.

I turned back toward the emergency room.

I hated waiting.I hated not knowing if she was okay.

A few minutes later, my father walked in with Elise.

“Where is she?” he asked.

“Inside.”

He looked at the emergency room doors.

Elise came straight to me.

“Caleb…”

I looked at her.

“I’m sorry.”

“Why?”

She lowered her eyes.

“If Jane hadn’t come shopping with me, this wouldn’t have happened.”

“This isn’t your fault.”

“But she saved me.”

I didn’t say anything.

I knew.

I’d seen it happen right in front of me.

Jane had been scared since the moment I met her. She was scared of the people who kidnapped her, scared of being alone, scared of almost everything that had happened to her.

But when Elise was in danger, she didn’t run.

She put herself in front of the bullet.

The doors finally opened.

I stood immediately.

A doctor walked out.

“How is she?”

“She’s stable.”

I finally breathed.

“The bullet went through her shoulder. Thankfully, it didn’t hit anything vital. She lost a lot of blood, though.”

“Can I see her?”

“Yes. She’s still unconscious, but you can go in.”

I walked inside.

Jane was lying on the bed, her eyes closed. A bandage covered her shoulder, and her face looked pale.

For a moment, I just stood there.

Then I pulled the chair closer and sat down.

I reached for her hand.

It was cold.

I held it between mine.

“You scared me.”

The words came out before I could stop them.

I looked at her face.She didn’t move.

“You know you didn’t have to save Elise like that, right?”

No response.

I shook my head slightly.

“Stubborn girl.”

I almost smiled.

Then I looked at the bandage on her shoulder.

“You better wake up.”

My fingers tightened around hers.

“I don’t want to lose you, Jane.”

I said, holding her hand.

And for the first time, I couldn’t lie to myself anymore.

I cared about her.