21
Promises
“Please,Esteban,”Icry,shaking him.
The passenger side door opens, startling me, and I scream out only to gasp a breath at the sight of Leandro. His brow furrows as he assesses the situation, and he shoves his hands under Esteban and lifts him from the car.
“He’s breathing. In shock. Get the side door for me,” Leandro says, jogging fast enough for me to have to run to keep up.
Forcing my legs to hustle, I bolt to the side door and hoist it open. A chain clatters against the heavy metal. I’m pretty sure it’s been cut off since the rest of the place looks abandoned. I wonder how Leandro found this place or knew we could use it.
“I have everything set up over here.” A woman in scrubs stands at a metal table covered in plastic. Bright light shines from her medical glasses, blinding me. “What’s your blood type, Leandro? He’s going to need a transfusion.”
“AB.” Leandro sets Esteban on the table and runs to wash his hands at the sink of what must’ve been a break room. He grabs a mask and gloves, suiting up. “Stacia’s O-negative.”
“All right, girlie. You’re a universal donor. Your friend’s going to need you.” The woman cuts open Esteban’s shirt, getting a view of the stab wound. She flashes her light in Esteban’s eyes. “Sir? Can you hear me? You’re lucky as hell you weren’t stabbed a little more to the right. You’d be dead.”
My body chills with her words. I should’ve driven faster. I should’ve done something. What if he does die? I can’t think about that.
“Stacia, come lay down and let me get you hooked up. I know this shit makes you queasy, but it’s going to be okay. We need to get him stabilized so Dr. Silva can get him sutured up.” Leandro motions for me to lay beside Esteban, and I lace my fingers through his, hoping he knows I’m here.
“Esteban, I’m not going anywhere,” I say softly, squeezing his fingers. My heart jumps at the sight of the IV line, and I turn my gaze away.
Fuck. Don’t pass out. Don’t fucking pass out.
“You’re going to feel a pinch,” Leandro says getting me hooked up to the line. “Don’t think about it. Listen to my voice. You’re saving his life.”
I close my eyes and imagine being somewhere else, anywhere else. I Imagine being back in Florida, staring at the aqua water with Esteban.
Even though that trip was shitty, coming back here, it’s been worse. So much worse than I imagined.
“Look at you, beautiful. You’re not even pale. I think you’re getting desensitized.” Leandro moves to join the doctor.
The doctor and Leandro quietly work through things, and I feel Esteban’s fingers tighten around mine. I don’t know how much time has passed, but it hasn’t been that long, and I’m so relieved to feel his movement.
“Mamacita,” Esteban murmurs, rubbing his thumb over mine.
I open my eyes and meet his. I offer him a small smile and squeeze his fingers. “You scared me. You’re supposed to be a big bad drug lord, and a fucking grandma almost took you out.”
Esteban chuckles and groans. “Don’t remind me.”
“Oh, I’m going to hang this over your head forever. It’ll be my own personal collateral to ensure you stay by my side.” I puff a breath through my lips, my bunched nerves finally relaxing.
The doctor shuts off her bright light and peels off her gloves. “Make sure he gets rest. I wrote a prescription for pain meds. I want you to keep an eye on his sutures. Keep them clean. I’ll check back in with you in a couple days, brother.”
Brother? I didn’t know Leandro had another sibling—a sister. I only knew about his older brother, who’s estranged. But why would I? It’s never come up. It seems that he knows everything about me, but I still have so much to learn.
“Just send me a bill. Thanks again, sis.” Leandro begins cleaning up all of the bloody gauze and evidence that something went down here.
The doctor doesn’t give me another look and grabs her bag and exits the building, vanishing before I even have a chance to thank her.
“We’re going to have to move him,” Leandro says, grabbing my attention. “I want you to pull my car around. We’re going to leave that junker you brought here.” He hands me the keys. “It’s the silver sedan parked on the street.”
Leandro helps me to my feet, double checking to make sure I’m not going to fall on my ass because of my blood donation. I’m too numb to even think about it. I can’t believe everything that has happened today. I just need to power through and ignore the world. I just need to get somewhere safe, and I know Leandro will take me there.
“And Stacia?” he adds, stopping me from rushing out the door. “You did good. We have a lot to talk about, but I want you to know that I’m here. I don’t care what kind of shit you’re wrapped up in. I’m here and I’m not going anywhere.”
My heart flutters with his words. A part of me wants to tell him that he should leave. He should run away from me and never look back. But another part of me never wants to let him go. Because it’s dangerous being around me.