Bullet for You

Orion's POV

“What the fuck is wrong with everybody today!” I cursed under my breath.

Just then, two masked men jumped out of the van, guns in hand, their movements swift and calculated. My pulse quickened as one of them shouted, “Out of the car! Now!”

“Stay low,” I said to Chloe, my voice low and firm. I shifted the car into reverse with a force, my foot pressing hard on the gas. The car surged backward, but the masked men were faster. A loud bang echoed as a bullet shattered the rear windshield.

Chloe screamed, her hands flying up to shield herself. I cursed under my breath, slamming the car into park as the men approached on either side, their guns trained on them.

“Out. Now!” one of them barked again, his weapon pointed directly at my head.

I opened my door slowly, stepping out with my hands raised. I met the man’s gaze, my mind racing for a plan. The second man yanked Chloe’s door open, dragging her out roughly.

“Don’t touch me!” Chloe spat, struggling against his grip.

“Shut up, bitch,” the man shouted, shoving her toward the front of the car.

“Take whatever you want and just leave,” I growled at them with my hands still above my head but that only earned me threats and verbal abuses from the masked men.

My eyes darted between the two men carefully. I noticed the one holding Chloe was momentarily distracted, his gun lowered slightly. Without thinking, I lunged at the man closest to me, grabbing for his weapon.

A scuffle broke out, both of us grunting as we wrestled for control. The man was professionally trained at fighting. He kicked my legs so many times that it felt like I was becoming paralyzed.

I finally managed to land a punch, sending the man stumbling backward, but the second man was quicker. He raised his gun, aiming directly at me.

“Son of a bitch!” he yelled at me.

The only face that flashed through my mind at that moment which felt like my final, was Ava.

“No!” I heard Chloe screaming, throwing herself in front of me just as the gun fired.

The sound of the shot rang in my ears, deafening and final. Chloe crumpled to the ground, clutching her shoulder as blood seeped through her fingers.

“Chloe!” I shouted, my voice breaking.

The two masked men hesitated for a moment, sparing each other quick glances before retreating, jumping back into their van and speeding off into the night.

I dropped to my knees beside Chloe, my hands trembling as I pressed them over her wound. The gun had pierced her right shoulder. “Stay with me,” I said, my voice urgent.

Chloe’s face was pale, her breathing shallow. “I—I didn’t want them to hurt you,” she whispered, her voice weak.

Not to sound ungrateful, but why the fuck did she do that? I would have tried my best to avoid the gunshot!

“I know,” I whispered instead, my chest tightening. “You’re going to be okay. Just hold on.”

I had already called for help before squatting down to her level on the ground, cradling her head and within minutes, the sound of sirens filled the air. Paramedics arrived, quickly tending to Chloe as I stood back, my mind spinning.

As they loaded her into the ambulance, Chloe’s voice rang in my ears as she called for me. I saw the mask of panic in her face as I drew closer. She grabbed my arm, tears streaming down her face. “I saved you,” she said, her voice breaking. “I put myself in harm’s way for you.”

“Excuse me sir,” one of the paramedics called, “Are you coming with us?”

“Um…No…yes…um, I will follow behind with my car,” I stuttered, Chloe's words draining every strength in me.

The paramedics peeled her hand off my arm as they prepared to strap her down.

I swallowed hard, my gaze shifting to the ambulance doors as they closed. I felt a strange mix of emotions—gratitude, guilt, burden and something heavier I couldn’t name.

Back in the car, as I followed the ambulance to the hospital, Chloe’s words from earlier replayed in his mind: “I saved you. I put myself in harm’s way for you.”

I sighed, taking a big gulp of air as my hands tightened on the steering wheel. I didn’t love Chloe anymore; that much was clear. I don't think I ever did, because what I feel for Ava is consuming and yet, so liberating. I haven't felt that way about anyone. Ever.

But how could I turn my back on someone who had risked her life for me more than once? How could I walk away now, knowing she had taken a bullet meant for me?

As much as my heart ached for Ava, the guilt weighed me down like a stone. I owe Chloe now—owed her my life all over again.

And I wasn’t sure I would ever be free of that debt.

****

The hospital was a flurry of motion—doctors shouting orders, stretchers rolling past, and the low hum of fluorescent lights overhead. I parked my car haphazardly, my mind clouded with thoughts of Chloe and Ava.

Chloe had been rushed into surgery the moment we arrived. The doctors assured me she would make it, but their words did little to ease the turmoil in my chest. As I paced the waiting room, the weight of everything pressed down on me.

Ava.

I hadn’t heard from her since she left the house, and now with everything spiraling out of control, I couldn’t help but fear the worst. My phone vibrated in my pocket, but it wasn’t the call I desperately hoped for—it was just a hospital administrator confirming Chloe’s surgery details.

The tension in the room thickened as my eyes darted toward the entrance. The automatic doors slid open, and Rose stumbled in. Her tear-streaked face and agitated demeanor immediately set off alarms in my mind.

“Rose?” I called out, walking toward her.

Her head snapped up, her face pale and eyes wide with desperation. “Mr Miller!” she cried, rushing to me. “She’s gone! Holly’s gone!”

“What?” I asked, my voice sharp. “What do you mean, she’s gone? She’s supposed to be in the hospital.”

“She was!” Rose wailed, grabbing my arm. “But when I got there, she wasn’t in her room. I’ve been looking everywhere, but I can’t find her. And Ava—”

Her words faltered, her voice breaking. “I don’t know where Ava is either. Do you? You’re her husband—don’t you know?”

The word “husband” hit me like a punch to the gut. I barely had time to process Rose’s panic before a wave of dread washed over me. Holly, vulnerable and awaiting surgery, was missing. Ava was unreachable. And now Rose was looking to me for answers I didn’t have.

"Did you check with the nurses? Security? What about the CCTV cameras?" I asked, trying to steady my voice.

“I’ve checked everywhere!” Rose snapped, her frustration boiling over. “No one knows where she went or how she got out of the hospital. Mr Miller, please. We have to find her. She's scheduled for surgery tomorrow morning!”

I swallowed hard, my mind racing. Holly could be in danger, and Ava... God knows where she was or what she was facing.

I stared at Rose, torn. My heart screamed to run out and find Ava, to make sure she was safe and by my side. But then my eyes drifted toward the hallway where Chloe lay in surgery.

Could I really abandon her? She had taken a bullet meant for me.