" Everly p-please -" Stella struggles to form words with her mouth as I rush over to her blood stained figure.

" We need to get her to a hospital!" Blake yells from behind me as I try to help Stella over to a couch.

" No!" Stella, the guard and I yell. Blake doesn't say another word as he and the guard helps Stella to the couch. I grab a few kitchen towels and flow behind them to help clean the blood off Stella so that I can have a better look at her wounds.

Her clothes are ripped and coated in blood. I can see a visable wound near her shoulder. Blake and the guard slowly let her down on to the couch.

" Blake in the second bathroom to your left from the dining room is a first aid kit." I tell him and he quickly rushes away while the guard takes a kitchen towel from me and starts to apply pressure on her wound.

" Oh fuck it hurts!" Stella yells and wraps her arms around her fragile figure as she tries to push the guard away.

" What happened?" I try to lift her shirt over her head leaving her only in her bra so that I can take a better look at the wound. I don't know anything about first aid but this shit looks pretty messy.

Before Stella can respond Blake comes running back with the first aid kit. I take a look back at Stella's wound. She's going to need stitches. I don't know the first thing about stitches. From the horrified look on both Blake and the guard's face I'm pretty sure we are thinking the same thing.

" We need a doctor." I say and rush over to my phone.

It's dead. Fuck.

" Blake give me your phone please." I beg him as he hands over his phone. Without thinking I dial Liam's number. How do I even know this?

Please pick up. Please pick up.

" Liam Wells. " Liam flatly answers.

Oh so when I call or text or email he doesn't answer but when an unknown number calls him, he answers. Fuck you Liam.

" Liam it's Everly." I say rushed.

" Everly? Who's phone is this? Who's with you?" he demands.

Cue the rolling of the eyes.

" We need a doctor now. It's urgent. Who can I call?" I rush my words. Stella is probably bleeding to death and Liam isn't helping much with all the questions.

" What's going on? Is it the baby?! " his panicked voice makes my heart flutter.

" No it's Stella. Who can I call? " I'm starting to get really frustrated.

" Fuck. Oh uhm... Hang on." I hear him run around as he talks to a few people. Well more like yell at them. Typical.

" Call Doctor Louis. I'll text you his number over this phone." he says and hangs up.

Not even ten seconds go by when I hear a vibration coming from a text. I quickly dial the number and arrange for the docter to come to the house.

I walk back into the living room where Stella is passed out and Blake is washing her wounds with water. The guard isn't where I left him anymore. He probably went to make arrangements for the doctor to be let in. Liam wasn't kidding when he said he has this placed under strict protection.

" Is she going to be okay?" I slowly walk over to Blake.

" I don't know. This wound is pretty deep. At least it's in her shoulder and away from important organs." he says as he continues to water the wound.

" The doctor will be here shortly." I don't really know what to tell him. He barley knows me and here he is, washing blood off from a gang member in a gang leader's house.

" What happened to her? " Blake stands up from his sitting position to stand in front of me.

" I-I don't know. " I answer honstley. I really don't know what happened to her. She didn't answer me when I asked.

" Everly." Stella's thin voice squeaks.

I rush over to her side and bend down.

" Get me-me a b-beer." she struggles to say.

You can't be serious.

" The doctor is going to be here shortly." Just as I say that a man storms into the living room. Blake pulls out his gun at an impressive speed and the man freezes.

" I'm Doctor Louis. I'm here for Stella. " he says with his arms in defense. Just as his words left his lips the guard from before appears in our view and quickly nods saying that he isn't a threat.

Blake lowers the gun and makes way for the doctor to pass. Minutes after him a whole crew of medical professionals storm in, almost giving Blake a heart attack. They lifted Stella up onto a stretcher and took her to one of the guest rooms that they have prepared for her. We were not allowed to see her so we just sat in complete silence. Both too shocked to understand.

Minutes feels like hours and hours feels like days. I look down at my watch and realize it's already past 3am.

" You don't have to sit here the whole night. I'll be fine." I say to Blake who looks as if he's a second away from a deep coma.

" Everly, a girl just showed up out of nowhere, covered in blood and wounds. You seriously think I'm just going to leave you here. " he replies.

" I'll be fine. I'm used to this. " once I realized what I said my eyes grow wide.

" Used to this?" he questions.

"Yeah I - I mean the blood. I'm very clumsy so I always end up in the hospital. Especially over the holidays when I run around and do silly stuff. Did you know-" I'm cut off by Blake's laughter.

" You're rambling Everly. I'm staying whether you like it or not. " he chuckles.

Something about him reminds me of Liam. Gosh they are nothing alike but still I feel like as if I'm talking to Liam right now. I quickly shake the crazy thought out of my head and smile.

The doctor comes out after a few minutes. The two of us quickly rise to our feet.

" Is she okay?" I ask before the doctor could say anything.

" She's stable." he replies.

" What's that supposed to mean?" Blake blurts.

" It means that the bullet didn't do much damage. Nothing that a few stitches can't fix. She has a few bruises on both her legs that look like stabbed marks. Nothing too serious. She lost a lot of blood but we have her hooked to the monitors for in case something drastic happens. A nurse will also be staying with her for a few days for her check ups. " he explains.

A sigh of relief washes over me. She's okay. That's all that matters right now. I'm still surprised how quickly Liam managed to get a doctor to the house at this late hour. Doctor Louis probably works for Liam. He definitely works for Liam if he doesn't ask questions about what happened. Right.

" Can I go and talk to her? " I ask the man in white. He nods and leads me over to her room.

I'm stunned at the sight in front of me. Bruises cover her beautiful little face. Her lips are swollen and she has a band aid wrapped around her head. Her one leg is lifted, probably to calm the swelling. I've never seen Stella so...weak.

" Stella..." I quietly walk in. She turns her head towards me and tries to smile. My heart breaks for her.

" What happened?" I decide to skip the chit-chat and dive right into it.

Stella shifts her head away from me as she closes her eyes. She takes a deep breath and exhales slowly. When she opens her eyes I see her eyes are starting to water up. I walk closer and lightly take her hand in mine.

" I need to know Stella." I press her for an answer.

She turns her head back to me and parts her bruised lips.

" They were after you."

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