A Loaded Gun

Chapter 40

Brooke POV

I couldn't see anything. My vision was black, my ears ringing from the shots that had exploded. Stupid Richard and his stupid pre-death superstrength.

I could hear frenzied screaming somewhere in the distance, but my head was too echoey to understand the noise.

I was jerked out of my haze by a hand grasping my shoulder, feeling myself being shook frantically.

"BROOKE! DAMNIT, ANSWER ME!" I groaned and opened my eyes, my head throbbing yet again.

Marcus's panicked face graced my blurry vision, and I felt like crying. "Is it over?" I asked weakly, trying to turn my head.

Marcus held my head in place. "Don't move. I need your head checked out first."

I huffed in annoyance. "What about Richard? What happened?"

He hesitated, glancing over his shoulder before turning back to me. "He's dead. He was shot."

"Who shot him? You?" He sent another look behind him, his face grim.

"...no, I didn't shoot him. A girl did." I gasped, squirming in his grasp.

"Molly! I need to get to Molly," I pleaded with him, worried about my friend.

His mouth tightened. "Brooke, just stay still. Please."

"What are you not telling me?" I demanded angrily, giving one final jerk and twisting out of his hold.

I stood up, groaning at the dizziness I felt, and glanced around for Molly. I noticed a limp body slumped over on the ground, frizzy red hair turning darker from the liquid seeping out of her body.

"MOLLY!" I screamed, rushing over to her still form. "No no no, come on."

I urgently tapped her cheeks and pressed down on the oozing gunshot wound in her abdomen.

"Molly, come on. Wake up, please. Stay alive."

"Brooke..." her voice was incredibly weak, almost inaudible. "I...couldn't let him...hurt you. Is...is he dead?"

She stopped talking, coughing lightly, causing more blood to appear. "He's gone. He can't hurt you or me. Now stay with me. Marcus, get an ambulance!"

He appeared behind me, a gentle hand on my shoulder. "Brooke, there's nothing we can do. It's too late."

"No it's not," I snarled, pressing harder on her stomach, blood gushing out in waves.

"Brooke...you've been a great friend," she whispered, her breaths becoming shallow. "Tell the girls that I love them."

"No no no, Molly stay with me, you're gonna be ok. You're going to be fine."

She smiled weakly. "Don't worry about me. But just know if you blame yourself, I'm coming after you."

I let out a gasping sob, putting my full body weight on the still bleeding wound. It didn't help. Her body lost all tension, her eyes turning glassy.

"Molly? MOLLY! Wake up, you can't be dead. Marcus do something!"

"Brooke, I'm sorry. She's gone," he said gently.

"NO! She helped me, she SAVED me! Why didn't you do anything?"

"I'm sorry, sweetheart. We'll honor her properly, that's all we can do right now. Come on, I need to get you checked out."

I let him lead me away, too numb to protest as he led me to a medic who hurried wrapped a blanket around me to cover up the short, blood-covered white dress.