Rose knelt beside Lucian, cradling his still, blood-soaked body, her face streaked with tears. Her arms tightened around him as she heard footsteps approaching, and the cruel voice of the gunman echoed in her ears, mocking her grief.
"Damn it," the man's partner hissed, glaring at the first gunman. "I told you to shoot the girl, not the boy. Now look at the mess you've made." He shook his head, a frustrated sigh escaping his lips. "If he's dead, we're in for it. This could bring a hell of a lot of trouble."
The gunman shrugged, dismissive, rubbing his shoulder where the slap had landed. "What was I supposed to do? Kid just threw himself in the line of fire. Not my fault he's got a hero complex." He stepped closer to Lucian and Rose, his eyes cold and calculating as he took in the motionless body of the boy.
"Well, go check on him then," the second man snapped, crossing his arms impatiently. "If he's still alive, maybe we can salvage this mess."
