Hailey's POV
I tried to lift him, but he was too heavy. Blood was oozing from his arms and legs, and it hit me that this man had been shot multiple times. His clothes were soaked in blood, and I started to wonder what kind of mess I'd gotten myself into.
I didn't know who had shot him or why. One thing was clear: they wanted him dead.
"Hailey?" A voice called out my name, making my heart skip a beat. No one was supposed to know I was here, especially not with John's boss bleeding out in front of my door. "Who are you with? Is he drunk?"
It was Alice, my friend who lived nearby. She must have seen me and decided to stop. She parked her car and walked over, shocked to see the man lying there. I never had visitors, and I avoided men, so she knew something was up.
"Can you give me a hand, please?" I asked, exhausted, my hands resting on my hips.
Alice didn't hesitate. She got out of the car and came over, her eyes wide with shock. "Who is this? He's bleeding, Hailey! We have to call an ambulance!" She quickly pulled out her phone.
I grabbed it from her before she could dial. Alice stared at me, confused. "If we don't call for help, he's going to die! You're not seriously thinking about treating him yourself, are you?"
Her face was full of disbelief. "You're going to risk everything for a stranger?"
"Are you going to help me, or do you want to stand here arguing while he bleeds out?" I shot back, my frustration bubbling over. I handed her phone back because she was not going to call them anymore.
Alice sighed. She wasn't heartless, and I knew she'd help. "Fine."
Together, we lifted the man, draping his arms over our shoulders, and carried him inside. He was unconscious the entire time. We laid him down on the couch in my living room. I rushed to grab my first aid kit.
"What do you want me to do?" Alice asked, her eyes flickering between me and the man.
"We need to get his shirt off—carefully," I said, pulling the kit next to me.
As I knelt beside him, I finally took a proper look at his face. His facial features were striking, even with the blood and injuries. With Alice's help, we removed his shirt, revealing more blood and wounds across his chest and stomach.
There was a makeshift bandage on his stomach, but it was soaked through. I took a deep breath and removed it, realizing someone had already removed the bullet. Probably him, knowing he was a military guy.
"He's bleeding from his thighs too," Alice said, covering her mouth with her hand, clearly horrified.
"We have to get his pants off," I said, moving quickly.
"What if he's not wearing anything underneath?" Alice asked, wide-eyed.
I hadn't thought of that. But there was no time for modesty. "We saved his life, Alice. I'm sure he'll understand."
I unbuckled his belt and pulled down his pants carefully. Thankfully, he had on underwear, but I couldn't ignore the fact that his… well, his body was impressive.
"Did you see how big that is?" Alice blurted out, a grin on her face.
"Alice, stop," I muttered. "He's my patient."
"Right, right. I'll get a blanket to cover him up."
Alice returned with the blanket, and we covered him, trying to focus on the task at hand. I cleaned the wound on his thigh, finding a bullet lodged there. I carefully removed it, stitched him up, and wrapped the area in clean bandages.
"He was shot five times," Alice whispered, her eyes scanning his body. She pulled out her phone again. "I'm calling the police."
Before she could, I rushed over and grabbed her phone, ending the call. "What are you doing?" Alice shouted, her voice rising with frustration. "I think you have lost it."
"I'm not crazy," I said, trying to stay calm. "We can't involve the cops."
"You've lost it," she muttered, shaking her head. "You can't just let a guy like this into your home and—"
"I didn't say he was a stranger," I interrupted.
"What?"
"I know him. Well, I know him. He's my cousin's boss."
"So why didn't you take him to the hospital?" Alice pressed, frowning.
"They don't trust anyone right now," I explained. "My cousin asked me to help. He promised to pay me fifteen thousand dollars a month."
Alice's jaw dropped. "Are you serious?"
I pulled up my phone and showed her the bank transfer from John. Alice hugged me tightly. "Oh my God! Hailey, this is huge."
"Yes, but we still have to be careful. He's in a dangerous line of work."
"Yes, I need to go get his medication and some food for the house," I added, handing Alice her phone. I slipped mine into my pocket.
"I can do it for you," Alice offered. She'd always been helpful, ever since the day we first met. I called my colleague, Shawn, to cover my shift since it wasn't over yet.
Alice left with the list I made, offering to stop by the hospital for what I needed. Now, it was just me and him.
I gathered his clothes and took them to the laundry. After that, I went upstairs, took a quick shower, and straightened up my room.
Back in the kitchen, I made some spaghetti platter for myself though my mind kept wandering to the man in the living room. I had no idea when he would wake up or what state he would be in when he did.
Alice came back with the supplies and left to meet up with one of her boyfriends. She wanted to stay, but I refused. I couldn't let her put her life on hold because of this.
After eating, I sat in the living room, keeping an eye on my patient. He was hooked up to a drip, and I checked on it frequently to make sure everything was okay. He was restless, mumbling words I couldn't understand. He was clearly in pain, and I dreaded the moment he'd wake up, because that's when the real agony would begin.
I couldn't help but wonder what he did to deserve this. Who would want him dead so badly that they shot him multiple times? Was it because of his job? His family? A woman? Whatever the reason, it was cruel and heartless.
I knelt beside him again, wanting to check his chest wound. Just as I reached out, his eyes snapped open. His hand shot out, gripping my neck tightly.
I gasped for air, struggling against his strong grip, my vision blurring as I tried to push him off.