I felt a searing pain and heard yelling, but I could feel myself drifting in and out of sleep. Everything happened so fast. In a blink of an eye, the gun went off.

"Lina! Hang on! Stay with me, baby!"

I felt like I was floating, and red and blue lights flashed. People were talking, but I couldn't respond. I just felt myself shake, and then I was lifted. Then, before I knew it, I closed my eyes, and everything went dark.

*******
Scott's POV

I worked to try and stop the bleeding as the police and paramedics arrived. Mitch had tackled Lacy to the ground, knocking the gun away. I didn't understand why this was happening, except she screamed. I belonged to her. I didn't even know this woman.

The paramedics worked on her, lifting her onto a stretcher and then wheeling her out. I followed after them. They brought her out and placed her in the back of the ambulance. I climbed in after them. She couldn't leave me, not now, not ever.

As the ambulance sped towards the hospital and they worked to stabilize her, I sat there in a daze, thinking about that night. A night I hadn't planned on going out.

After Victoria, I couldn't bring myself to go out. I barely saw Georgia, and I worked when I didn't see her. It was all I could do with my life.

Then, I had a new building constructed. One of the workers, Kelly, befriended me. He was a straight shooter. He owned his own construction business, and his work was exemplary.

We got to know each other well, and one day, he suggested I meet his friend and his wife. I scoffed at the thought. I didn't need another Victoria in my life. I had enough problems. To get him to quit pestering me, I agreed.

A few weeks later, a couple of buddies pushed me into going to a new club. It was a hot place, but I didn't want to go that night. I just wanted to stay home. I ended up relenting and going.

I was nervous that night and started drinking. It helped a little, and that's when I saw her. She was amazing. She was dancing with other women, so I figured I would know if she wanted to dance.  I approached her and started dancing, hoping she would dance with me. To my surprise, she danced with me. Then she placed her arms around my neck.

Her scent was intoxicating as we danced. Then her friends wanted to leave. I didn't want her to go. I wanted her to stay, so I offered to take her home.  When we did leave, I decided to take her back to my place and sober her up in hopes of getting to know her, but she had other ideas.  I tried to resist, but everything about her drew me to her, and I gave in to the passion that night.

The next day, she was gone. I sat there wondering if it was just a night or if I would ever see her again. God, I wanted to see her again. I was hoping because I had never felt an instant connection like I did with her. There was something about her.

When I saw her at the new company I acquired, I knew I needed to make sure she didn't get away again.

Now, here we are on our way to the hospital as she fought for her life. They pulled up to the doors and got out. They pulled out the stretcher and rushed her inside, taking her back to triage.  They stopped me from going any further. All I could do was pray that she would survive. What do I tell Kami or Georgia when they ask?  They're six.

I sat down in the chair and waited. The doors opened, and everyone came rushing in. They hammered question upon question at me.  I couldn't even tell them without breaking.  Finally, Kelly interrupted them.

He took a seat next to me as I said, "There was so much blood."  It barely came out as a whisper.

"Scott, listen to me. The doctors will work on her, but right now, the best thing you can do is pray. Pray for her to come out of this. Pray for her to return to you, but pray."

I looked at him as Tara sat on my other side, "We will pray with you."

That's what we did. We prayed. I was never big on being spiritual, but at that moment, we all prayed. We prayed for Lina to pull through, for her to wake up, and just for her.

While waiting, I asked, "Where are the girls?"

"Ben has them," Tara said.

"Do they know?"

"No, we felt it was better for them to think they were staying with Ben like they normally do," she told me.

"Good. I don't want them upset, and I don't want the girls to worry. I want Lina to come home to them and me," I said as my voice cracked and I started to cry. I rarely cried, but at that moment, I couldn't stop the tears if I tried.

Tara and Kelly comforted me as the rest of them gathered around me.  Then her mom said something to me.

"Scott, my daughter is a fighter. I may tease her, but she is a fighter, and she will continue to fight," she told me.

I rubbed my eyes as I sat there. As the hours dragged on, finally, around two am, the doctor emerged in scrubs. I got up and walked over to him.

"How is she, doctor?"

"We were able to remove the bullet. A few inches lower, it would have hit Lina's heart. She lost a lot of blood, but we were able to provide transfusions and get the bleeding to stop," he explained.

I looked at him, "But?"

"But in the process, she slipped into a coma."

"How long before she wakes, doctor," her dad asked.

"We don't know. It's a waiting game right now.  It could be days, weeks, or months. It depends on Lina."

"Can we see her doctor?" Her mom asked.

"Only for a few minutes, then she needs rest. She's in the ICU right now. I will take you back," he said as they followed him. I walked over and took a seat. I wasn't leaving—not until I saw my Lina, and I still wasn't going until she came home with me.

After a few minutes, her parents came out.

"How is she?"

"We don't know. Lina's asleep," her mom said.

"The doctor said people could visit tomorrow. They want to see if she wakes up.  We're going to call Ben and update him," her dad told me.

I sat back down in a chair. I wasn't leaving even though everyone tried to talk me into it. I refused.

*******
I must have fallen asleep at some point because someone woke me up.

"Here, I thought you could use this."

I stretched and rubbed my eyes, and I saw Ben sitting beside me, holding a cup of coffee.

I took it. "Thanks. Where are the girls?" I asked, sipping coffee.

"I dropped them off at school. Tara called in for a sub. They're coming up in a few. What happened?"

"I don't know. One of my employees shot Lina. Screamed that I belonged to her."

"Why?"

"Who knows," I shrugged. "I don't even know the person. I know her as an employee."

Ben looked at me as I drank my coffee. A nurse came out, "Mr. Stevens?"

"Yes?"

"You can go see her," she said to me. I didn't hesitate. I got up and followed her back. We walked to her room, and I stepped inside. She was lying in bed, hooked up to a ventilator.

"It's okay. It's to help Lina breathe so she doesn't have to work harder. The doctor wants her to rest as much as possible. You can talk to her. They say it helps," the nurse reassured me.

I nodded and walked over, taking a seat next to her bed. Then I picked up her hand and held it in mine.

"Lina, I know you can hear me. I'm so sorry, baby. I wish this would have never happened. You don't deserve this. You deserve to be home, getting the girls ready for school, telling me what a twit I'm being, being with our family," I said to her as she lay there.

I rubbed her hand in mine.

"I thought that when you wake up, I want to get married. I don't want to wait. I want to have a small ceremony with just you and the girls.  I also can't wait for you to adopt Georgia.  You are her mommy. I want us all to be a family.  But baby, you need to wake up for that to happen.  Please wake up," I begged her.

I sat there and held her hand. I didn't know if she would ever wake up, and I had to figure out what I would tell the girls if that happened. It was going to crush them and me. I did know one thing.  If I lost her, I would never fall in love again because my heart belongs to only her. Lina, please get back to me.