His head fell limp as blood pooled around his body. Now realizing that he was really never my friend and I was naïve to think so.

After a few seconds of trying to bring myself together quickly wiped my prints and placed his gun back beside him. I looked over at Nathan already staring down at me making me look away. I hated that Nathan was seeing so much of this side of me. The person I was before I met him. This wasn't who I was anymore. I didn't even know who I was.

"I told you to stay." I growled as I walked away from Julian lying dead in his blood. Hesitantly taking a few steps towards Nathan. "I couldn't just watch him trying to break down a door to kill you." He replied looking down at me full of worry making me look away not used to anyone caring about me.

"I would've been fine." I pressed making him step closer to me. "I couldn't risk it." Nathan replied making me frown "And I can't risk you getting hurt. Or worse. It's a miracle the only thing you have is a broken arm." I began nervously rambling.

"We need to leave" I cut myself off knowing the pain he must be in and how we could be walked in on at any moment. "We need to get out of here. People will be looking for them." I said walking towards the stairs where we came making him quickly follow.

A distant elevator dinged making me turn my head as it opened full of men. They all stopped talking and starred at us. "Nathan," I said softly to not raise suspicion as they all stood like deer caught in the headlights.

"Run." I threatened under my breath letting go of his hand. Some finally filled with realization mustering up the courage to face me as they pulled out their guns. Running as the men charged towards us from across the building only able to shoot a few of them.

Nathan and I ran into another elevator as they all jumped and tripped over desks and chairs trying to get to us. My eyes looked over at the buttons quickly pressing the 'close doors' and ground floor repeatedly. I began to worry on how fast they would close before any of the men got close.

Pushing Nathan against the wall not wanting him to get shot as bullets ricocheted in the elevator. I repeatedly pressed the button as I occasionally shot a few men. All the assassins grew closer and closer as the doors slowly closed. Panting and silently begged that the doors would close in time.

The elevator closed right before they ran up to come between them. Hearing them all yelling and slamming against the metal doors. I pressed the ground floor trying to remain hopeful that there weren't going to be any more men. I leaned my back against the wall in exhaustion turning to Nathan who was struggling to stand. "Oh, my god. That was way too close."

My eyes parted looking down at his gunshot wound in his leg. "Nathan. Oh, god." I pushed myself off the wall making him shake his head. "I'm fine." He replied as I tried to put pressure on his bleeding wound making him groan.

The doors opened to the empty office floor making me stand up to help him run. "I should be helping you walk." Nathan said as I looked around for anyone else there could be. "I'm not the one with the bullet wound." I breathed struggling to hold him up as he limped.

We shuffled quickly to his car parked across the street making me pull away and weave in and out of traffic. I stared at his wound full of concern and guilt that only continued to bleed.

"When did you buy a gun?" I asked snapping out of my trance of going through all of today's events. "While you were being treated by our doctor." He answered as we began to walk up to the home. Turning my head up at him starting to see how much last night had affected him.

We continued to lean on each other as we stumbled inside of the dark house. Thankful Rose was sleeping not wanting her to see Nathan like this. I threw a blanket on the couch before helping him to sit down. Nathan hissed in pain struggling to keep his pain hidden from me. Seeing right through it.

Nathan's breathing was irregular, and his hands were shaking. I placed my bloody hand on his chest feeling his rapid heartbeat as my other hand put pressure on his wound with a cloth. Fastening a tourniquet above his wound making him suppress his cries in pain so Rose and Valerie wouldn't hear.

"I'm so sorry." I breathed unable to look up at him away from addressing his would. I handed him another clean rag to bite into before I tightened the tourniquet.

"You should go to a hospital. I can't blame myself if I do something wrong and I make it worse." I stated anxiously pulling away.

It would be different if I was in his position especially since he didn't have as much risk going to the hospital as I did. "Gen-" He tried to reach for me as I stood. He groaned in pain quickly leaning back into the couch.

"What if it gets infected? What if I stitch it incorrectly? What if you loose too much blood and there's nothing I can do? I'm not a doctor. I-I can't do this to you." I rambled nervously frantically looking for my phone to call 911.

"Gen. Calm down. It's fine just-" He began making me turn to him in disbelief. "Fine? Look at you. You're bleeding out on my couch." I tried not to yell too loud as tears collected my eyes as he smiled up at me. Which only made me more confused and on edge for how laidback he seemed for someone who just got shot.

"God, what have I done. This is all my fault. I should never have let you follow me in there. I knew this would happen. I knew one of us would end up getting hurt. I was just hoping it would be me. That I would be lying there telling you to dig out the bullet and stitch me up without a second thought." I spiraled.

"And this was all for nothing. I didn't even find any information about me to get rid of. We went in there blind and didn't get anything out of it in return. I was so stupid to think-" I rambled breathless before I felt him grab my hand as I stood pacing.

Just by his mere touch I began to calm down trying to get my breathing under control. "I was just going to say to call my family's doctor, Lance. He was the one here who was addressing your wounds." Nathan explained looking up at me with a slight smile.

"Oh." I replied making him chuckle. "Now would be great. His number is in my phone." He teased as I quickly snapped out of it and grabbed his phone from his coat pocket.

I paced back and forth after calling the older man waiting for his arrival. Feeling helpless that I couldn't do anything more for Nathan. "Would you quit it out? You're making me nervous." Nathan smiled as I turned to him. "I'm making you nervous?" I scoffed making him chuckle.

"You're in an awful good mood for someone who just got shot." I crossed one of my arms around my waist and bit my nails on my other hand. "The shock or adrenaline I assume. Or both." He replied looking down at his leg with tense eyes.

"I thought I heard voices. What's going on?" Valerie said groggy coming out of the hallway before her eyes met Nathan. "Nathan! What- Oh, my god. You're bleeding." She rushed to his side as his lips parted in worry. "Everyone stop fussing. I'm fine." He replied nervously and slightly annoyed.

"Fine?!" She beamed making me step closer to them worried about her waking up Rose. Thankfully Nathan thought the same. "Don't wake up Rose. The doctor is on the way." Nathan said. "How did this even happen?" She asked as I looked at Nathan for what he would say to her. Valerie turned to me for an explanation as I struggled to come up with something to say.

Thankfully there was a knock at the front door making me rush over to it letting the older man in. He quickly made his way to Nathan's side to begin aiding him.

When he was all finished, we helped move him into our bedroom so Rose wouldn't see him in the morning. Valerie had left to check on Rose not wanting to watch the doctor clean and stitch him up.

"I've given him some morphine while I stitched up his wound to help with the pain. And I gave him a little extra to help him sleep tonight. Mr. Vanderbilt will most likely be groggy and in some discomfort in the morning with some mood changes." He explained looking over at Nathan's sleeping features. "Mr. Vanderbilt is extremely lucky. The bullet went through and through with no bone, nerve, or major vessel involvement. He needs lots of rest and should be able to walk on it in a few days' time. Call me if there's any changes." The doctor finished making me nod.

"Thank you." I pressed genuinely knowing I wouldn't have done such a good job. He packed up his things before he left. Raking my fingers through my hair before dragging my palms down my face in utter exhaustion.

Lying beside Nathan after I took and warm shower easing my aching muscles and changing into more comfortable clothes. Nathan laid down in his usual bed attire helping him change into it earlier. I was afraid to get too close to him with his leg propped up on a stack of pillows. Afraid of hurting him any further.

I began to turn around to face away from him when I heard his low voice. "Come here." Nathans deep voice purred behind me making me turn my head. "You're hurt. I-I'll hurt you." I said barely above a whisper.

"Come here." Nathan repeated slightly sterner than before. I reluctantly did as I was told melting into him careful not to press too hard on any of his bruises.

"You could never hurt me. I think we've already established that." He said kissing the top of my head making me smile. It didn't take long before I drifted effortlessly to sleep to the rhythm of Nathan's heartbeat.

"How are you feeling?" I asked Nathan not looking at him. I stood in our bedroom in front of the dresser finding something to wear. All I have been able to think about was the events that have taken place. My boss finding out about Rose and having the opportunity to kill her and my brother without blinking. Fighting my boss and his men to the death which my body was still struggling to recover from.

I felt guilty to complain about my discomfort when I had gotten Nathan shot. I should have been more careful. I've been letting my emotions cloud my judgment this entire time and it almost got us killed. Nathan has no idea how to survive in this world I live in.

"You shouldn't have done that." Nathan said as I still avoided turning around to face him.  "What? Save your life?" I scoffed although I knew what he really meant. "Julian would have killed you if-" I continued. "I would've had it under control." Nathan cut me off making me finally turn around to face him.

I looked at him across the room in disbelief. "You seem to forget who we are,Nathan." I stalked towards him. "Julian had you bent to his will. If I hadn't offered myself instead, he would've slit your throat right in front of me. He is a trained assassin, and I can count the ways yesterday could have gone incredibly different." I pressed full of irritation slowly walking towards him.

"I couldn't just hide while he taunted you. I didn't want to hide behind some desk helpless." Nathan replied trying to sit up straighter in bed. Struggling with his broken arm and bandaged leg making him stop as he groaned softly. "And now look at you." I breathed sitting on the bed beside him looking down at him heartbroken. "It was all for nothing."

I was unable to find any information that I could get rid of. I wanted to burn anything that remained of the things I've done and that life I led. "That was all completely pointless." I continued unable to look him in the eye.

"No, it wasn't." Nathan said placing his hand on mine as a tear escaped my eye. "I ran passed a desk that had this. It has your name on it." Looking down as he pulled out a thick brown manila folder from his nightstand. My full name was printed and words that read 'do not copy' was largely stamped underneath it.

My boss had kept secretive records of every single one of his employees that were never meant to see the light of day. If anyone including law enforcement saw them it would bring deviation to their entire secret organization. This file was enough evidence to put me in prison for life. And Nathan had it.

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thank you sm for every vote and comment on this story!! it means so much. it really makes my day.
it's crazy to me that people actually read the things i write lol

-mabel