The ride to the hospital felt like it lasted forever, even though the driver was speeding like his life depended on it. I sat in the backseat, cradling Benjamin's head on my lap, while two of his men kept pressure on the wound on his chest. Blood was everywhere, on his shirt, on my hands, soaking into the seat beneath us.
I was shaking. He was bleeding so much.
I kept whispering his name, praying, begging him to stay alive. "Benjamin, please. Please don't close your eyes."
But he wasn't saying anything. His eyes were barely open, his breathing shallow.
My mother lay beside us, weak and silent. She hadn't said a word since we found her tied up on that floor.
Her body was cold. Her wrists had bruises, and her lips were cracked and dry.
I didn't know who to focus on. Benjamin, who had j
