Page 133 of Marrying the Billionaire Single Dad

"I’m here."

"Don’t let go of me," she whispers.

"I won’t; I promise."

She closes her eyes again, her black lashes a dark fan against her white skin.No, no, no."I will not let you die. You hear me?" I scream. "Don’t you dare leave me. Not after the promises you made, Julia, Flower… Please, baby."

There’s a commotion, another shot going off. I gather her close, turn my back on the rest of the audience, blocking out the room… Everything else… The world.

Why didn’t I learn my lesson? I lost my daughter and found Julia and refused to acknowledge what she meant to me. I’d waited until the last moment to tell her I love her. I had failed my marriage vows, broken them within seconds of making them. Typical.

"Damian?" There’s a touch on my shoulder and I shake it off. "It's Weston, let me take a look at her."

"No." I shake my head, refusing to relinquish my hold on her. If I do, I'll never see her again.

"Rockstar, let me help her. I'm a surgeon, remember?" Weston's words cut through the chaos in my head. I glance over into his calm features. I know him. I can trust him with my Flower.

He nods and I lower Julia to the floor.

I kneel next to her prone body, watch as he pulls off his jacket and presses it to her wound, to stem the bleeding.

"Damian," someone grips my shoulder, "the intruder has been apprehended."

I glance up into Edward’s face. "I want to see him."

Edward nods.

"I want to see the face of the motherfucker who dared take away the most precious thing in my life. I want revenge," I state in a voice that’s so calm, so precise.How the hell am I even alive when my darling wife, the love of my life, is gone?

"I’m not sure that’s advisable—"

"I will not stop until I have my revenge. You understand?"

He nods.

"Damian," Arpad squats down next to me, "the ambulance is here."

There is more commotion behind me, then a paramedic looms over us. "We need to look at her, Sir."

"No." I spring to my feet and grab the paramedic's collar, "Don't you fucking touch her."

"Damian," Arpad hauls me back, "they need to help Julia."

"Julia," I swallow, "my Flower, my wife."

"Yes," he grips my shoulder, "let them examine her."

The paramedic reaches for her and I shove away his hand. "No. Please," I beg, "don’t take her away from me."

Edward grips my other shoulder, "I promise, they won’t."

"No," I growl, "I don’t believe you. I don’t believe any of you. I need to be with her. She asked me to stay with her. I can’t allow her to leave. You understand? She’s all I have left, and I love her, and I didn’t realize it until now. Do you understand, I—?

Edward’s hand connects with my cheek and the shock of it—not only the physical impact of the slap, but that it’s Edward behaving out of character again—is enough for me to loosen my grip.

Arpad and Edward drag me away. Weston steps back and the paramedics move in.

My friends keep ahold of me and I watch as one paramedic takes over trying to stem the bleeding from the wound while the other fits an oxygen mask over her face.