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Chapter forty-six

Nora

“I’m so sorry Nora. I didn’t know . . . I didn’t mean . . .” Anna was in front of her, firmly holding a rag to Nora’s leg. Her hands were red from Nora’s blood as she put pressure on the wound.

I can’t . . . Nora was in too much pain to really talk. She gripped her leg as well on the opposite side where the bullet exited as Anna pressed in on the front. I think I got shot clean through. Bile rose in her throat. Her body shook as sweat beaded on her forehead.

Nora’s voice was filled with venom and pain as she spat back to Anna, keeping the volume low. “I told you Paul was no good, Anna. You’d have been better off in the desert with me and Tilly.”

Anna’s eyes were wide in her face while the hand holding the rag to Nora’s leg shook. “I know. I should have. I never thought that . . .”

“He’s killed before, Anna,” Nora hissed, trying to stretch out her leg but then pulling it back as it throbbed. That hurts, can’t do that. “Men like that don’t change. Even though he works in a bakery now, he still . . . you knew when you married him. Why you think I’ve been so worried about you with him here?”

“I’m so sorry, Nora. I screwed everything up for you. I’m so, so sorry,” Anna wailed. Tears rolled down Anna’s cheeks as she started to cry. She shifted her body to sit easier and pressed against the rag she held on Nora’s leg over her pregnant belly.

Nora leaned her head against the wall, pulling her leg closer to her in an attempt to blunt the pain. “No, Anna. It isn’t your fault. Don’t you go doing that. I didn’t think Max would rat me out like that. Max is the one . . . I just saw him yesterday and he was trying to convince me about Simon, but then let it go.”

She took another rag and put more pressure on the wound where the bullet had exited. “Shoulda known. Max got fixated on it. Had that stupid greedy look in his eyes and I just was too . . . scattered to think it through.”

Anna just shook her head, tears tracking down her face. “Max knew you and I were close. That’s why I think he talked with Paul. Paul came at me after, mad that I didn’t tell him myself. I don’t think Max was expecting all of this though; he just was asking Paul to help convince you.”

Nora leaned back against the concrete wall, her head pounding and her vision swimming from the pain. “Stupid. Stupid. I was so stupid trusting Max to not tell. Thought all the extra stuff we brought was good enough.”

Anna continued, in a hushed voice, “And now Tilly is gone.”

Tilly. That started Nora’s heart going double time. She took in a quick breath. “Tilly knows where Simon is. Tilly is smart. We practiced with the scooters so many times. She knew to get the scooters out and to go away fast if anything ever happened.”

Nora reached out with bloody hands to Anna. “Tilly knew what to do.”

Tears fell on Anna's cheeks as she nodded.

Nora repeated that again to calm herself, shifting her leg, desperate to find a position where it hurt a little less. “She went to him. Tilly is smart. So smart.” Simon, who was still a bit angry when she left.

Nora closed her eyes, her entire body trembling. Should Simon come for me though ? She could hear a bunch of men’s voices coming from the other room. All of Paul’s friends. Would he come back and get trapped here? Killed? A tight feeling filled her throat.

Anna echoed her thoughts a second later. “But now what, Nora? Paul has all his stupid buddies here. If Simon comes . . .”

Nora looked around the sparse room, thinking hard. There was only a little window up high. She scanned the bit of sky she could see. Drone isn’t even there now. Hopefully it helped Tilly though. It must have.

The bakery was built after the war, when windows offered too much vulnerability by being open and easily penetrated. Therefore the window was only wide enough to look out, not to climb out. Nora frantically looked around the room. Shit, I’m trapped . The door was sturdy and locked and a group of men were in the way.

She leaned her head back against the concrete wall again, glancing around at all the baking equipment and trying to think of any sort of plan. “I can’t get out, can I? Gotta get away somehow, but I . . .” She closed her eyes and put more pressure on the rag. “Not on this leg like this.” Nora took the rag and tried to tie it around her leg, before giving up with the rag being too short. Instead she put it to the side and pulled her body up to look through the window, stars dancing in front of her eyes as she forced herself to stand on her uninjured leg.

Anna made a waving motion toward her. “Nora, you’re bleeding too much.”

Nora took a brief look outside and then sank back down. Losing too much blood. She could only see her hover outside in the alley. The pistol was uselessly sitting there in the glove box. Her hands and leg shook from the effort of holding her up, and she reached forward, gripping her leg as it throbbed. “Is one of the scooters gone from the back, Anna? I think so. I hope Tilly took it. I can’t . . .”

Anna looked through the window and back to Nora. “I can only see one.”

The tightness in her shoulders released, and her body sagged. Hopefully she got away. “You sure?”

“Yeah. Definitely only one.”

“Tilly took it then. Hopefully . . .” Nora couldn’t finish the sentence. She took the rag from where it had fallen on the floor and pressed it back on her leg.

Anna came back to her and took over pressing. “You’re bleeding more from standing. Paul will have to take you to a doctor after Simon . . .”

Nora’s eyes flashed. “Anna, if Simon comes and if he can fight, Paul isn’t gonna be doing shit anymore.”

“You really think?” Anna’s face paled.

Nora closed her eyes, willing herself to believe it. “Yeah. Simon . . . he’s strong.”

Anna’s brows contracted. “Paul’s an idiot.” A second later her cheeks flushed as she looked away, her bloody hands curling into fists over Nora’s leg. “I hate him so much.”

Sweat from shock was pouring down Nora’s face. She reached a hand to touch her fists. “. . . Anna.”

Anna sighed and said under her breath, “No good man would do this.”

At that Nora had to agree. “Well, we always knew Paul wasn’t good.”

“You’re right. I just thought . . .”

“I’m sorry, Anna.” The copper smell of blood turned her stomach.

“No, Nora. Don’t be sorry. I’m sorry. I’m the reason you came here. Reason you’re hurt now.” Then, under her breath, “I hate that man.”

Nora swallowed, her eyes swimming from pain. She didn’t answer out loud, but in her head. And Simon, if he comes, is going to be why your life changes forever. Tears started rolling down her cheeks. My Tilly. Please, Simon.