Chapter 8

Emmett kicked the heavy oak door of the priest's private lounge open with his boot.

He carried Daisy inside and gently laid her down on the vintage leather sofa.

He spun around and slammed the door shut with a deafening crash, locking it. The chaotic noise of the crowd and Eryn's frantic voice were instantly severed.

Emmett ripped the silk tie from his neck. His hands were covered in her blood. He moved to wrap the tie tightly around her calf, just above the deep gash, to create a makeshift tourniquet.

Daisy hissed in pain. She pushed herself up on her elbows and shoved both her hands hard against his chest.

"Don't touch me," she gasped, her breathing ragged.

Emmett's hands froze. He looked up at her, his dark eyes wide and frantic.

Daisy reached into her jacket pocket. Her fingers were stained with her own blood. She pulled out the crumpled divorce agreement she had picked up from the floor.

She held the bloody paper up to his face. Her eyes were defiant and cold. "Sign it. Or get away from me."

Emmett stared at the paper. The sight of her blood on the word 'Divorce' snapped the last thread of his sanity.

He snatched the paper from her hand. His knuckles turned white. With one violent, continuous motion, he ripped the paper in half. Then he ripped it again, and again.

He threw the shredded pieces into the air. They fluttered down like dirty snow, landing in the blood on the floor.

"You want a divorce?" Emmett snarled, his voice vibrating with a terrifying, possessive rage. "Unless I am dead, you are my wife."

He grabbed her leg, ignoring her weak attempts to kick him away. He wrapped the tie around her calf and pulled the knot tight.

Daisy let out a sharp, agonizing cry. Tears sprang to her eyes, spilling over her lashes.

Hearing her cry out, Emmett's body jerked. The rage drained from his face, replaced instantly by raw panic.

"I'm sorry, I'm sorry," he muttered frantically, his hands hovering over her leg, afraid to cause her more pain. "The ambulance is two minutes away. Just hold on."

Daisy let out a weak, bitter laugh. "Save your act, Emmett. Your true love is crying outside. Go comfort her."

Emmett's jaw tightened. "Daisy, the hospital-"

Before he could finish, loud pounding hit the door. "Sir!" Kelton's voice shouted from the other side. "The paparazzi have breached the side doors! They are coming down the hall!"

Emmett cursed viciously. He couldn't let the media photograph Daisy bleeding and broken on a sofa.

He stood up. He pointed a bloody finger at her. "Do not move. I will clear them out and be right back."

He unlocked the door, stepped out, and pulled it shut behind him.

The second the latch clicked, Daisy sat up. White-hot pain shot up her leg, making her dizzy.

She looked around the room. At the back of the lounge, a small glass window was propped open, leading out to a fire alley.

Daisy gritted her teeth. She dragged herself off the sofa. She hopped on her good leg, leaning heavily against the wall, leaving bloody handprints on the wallpaper.

She reached the window. She pulled herself up onto the sill. The pain in her calf was blinding.

She threw her legs over the edge and dropped down into the alley.

She hit the wet pavement hard, landing next to a row of foul-smelling garbage cans. The impact tore the wound open further, sending a blinding shockwave of agony up her spine. Fresh blood soaked the makeshift tourniquet.

Daisy bit her lip so hard it bled again to keep from screaming out loud. Her vision swam with dark spots, and a cold sweat broke out across her forehead. She pushed herself up against the brick wall, her breath coming in ragged, shallow gasps. Every movement felt like broken glass grinding inside her leg, but she forced herself to limp desperately toward the street exit, dragging her injured limb behind her.

Three minutes later, Emmett threw the lounge door open, paramedics rushing in behind him.

He stopped dead. The sofa was empty.

He saw the bloody handprints on the wall. He saw the open window.

The blood drained from his face. He rushed to the window and looked out into the empty alley.

"Daisy!" he roared into the rain. The sound was guttural, like a wounded animal.

He grabbed his radio from his belt. "Lock down the entire grid!" he screamed at his security team. "Find her! Now!"

Two blocks away, hiding in the deep shadows of a narrow alleyway, Daisy watched three men in black suits sprint past her hiding spot. She pressed her hand over her mouth, holding her breath.