My Bully’s Love by Stacy Rush

JACE POV

I’m staring right at her as she smiles back at me, thinking of how she is so going to get it later when we get home. All of a sudden, someone in a hoodie with a baseball cap and sun glasses comes up behind her. It scares the shit out of me, and she must see it because she swings around and then goes still. I can’t quite see what’s going on, but then I watch as a glint of metal shines in the sunlight as they hit her across the face and take off.

I squeeze Elise’s arm as I call out Ella’s name, and then I’m running to her. I notice her starting to go down and I catch her as I go to my knees. That’s when I notice all the blood. Elise must see it too because she’s on the phone instantly, calling

for help.

“Ella! Oh, my God, no!” I’m frantic, “Talk to me baby!”

“W–What h-happened?” she stutters as she looks around at her surroundings.

I’m trying to hold myself together as I explain to her what just happened. My eyes sting with unshed tears as I look at her beautiful face now marred by a nasty gash. The fucker will pay for this. The thing is, I don’t think it was the guy, himself. The

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attacker was shorter and smaller in stature, so I’m thinking it may have been the woman that he’s working with.

“H-how bad i-is it?” She continues to stutter but there isn’t one tear in her eye. She’s being strong even though it must hurt like hell.

“You will be okay as long as we can get you to the hospital and get you stitched up.” I pull my shirt off and hold it against her side, trying to stave off the flow of blood, “Malik and Owen went after the person, but I don’t know if they were close enough to gain ground on them.”

Elise informs us that the emergency team is nearby and that they will be here momentarily as she holds tissues to her sister’s cheek. They banter back and forth while I sit here, praying to the big guy upstairs that Ella will be okay. I can’t lose her, not now, not after everything we have been through.

The crowd begins to part as a commotion takes place and I see the EMTs making their way to us, “Here they come!”

I remain where I’m at until they are ready to take over. I go over everything that took place, and they get to work immedi ately. Lifting Ella onto a stretcher, they buckle her down and then begin bandaging her up as they move her towards the ambulance. They refuse to let both me and Elise go with Ella, so I tell Elise to go since she can’t drive yet.

Thaul ass through the crowd and then run to my jeep. My hands are shaking as I try to start it, and I have to take a mo

ment to get a hold of myself. I close my eyes and take a few good deep breaths, telling myself over and over that she is go ing to be okay. I have to call her parents and let them know in case they want to fly out. Fumbling for my phone that is sit ting in the center console, I swipe the screen and press Ethan’s name. I start my car but wait until the ambulance passes me before pulling out.

“What’s going on Jace?” Ethan’s deep voice comes over my speakers and I can hear Elaine saying hello in the back ground.

I’m not sure how you are supposed to tell parents that their daughter has been stabbed, so I just blurt it out, “Ella’s been hurt. She was stabbed.”

she okay? Talk to me, how bad is my

the hospital now by ambulance. We were at the carnival, and she needed to use the porta potty, which was maybe fifteen feet away, so I was watching her, and the two guards were there also. It happened so fast, Ethan! One moment Ella was fine and smiling at me, the next,

phone on because Elaine

– I WILL FIND

there?”

In fact, her and Elise were arguing back and forth playfully just before they got there. I was with her up until they

God!” Elaine sighs

next flight out, Jace. Make sure to tell the Pl about this right away.” Ethan commands and I nod, for getting that he

call him as soon as

even if we are on the plane, that way we will

saved in my phone for Mr. Kingsly. I explain everything that happened and tell him that the guards are still out looking for the person who did it. He informs

the emergency room doors. There isn’t a whole lot taking place, so I don’t have to wait, thank God. Moving towards

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I

to give me anything because I’m not family. I’m about to go ballistic when Elise comes out of a set of doors. I run over to her and tell her what the nurse had said

to tell me everything, but she won’t have it since Elise is underage, so she calls her parents on speaker phone and gets permission that way. Thank God Ella is already with the doctor or

I question Elise who

as she knows more, so we should probably go back to the wait ing

shirtless with everything going on. I can still see dried blood on my stomach from where I was holding Ella in my arms, so the nurse directs me to the closest bathroom and I

are the only ones in the waiting room, so she walks right over to us, “Miss Baxter’s family, I presume?”

WILL FIND

it didn’t hit any thing vital; it was close, but it stayed clear. I did some ultra sounds to make sure she had no internal bleeding and then stitched her up. I would like to keep her here overnight, just to be on

turn and hug her

needed a few stiches on her cheek. I tried to make it as clean as possible, but I’m afraid she will still have

what I know she is thinking, “Ella

that way. You are more than welcome to go see her. She’s been moved to a private room with instructions from her par ents. She’s still under, and will be for another thirty minutes or so, but

“Thank you, Dr…”

“Ferguson.” She informs us.

Ferguson.” I shake

to thank me, just