Reborn, Reawakened, Rekindled novel Chapter 546

The echo of a gunshot reverberated through the air, and a dark figure crumpled to the ground, a cry of pain escaping his lips. In the moonlight, I could make out the man's features—it was Russel?!

His voice still rang in my ears from the phone call, telling me to wait for him. I assumed he was on his way to meet me, but how did he get here so quickly? I was too stunned to react.

The attacker, recognizing Russel, didn't fire another shot. Instead, he turned and fled.

"Russel, are you okay?" I finally found my voice, rushing over to check on him. His white shirt was stained red with blood from a shoulder wound, looking more ominous than it might have been.

Despite the pain, Russel was conscious. His face was pale and slick with sweat. "He won't come back," he gasped. "Call an ambulance."

I quickly dialed 911. The police and an ambulance arrived almost simultaneously, leaving me no time to provide a statement before Russel was whisked away to the hospital.

Halfway there, Russel passed out. My heart clenched as the paramedics performed a quick examination, leaving me feeling helpless.

"Wake up, Russel," I pleaded, my voice shaking with fear.

"He won't wake up right now," one of the paramedics said, trying to reassure me. "We need to remove the bullet from his shoulder at the hospital. But don't worry, it doesn't seem like it hit a major artery. His life isn't in danger."

Relieved, I sat back, my mind racing. Once at the hospital, Russel was immediately taken into surgery. I waited outside, knowing I wouldn't make it back to Hiram's place tonight.

Sitting in the waiting room, my thoughts began to clear. Who was the man who wanted to kill me? How did Russel get to me so quickly? And why did the attacker flee upon seeing Russel?

The police arrived, and while waiting for Russel to come out of surgery, I provided a detailed account of the evening's events.

Eventually, Russel was wheeled out of the OR. The doctor informed me that the bullet had been successfully removed, but Russel had lost a significant amount of blood and his shoulder was badly injured. He would need to rest and would have limited use of his right arm.

Russel was still under the effects of the anesthesia, lying motionless in his hospital bed. As the first rays of dawn filtered through the window, exhaustion finally overcame me, and I fell asleep in the bedside chair.

"I can't tell you that, but believe me, I wouldn't hurt you," he replied solemnly.

I immediately thought of Karina. "Was it Karina?" I asked.

Russel looked at me, his gaze deep and inscrutable. "Whether it was her or not doesn't matter. You can't do anything about her, not even call the police."

Karina saw me as a stumbling block in her pursuit of Neil and was determined to get rid of me.

"What are you thinking, Russel?" I demanded, staring at his familiar face. Our relationship seemed to have changed drastically.

In my past life, we had teamed up to break up Neil and Bonnie. But in this life, we seemed to have become adversaries, unknowingly standing on opposing sides.

I never wanted to be with him, but I never considered him an enemy either. He holds a different meaning to me, not the typical romantic attraction between a man and a woman, yet he holds a special place in my heart.