I knew I didn’t have the money.  The only way for me to get you out was to do it by force.

I had grabbed my loaded pistol from my bedside safe, and then ran out to my car.  I carefully drove through the streets, not wanting to draw police attention.

When I finally reached the address, there was only a black car waiting under a bridge.  They slowly got out of the car, pulling your hair so that your head was back.  I heard your breaths coming with gasps as they brought you towards me.  They had finally stopped when one of them in a gruff voice told me to drop the money on the ground and kick it towards them.  I then looked at the one holding you dead in the eye.

“I don’t have the money.  But I do have this.”

And with that I brought out my pistol and shot the man holding you in the forehead.  You had fallen forward as his brain matter had landed all over the man behind him and I had started aiming at him when I felt a dull thud hit my gut.  And then another in my shoulder.  The shots kept ringing out, some missing me entirely.  I had somehow managed to take down the guy behind the one that had been shooting you, when I heard sirens behind me.  I guess someone had called the police after hearing shots.  The man had switched from shooting at me to the police, when I heard you crawling towards me.

I saw you lean over me, coming in and out of focus as the pain from the bullets had gripped me.

“No!” you said, “Don’t leave me!”

In response, I had grabbed your hand and held onto it for my last few minutes.

“I love you.” I had heard you whisper through sobs.

“I love you too.” I said, even though I had felt all my insides clench in pain at speaking.

When I had felt like I could no longer hold on to the wisps of life that were leaving me, I pulled you closer to me.

“No matter what, I will always love you.”

And with that, my head hit the pavement, and I closed my eyes for the last time.