FALLING IN LOVE WITH HIM - HER FIRST LOVE

To his relief, someone received his call, and Alexander pinched his eyelids shut when he heard Felicity's faint voice calling his name. 

"Alexander," Felicity said. Alexander swallowed in an attempt to moisten his dry throat and choked back his sob. He wished he could hug her, what he would give to pull Felicity into his arms now. "I'm okay, darling, don't be afraid," he heard Felicity saying in her sweet, angelic voice, so comforting and so relieving. 

It amazed Alexander that she could sense his fears without him being vocal about it, and she couldn't even see his face to guess what he was going through. Yet she knew what to say to ease his worries. 

But the tiredness in her tone alerted him more. 

"Felci, my angel, please tell me you're not dying," Alexander heard himself begging his wife, not caring how weak his voice sounded or how vulnerable he appeared in front of his men. "I'm not dying, Alexander," her reply came instantly, and relief flooded through his whole system. "Are you telling the truth? Don't you dare die on me, angel, I need you," He threatened while desperation laced his tone.. 

He needed to confirm that he wasn't going to lose her. 

"I wouldn't dare," Felicity admitted. 

"Have I ever lied to you, Alexander? I wouldn't dare to break my promise to you. I won't die until you hold me in your arms, but you've to come soon. I don't know for how long I'll be able to hold in," Felicity confessed, the volume in her voice dropping by the minute. Alexander clenched his fist around the cell phone and gritted his teeth in anger while his heart missed several beats in sheer panic. 

"Dammit, Felci, you're not helping," Alexander snapped in utter frustration. Felicity chuckled, and her voice came out in a breathless whisper. "Don't make me laugh, you devil," she scolded him. "Oh, fuck, this hurts like a bitch," she cursed and paused to fill her lungs with oxygen. Alexander's heart jumped to his throat. "Angel, tell me where it hurts," he asked, voice soft and tone gentler. 

"This bulletproof jacket you made me wear, it slipped or something, I don't know. Somehow the bullet pierced my skin at the sternum, and the bleeding wouldn't stop. If you don't hurry the fuck up, Alexander, I might die of blood loss," Felicity admitted, hissing in pain. "He aimed it for my heart but missed it, and after he shot me, I pretended to lose consciousness so that he wouldn't shoot again," she said. 

Alexander sighed in relief. As his father said, Felicity was cleverer, and she managed to fool that scum of a Prince. The bullet didn't hit her heart, and somehow that made Alexander hope for the good. 

"But no one is here to help me," Felicity said, drawing all his attention back to her. "He caused chaos before he left, and after seeing my blood-soaked clothes and the dead bodies around, people fled faster than the wind. I thought of driving myself to the hospital, but I quit the idea as I'm not sure if I would survive until I reach my destination," she paused, and Alexander heard her groan in pain as she shifted from her place. 

"I'm almost there, Sweetheart, just a few more minutes. Please wait for me," Alexander said and barked a command to his driver to hurry. 

"You didn't tell me that my Dad threatened you when I took you home for the first time," Alexander said, his tone accusing her of keeping things from him. He wanted to keep her mind occupied so he could distract her from the pain until he reached her. Felicity tsked, and he could imagine her shaking her head while scowling at him. "When were you going to tell me, angel?" He heard himself asking. 

"Ah, he finally mustered the courage to admit his defeat in the open, I see. He thought he could scare me. It was fun telling him off," Felicity said and chuckled. "And you know me, Alexander, I'm not the bitching type," she said in her defence. "It's our secret to keep," she whispered into the phone, and Alexander let out small laughter. A severe pain shot through his chest as his shoulders shook with his laughter. 

"Are you hurt, Alexander?" Felicity asked him out of the blue, her voice filled with dread, and he knew she detected it from his shaky laughter. He cursed himself for not being careful enough. He couldn't stop the hiss that escaped his mouth when his chest hurt. "I'm fine, angel. Don't worry," he assured her. Felicity scoffed in return. "Don't lie, Alexander. I know it when you do," she said in an unimpressed tone. 

Alexander chuckled again. He missed this, their banter, her anger and her bickering. Soon enough, he heard her cursing him for his carelessness, disapproval as well as worry filling her tone. 

"We're each other's soulmates, Felci. Of course, we would get hurt together," Alexander said in a teasing manner, an attempt to lighten the moment. "I spoke to Dad, and Junior is fine," he said, changing the subject, and it worked. "I miss my babies, Alexander. Is Hera okay?" She asked. "Both of them are safe. You have nothing to worry about, angel," he said, reassuring her. 

When Alexander reached the motel and found her sitting at the corner in the reception hall, the mere sight killed him. Perched on the dirty floor with her back leant against the wall was his Felicity. The blood pooling around her, her dress soaked wet with it. She could hardly  keep her eyes open, yet she struggled to stay awake and not lose consciousness. 

She greeted him with a faint smile when he crouched down to her level, and their eyes met. 

"See, I kept my word. I didn't die until you came," Felicity said, smiling at her husband. 

Her smile died down when she looked at his wound. Before she could ask anything, Alexander spoke. 

"No one's dying, Felci. It's okay, I'm here now," he said as his hands reached forward to frame her cheeks with his palms. Alexander paced a soft kiss on her forehead. He checked the depth of her injury before cradling her form in his arms. As Alexander lifted her into his arms, Felicity touched his wet shirt. Her fingers tore at the buttons impatiently, and a loud gasp escaped her lips after seeing his injury. 

Alexander watched and shook his head while her eyes watered. 

The pain, the regret and the fear he discovered in her eyes hurt him more than the bullet wound. Air left his lungs, and he found himself struggling to breathe as Felicity went limp in his arms. 

No matter how much he tried, she didn't open her eyes. After enduring the pain for so long, she finally gave in to the darkness. 

His legs gave out, and he was about to collapse, but he managed to steady himself. 

There was only one thought hovering over Alexander's senses. 

'I've to save her.'

Every second was precious, and he couldn't afford to waste it. He was thankful that his mind and his body were both in sync and worked efficiently. 

He was glad that his legs obeyed when his brain ordered to move. 

Gulping his fears down, Alexander moved fast and carefully settled her unconscious body in his lap. He ordered Dave to drive to the nearest hospital. 

Alexander kept checking for her pulse. 

Meanwhile, his heart hammered violently against his chest in utter fright. Alexander wiped his eyes clean as tears blurred his vision. 

'Count your days, Johnathan.'

It was the hardest of his struggles. Every time Alexander tried to feel her pulse against his fingers, his heart would race against the walls of his chest, threatening to burst out of his ribcage. What if he couldn't find her pulse? 

'What if her heart stops beating?'

The thought killed him, and he died a million deaths each time. 

Alexander Hunter had two different identities, the most feared devil in the Mafia world and the very successful business tycoon in the legitimate money-mongering world. But he felt the most helpless and worthless at the moment. 

'What the use of all the power and the money I own?'

With all that power and the money he had, Alexander couldn't do anything to lessen her sufferings. He couldn't take her pain away. 

'Why did I agree to your suggestion?'

Alexander cursed his ill fate, remembering the time when he decided to let Johnathan accompany Felicity. 

The moment he agreed to Felicity's ridiculous proposition, Alexander knew he would regret it, but he was helpless. He could never say no to this woman, and now he paid the price for that mistake. 

She had begged him to give Johnathan another chance for Alastair sake. She had put her own life in danger only to save that spineless coward. If he hadn't given in to his wife's unreasonably absurd demand, he could've successfully avoided the most unfortunate event of his life. 

'If only the sacrifice is worth it.'