Chapter 5 The Wounded Man

Josephine wasn't sure whether the man who was lying on his hands and bleeding profusely had fainted or not, for he didn't move. 

Josephine moved closer to check on him. However, he had to help the man because with so much blood being wasted, the man's life might be in danger. 

Josephine crouched in front of the man's chest to see where the wound was coming from, but suddenly the man's hand moved quickly and caught Josephine's wrist in a fast and strong grip. 

"Hey!" cried Josephine in surprise. 

The man closed his eyes, but it was clear he wasn't passed out or sleeping.  "Don't touch me," the man hissed in a strangely hoarse voice. Looks like he's in pain. 

"You are bleeding profusely, sir, if left untreated, your life will be in danger," said Josephine patiently. "Let me help you."

"No! I say stay away from me, or I'll kill you in a second!" The man hissed angrily.

Josephine saw a gunshot wound in the left side of his chest, slightly further to the side from where his heart was. 

"Alright, calm down first, Okay?" With a gentle but nimble movement, Josephine released her left hand from the man's grip and ran to the car. Josephine took the first aid kit she had prepared for her interview as a nurse at Sparrow Clinic. To think that the box would come in handy even before she got to Sparrow Clinic. 

The man opened his eyes when he heard Josephine's footsteps approaching again. Nicholas Adams, the man who was shot, thought the woman had walked away after he threaten her harshly. 

However, she came back with a first aid kit in her hand. Nicholas was stunned, when he saw who the woman really was. His mind immediately drifted to the incident in a villa outside the city, six years ago.

Actually, today Nicholas intended to take a look at the Jade property that his company was about to take over. He got out and took his own car without bodyguards because he only intended to leave for a while. 

However, it was completely unexpected that at the same time, he was running into Stefano Gills and his men instead. 

Stefano is the leader of the Black Opium mafia clan which has been a rival to the clan led by Nicholas--Gold Dragon. Apparently they also want this Jade property and seem to be up to something suspicious. 

Nicholas had to hide from their pursuit because he faced an unbalanced situation. He was shot, but he also managed to incapacitate at least three of Stefano's men. 

The sound of a siren from a police car passing in front of the building's construction site saves Nicholas. Stefano and his men left thinking the police car was approaching them. 

Nicholas came out of hiding on the roof of the construction and tried to walk out, but he felt dizzy and his eyes glazed over, then rolled over to the ground where Josephine found him. 

How could this woman be in a place like this? It couldn't be a coincidence, because the events were too strange. Six years ago, Nicholas ran and hid in a villa, also to escape the pursuit of Stefano and his men. 

He was looking at the villas in the area, having heard that there were several villas that the owner was about to sell. It seems that since leaving the gate of the mansion, he has been followed by Stefano's men and they shot his car as it approached the villa area. 

Nicholas saw the back door of a villa open and without thinking he went inside to hide. Josephine surprised him at that time, with her seductive actions. 

How could this be a coincidence? Could it be that Josephine is one of the members of the clan that Stefano leads and deliberately approached him with a specific purpose. 

"Sir, let me give you first aid before you go to the hospital," Josephine said as she knelt in front of Nicholas and opened her first aid box. 

Nicholas couldn't believe this woman in front of him. He held Josephine's hand who intended to open his shirt. Josephine clucked impatiently. 

This wounded man was really stubborn. As they were holding each other, they heard the footsteps of several people approaching them. 

Josephine was surprised when several armed men approached with guns pointed at her. Her mind went straight to work, thinking they were the ones trying to kill this injured man lying nearby. They probably came back to confirm the man's condition, whether he was alive or dead. 

"What are you doing here?" snapped a man standing at the very front. He moved the gun. "Go away from here!" 

Josephine couldn't allow someone to be gunned down in front of her. Out of nowhere the courage came from, Josephine braced herself in front of the injured man and with trembling hands picked up the phone.

"You guys have to get out of here, or... I'll call the police!" shouted Josephine in a trembling voice.

The gunmen looked surprised at Josephine's words, but their guns remained leveled. Nicholas, from behind Josephine's body protecting him, motioned to the men for them to go away and leave him. They were actually his men, who had come looking for Nicholas after being tipped off about a surprise attack on their boss who had gone alone without their knowledge.

Despite their astonishment, they backed away slowly. Josephine was limp with fear after the men left.

"Oh my God, it's a good thing my threat to call the police worked," muttered Josephine, which made Nicholas want to laugh, if only his chest didn't hurt.

Josephine turned and quickly continued her work of helping Nicholas. "I don't know what trouble you are involved with, sir, but your wound must be treated immediately so that it doesn't become dangerous."

Nicholas decided not to argue back and fought back. Deftly, Josephine cleaned the wound on Nicholas' chest.

"It's a good thing the bullet penetrated and missed your heart, sir," muttered Josephine, carefully applying anti-infective medicine to Nicholas' wound.

Nicholas winced feeling the sting of the drug on his wound. "Why did you protect me from them?" he asked quietly. He really didn't understand what Josephine was doing.

If she was part of the Stefano clan, why protect him so thoughtlessly as before? Nicholas knew that Josephine was scared, even though she was loud, threatening to call the police, Nicholas could see her hand holding the phone to call the police, was shaking.

"Sir, how could I leave a wounded person alone, to be shot dead? That will haunt me for the rest of my life," said Josephine.

"What if they don't listen to your threats and attack you too?" asked Nicholas curiously. "That's very dangerous action."

"It can't be helped, maybe it's just my fate that is unlucky then, to have to die at the hands of gangsters because I intend to help someone. At least, I died in kindness because I meant to help you at that time," answered Josephine calmly.

Nicholas was confused about what to say when he heard Josephine's light and innocent answer.

Josephine bandaged Nicholas' wound neatly and smiled contentedly. "Now, I will take you to the hospital, Sir. A few hundred meters ahead is a big hospital, Sparrow Clinic. You will get better help soon," Josephine said as she smoothed Nicholas' shirt back.

"Why are you back now?" asked Nicholas in a sharp tone. He took Josephine's hand and gripped it tightly.

Josephine was surprised. She turned and looked at Nicholas with confusion evident on her face. "Huh? W-what do you mean, Sir?" she asked.

She writhed her hands, trying to free herself, but Nicholas' grip on her arms was too strong. "Sir, can you let my hand go?"

"Why did you suddenly reappear here?" Nicholas hissed, irritated that Josephine seemed to be feigning ignorance. "What do you want from me?"

"Ha? What? What do I want, hey, sir, I'm helping you and why do I want something--mmppphhh...."

Suddenly Nicholas pulled Josephine, so that she fell on top of Nicholas' body. Quickly Nicholas' hand moved to unbutton Josephine's shirt and his lips landed on Josephine's. "Stop pretending! Maybe this is will make you remember!"