Total pages in book: 72
Estimated words: 67608 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 338(@200wpm)___ 270(@250wpm)___ 225(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 67608 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 338(@200wpm)___ 270(@250wpm)___ 225(@300wpm)
Did I tell him that I love him before the water claimed me? I can’t remember. Oh, fuck, he has to know that I love him.
The pain in my leg continues and it threatens to have me falling into the darkness but I fight against it, terrified that if I go back there, I’ll never make it out.
The ringing finally subsides and just when my head gets the sweetest bit of relief from the noise, the EMT’s voice cuts sharply through my ears. “Can you hear me?” he bellows. “I know it hurts. What’s your name? Do you know what day it is?”
“My…my name?”
“Oh, thank fuck. She hears me,” he calls to the front of the ambulance as his eyes search out mine. “What’s your name, sweetheart? Can you tell me your name?”
“I…” my throat burns and I try to swallow past it, sounding nothing like myself. “Skylah.”
“It’s nice to meet you, Skylah. Welcome to the back of my ambulance and to the land of the living. My name is Thomas. Do you remember what happened?”
“My…um. Where’s Slade?”
“He’s fine, sweetie. We need to focus on you. You’ve been hurt. Do you remember what happened? You were involved in an accident.”
My brows furrow. Why is he talking so much? There are too many questions. Doesn’t he know how bad I hurt?
Thomas applies pressure to my thigh again and my whole body buckles. “Stop. Stop, please, stop.”
“I need to apply pressure,” he explains. “I don’t know how you managed to get shot during all of this, but if I don’t, you’re going to lose too much blood and fortunately for you, I’m in the business of saving lives.”
Wait. Shot?
I know he’s trying to keep me positive, but fuck, I’ve never wanted to throat punch someone so much in my life.
I try to think back to how I got shot when it all comes crashing through my mind. The SUV, the man hovering over the broken bridge staring down at us after sending us off the edge. He wasn’t doing anything to help, just stood back and watched us fighting for freedom. What kind of monster does that?
He pulled a gun. Slade’s eyes were on me but I barely had a second to gasp before the shots rang out. I didn’t even get to warn him before the bullets dove down into the water, one beside Slade’s head, the other four blistering the water with such ferocity that I’ll never forget the sound.
They were scattered. One between me and Slade, one over the dash, one beside my arm, and the fourth, a direct shot to my thigh.
I want to say that at the time I’d never experienced such pain in my life, but I’m not quite sure that applies anymore. Who would have known that being shot wouldn’t be as bad as drowning? The pain of your body shutting down, the agony of your ribs breaking under the pressure of CPR, the torture of not being able to suck in a breath while your body is screaming for it…but then the burn. I feel as though someone has shoved a branding iron down my throat. It’s horrendous.
It was Lucien. I have no doubt.
I couldn’t see his face through the blacked-out tint of the SUV’s windshield, but I knew. How could I not? Who else would want to hurt us like that?
As the shadow stood high on the bridge, staring down at us with the gun aimed at our faces, his message was loud and clear - If I can’t have you, no one will.
I try to zone out, thinking of anything and everything else apart from the pain as Thomas tries to save my life. Where’s my fucking pain relief? Where’s the bright light I can go toward? I just want this over.
Where’s Slade?
“Two more minutes and we’ll be at the hospital,” Thomas promises. “You’re going to be alright, Skylah. Just hold on a little longer.”
I stare at the sidewall of the ambulance, focusing on the brand names on the bottles, bandages, and tools. Forcing myself to read them over and over again as Thomas works on my thigh.
I start getting drowsy and I don’t know if it’s from the burning in my throat becoming too much or if maybe I’ve lost too much blood. My head starts to spin, but I hold on to my consciousness. I’m not going anywhere today. If Lucien wants to kill me, then he’s going to have to try harder than that. Maybe he hasn’t heard, I’m the boss bitch of Aston Creek and if he wants to take me out, then he’s going to have to grow some balls and face me like a man.
The time ticks so damn slowly. It’s the longest two minutes of my life. Hell, maybe time is even ticking slower than what it was when I had Lucien forcing himself inside of me.