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“I love you more than anything else in the entire fucking world. Nothing will ever change that.”
But this might.
When Shane is done, the pain doesn’t stop. It lasts for what seems like hours, but maybe only minutes.
His last words to me?
“I should have come on your face, ya fuckin bitch.”
As Shane moves away from me, Lance lets go of my hand and tries to move between my legs. “I’ve waited a long time for this,” Lance whispers, his whiskey lit breath stinging my face.
“Please don’t do this,” I cry, but no one hears me.
“Leave her alone!” Grayson yells, a howling thunder vibrating through me as he swears to kill every last one of them. “Jesus, stop! FUCK!” he screams, much like he did into the pillow last night, only now, it’s unrestricted, unconcealed with its force.
The truck shakes as Shane moves around, his feet near my head. “This is because of you, Grayson!” Shane yells, standing on the truck bed and swings the bat shattering the back window in his truck. Glass sprays over me, in my eyes, over my body, grating against my raw skin. A sob wrenches through me, uncontrollably.
“Don’t. Get off her.” Shane shoves Lance on the shoulder. “I’m the only one who gets to fuck her. That’s going to be his last image.”
His last image? I lift my head, trying to see what they’re doing.
Lance moves away from me as Shane jumps down from the bed of the truck and over to Grayson, the bat in his hand.
“No!” I scream, water dripping from my chin and onto my bare chest. I taste the bitterness of blood on my lips as I beg again. “Don’t hurt him!”
“Is he really going to kill him?” Kaiden asks, holding me still with one hand and wiping his other across his face to clear the wall of water assaulting us.
Lance snorts, leaning against the tailgate. “What do you think?”
Please, God, if you’re real, don’t let this happen. Please. I’m begging you. Don’t take him from me.
Kaiden makes eye contact with me for the first time. I say his name. Once. He darts his eyes away.
Trying to clear the rain from my face, I shake my head to see Shane next to Grayson, the barrel of the bat in the palm of his hand. “Please don’t hurt him!” I beg.
My pleas go unheard.
He looks at me then. “You’re gonna wanna watch this next part, honey.”
Nausea rolls through me as the barrel of the bat slides slowly out of his palm and he grips the handle with both hands, everything around him glossy and wet. The air is heavy, the humidity suffocating. A stillness falls over me, the crackle of thunder rolling.
Shane drifts his eyes back to Grayson, and he stares at him for a long time, longer than I would have expected him to before he shakes his head, grabbing him by the hair. “What’s the matter, Grayson? No fight left?”
Everything stops around me, and I think even the wind holds its breath.
Grayson looks up, his eyes on mine, swollen, he’s fighting consciousness. “Just… get it over with,” he mumbles, blood pouring from his mouth as he coughs.
“Fuck you, soldier boy. You couldn’t fucking save her or yourself!” Shane spits, letting go of his hair. He steps back and swings the bat at Grayson’s head.
The sound it makes when it connects with Grayson’s temple is one I will never forget. It rolls through the field, louder than the thunder above. It’s a bone-chilling sound, heart stopping, and life ending.
The stillness that follows is gruesome.
A bitter cold, lifeless future played out without him.
47
EVIE