Page 40

Chapter Thirty-Nine

Ronan

I couldn’t breathe.

The air in the room was instantly sucked away in the blaze of fire at the back of the room. The stained glass windows glittered with the height of the flames, and they were steadily getting closer.

Jack ran out the doors of the church. His laughter echoed in my ears. I screamed, pushing my body up and running to reach Elias. He was falling farther down, his frail skin unable to handle the weight of his body.

I tried to see through my tears and I looked desperately for the hammer used to nail him up there.

I couldn’t find it, and I was wasting more time.

Regretting it the minute my mind knew it was the only option, I jumped onto the cross. The flames behind us were already too close, and they singed my skin with the heat.

“I’m so fucking sorry,” I said, gripping Elias’s hands and ripping with all the force I could.

He screamed as his hands ripped off the nails, a hole remaining from the silver metal.

I couldn’t focus on his pain, I had to free him. This was killing me, breaking my soul, but I had to free him. If I didn’t we truly would burn to the ground.

“I love you.” I said, doing the same to his beautiful, mangled dick.

There was barely anything remaining. Just a bloody tear of skin. I felt sick, trying to contain myself, to hold up the man I loved as he bled. I draped his chest over my shoulder, trying to be as quick as I possibly could with his feet. His screams broke more and more pieces of my soul. But what hurt the worst was when his sounds of agony got quieter.

Finally freed, I searched blindly in the smoke and rising flames for the exit. With Elias on my back, I held onto him as if my own soul was tethered to his, willing him to be okay. I couldn’t let go. I couldn’t fail him. I had to move forward. I was so close. So close to getting out of this hell.

As if an angel showed me the way, I finally found the door and smashed our bodies as hard as I could, knocking free the last pulls of the nails carelessly stuck into the door.

We fell onto the ground. Elias barely made a sound, and I scrambled, crawling away from the fire and pulling him away with me close to my side. He was so quiet.

He must be in shock. Anyone would be. I would help him through this. He would be okay.

“You’re going to be okay. I got you.” I said, using every amount of my strength to pull him to safety.

“Ronan…” his voice was weak, so fragile.

I couldn’t think about that.

I had to get farther away.

The fire was still too close.

When I finally got us on soft grass far enough from the church that we couldn’t feel that lingering heat, I took a deep breath and pulled Elias closer to my chest. He felt cold despite the blazing fire we just fled.

“It’s okay,” I said again, angling his face to look into my eyes. “We’re safe. We’re safe now. I love you. It’s okay. Talk to me, okay?”

His eyes were hazy. That vibrant blue I knew and loved so much was fading.

“Elias…” I said louder, brushing my blood-soaked thumb over his lips. “I’m here, baby. We made it. It’s going to be okay now.”

He reached a shaky hand to hold my chin, a message in his eyes that I didn’t want to accept. I shook my head, tears blurring my vision as I couldn’t hold back my sobs. That tether that held us together. The undeniable bond and light we had from the moment we were kids was…fading.

“Don’t you dare, Mon Pur,” I begged, my words barely audible through my sobs. “You don’t get to run anymore. Not now. You can’t leave me again.”

Elias smiled. It was weak but no less breathtaking.

“Don’t cry. I will…never…leave you…Ronan. I’ll always be here.” His hand fell from my cheek and rested on my chest. The empty, hollow heart I felt torn in two.

“Please…Don’t go,” I cried, holding him in my arms, pressing my lips into his, willing for my life to enter him.

Begging a silent prayer to take me instead. To leave him here as he was always meant to be. This wasn’t fair. None of it was fair. I needed Elias. I couldn’t do this without him.

“I…choose you…I am…sorry…I…was…too…late.”

No!

His hand fell down my chest, and he took a deep breath before his head slowly fell into my arms.

“No,” I screamed, rubbing his face, begging him to speak again, to fight. “I choose you, too. I love you. Elias Cross, I fucking love you.”

I could feel the moment his soul left this world. The way I could always feel his light. It slowly flickered, a soft blinking that grew darker and darker…until it was completely gone, leaving only my broken soul in its wake.

Alone.

Alone in my own darkness.

Alone to suffocate without his light.