Page 183 of Burning Ember

His chest expands with heavy breaths and he fists clench, but then after a minute, he grabs my hand and pours water over my arms. He begins to wash me, though I’m nothing but a lifeless doll.

I can sense his tension, his darkness mounting though.

So I know exactly what’s coming when he snags my arm roughly and drags me on unsteady feet to the back of the SUV. “Somehow I knew it was going to be this way.” He stands me four feet away from the rear, and then leaves me there while he lifts the back hatch.

Everything changes. My heart seems to still. My hand covers my mouth. A half-sob half-shriek rings in my ears. Only after it ceases, I realize it came from me. I lunge forward. But Warner stops me from touching her.

Sundown is curled up, her legs bent. Her hands are tied in front of her with a rope and her face is black and blue. Her mass of black silky hair is soaked with sweat, lies in tangles around her. Her right eye is swollen shut. She has dried blood under her nose and her chest isn’t moving. Her usually mocha skin is pale and the sight of it makes my heart stutter and still.

“Sunny.” I stretch my arms out and scream again, “Sunny!”

It’s not until he lets me get closer, that I see Will lying behind her. Also not moving. I just see the side of her small body, and her mess of dark curls.

“Oh . . . God . . . Will . . .” A giant guttural sob tears from my throat. “Will, baby. Wake up!”

He finally lets me go and I reach over Sunny and shake Will. At first, she doesn’t move and when I palm her chest, I don’t feel it rise or fall. But then it does, it expands and draws in a breath.

“Willow!” I shake her harder. She moves, and her hand comes up to rub her eye. Then she turns. Her voice is sleepy when she breathes my name. The second time she screams it. “Em!” I sob harder as she climbs over Sunny and jumps into my arms. It’s at that moment that Sunny moans.

The end of a gun presses into the back of my head, and Will’s body, which is now wrapped around me, freezes.

“How could you?” A river of tears stream uncontrollably down my face.

“I didn’t know if I’d need incentive to get you to come quietly. And Davis wasn’t sure he could get you out of there. I was going to have your sister call you to draw you out, if that’s what it took.”

I spit out, “You’re a monster. How could you ever think I could love you? You make me sick.”

He growls, “Do you want them to get hurt? Do you want me to kill them? Is that what it’s going to take to make you come back to me and behave?” He digs the barrel of the gun into my scalp.

I meet Sunny’s one open eye. The same color of blue as my mothers.

This time my voice comes out as a pain-filled whisper, “No. No. I’ll do whatever you want. Just don’t hurt them anymore.” Sunny slowly rises and I mouthtake her. It’s awkward because her hands are tied, but she sits up and grabs for Will. I move forward and push Will fully into her arms.

Will clings to me though.

“Will, I need you to go to your mom.”

“NO!” she cries. “You’re my mom. You’re my mom, Em. Don’t leave me. Please.”

I silently lose it and am racked with the sob I’m trying to hold in. Tremors of fear race through me. A shadow crosses over Sunny’s damaged face, but she tries hard and struggles for Will to come to her.

“Will, go to Sunny. I have to go with Warner. Sunny’ll keep you safe.”

“No! He’ll hurt you like he hurt her.” And like the little fighter she is, she latches on to my neck and claws to stay in my arms.

Warner points the gun at my temple. “Let her go, Will, or I’ll kill her.”

With those words, Will shrinks away from me and starts crying hysterically.

I reach up, grab the lip of the trunk, and slowly shut it, sealing them away from me, and more importantly away from Warner.

Afterward, I wipe my tears though I don’t know why, since new ones fall and replace them. The pain I didn’t feel a minute ago returns. Using the SUV to help steady me, I turn to face him. Wincing and breathing harshly, I put my hand over my side and feel blood ooze through my fingers from how drenched my shirt is.

He points the gun at my chest, over my heart. His eyes are crazed. His face a mask of rage, and his body practically vibrates with fury. “I didn’t want it to be this way. It doesn’t have to be. Come away with me, be the girl you used to be, and I’ll let them go.”

I just stare at him, and I think he feels all of the hate circling in my heart for him, because he keeps talking.

“I didn’t want to hurt your sister, baby. But she wouldn’t listen.” Guilt flashes over his face and his eyes dart behind me. There’s shame and something darker in that look. A rush of air whooshes out of my lungs. Bile unfurls up my throat.