Page 69 of Chase the Sunset

Layla was dead.

“Holy fuck!” Hero shouted.

“No!” Birdie scream. “No!” She laid her head on Layla’s chest, then started compressions.

“Help me, Easy,” she demanded. “We have to help her,” she cried.

I moved next to Birdie and blew into Layla’s mouth when she told me to.

Her chest rose with each breath, but she didn’t start breathing.

Snapper dropped down next to Layla and cupped her cheek in his hand. “No,” he whispered. “No, no, no.”

He dropped back on his ass and screamed, “Layla!”

King moved behind Snapper and put his arm around him.

Snapper shook his head and let out a tortured scream. He shrugged off King and jumped to his feet.

He barreled to the wrecked car, and I jumped up but couldn’t stop him.

He ripped open the door to the car and pulled Aaron out. His body was limp, and his head lulled to the side. “You son of a bitch!” He landed a punch to his head and Snapper dropped him to the ground. He jumped on top of him and pummeled his face with his fists.

Hero and Rigid tried to pull him off, but he just kept swinging.

“Easy,” Birdie called.

I turned, wishing for a miracle, but Birdie shook her head. She sat back on her butt and stared at her blood-stained hands. “She’s gone.”

A flurry of people erupted from the stairwell and into the parking garage. I gathered Birdie in my arms and lifted her. She buried her face in my neck and screamed.

Sirens sounded up the parking garage, and four police cars stopped by Aaron’s car.

Birdie cried in my arms as I watched two police officers and King rip Snapper off Aaron’s lifeless body.

He collapsed on the ground, screaming. “You son of a bitch! You bitch!!” He struggled to get his feet, but King held him back.

“He’s dead, brother. He’s dead,” King tried to tell him.

Rage burned in Snapper’s eyes, and he stopped fighting King. His eyes snapped to the crowd of people around Layla still trying to save her.

Aaron was dead, but at what cost?

Chapter Twenty-Eight

Birdie

“I don’t have anything to wear.”

Easy moved behind me and wrapped his arms around my waist. He propped his chin on my shoulder and looked at me in the mirror. “It doesn’t matter what you wear.”

I knew it didn’t. It wasn’t going to bring Layla back.

Five days ago, Aaron Gibbs died, but not before he ran over Layla and killed her.

My sweet Layla who hadn’t even known Aaron but had died at his reckless hand.

I closed my eyes and tried to breath.