Page 45

45

Calista

T he moment the needle pierces the driver’s throat, he jerks and screams. Instinct kicks in, and I pull my seat belt tight. He grabs at the weapon lodged in his neck, his horrified gaze locking onto me.

He gasps for air, but his chest seizes, his body convulsing violently. His arm jerks uncontrollably, yanking his hand off the steering wheel. The car swerves sharply, tires screeching as we veer off the narrow road. There’s a deafening crash as metal collides with splintering wood. The impact slams through me, blurring my vision until everything fades to black.

“What kind of dog do you want?” Ronan asks.

“Anything, maybe a bulldog.”

“Too noisy.”

“Definitely not a husky then.” I giggle. “Golden retriever?”

“Loyal…” Something like sadness laces his tone. “That would be nice. Let’s get an older one, though.”

“Why?” My question is genuine—we could train it better from puppyhood to adulthood.

“They’re always forgotten, and while we won’t have as much time with it, hopefully we can give it a happy end of its life.”

I don’t know how long I’m out before rough hands pull me back to consciousness, dragging me from the wreck. Instinctively, I scream and thrash, my head pounding, a sharp, salty sting burning in my eye.

“Cal! Cal! Relax!” a woman shouts, and instantly I know who it is. Goosebumps ripple down my neck, spreading all the way to my legs.

“A-Amy?!” The moment I turn my head up, I see her bright red hair. She's sweating and panting, the lights from the car illuminating her worried face.

She then yanks me up from my seated position, not giving me a moment to catch my breath after my brief panic attack. My legs shake so violently I think I might collapse, but she keeps me steady.

“We need to go right now.” She grabs my arm and puts it around her neck. “Ken is up at the cabin, but—”

“Ronan!?” I cut her off. “Is he—”

“It’s all on fire, the boys are trying to get in. The police are on the way, along with the fire department.”

She’s taking me away from the cabin, away from him . “No, please, don’t… take me back up to him.”

With a curse, she stops by a tree and slams my back against it. I hiss in discomfort but force myself to meet her unyielding gaze. She’s furious, and the tears in her eyes tell me she’s on the verge of breaking down.

“You’ve done enough. I don’t know what is going on, but if he dies… so help me, Cal…” Her grip on my shoulders tightens, and I whimper out in pain. “You’ll be joining him, and I can’t have you being taken by the police so I don’t get that chance. Fuck the justice system. I’ll do it myself.”

When she blinks, those tears she held so closely to her fall, and I nod. “I want to die… I don’t want to live… not without him. I’ll let you kill me, I won’t run.”

The sound of sirens blare in the background.

She flicks between my eyes before releasing me. The moment her mouth opens, she looks down. Her hand moves to her pocket, pulling out her phone.

“Did you get him?”

Blue and red lights flicker across her face. My hand reaches out, grasping for the lifeline of hope on the other side. The good news I need to hear.

Time slows to a crawl. The acrid smell of smoke finally hits me, and the place I once wanted to protect is crumbling to ash.

Everything is gone, but as long as the heart that made it home still beats, I’ll live with the flames of my actions, ready to beg at his feet for forgiveness.

But the look on her face drains any hope from my veins. She shakes her head, closing her eyes and slapping a hand over her mouth as police vehicles rush down the road just a few dozen feet away.

I think my heart stops, because it’s ready to join him.

No. No, I can’t accept this.

Without thinking, I burst into a sprint. Only now do I realize there’s liquid running down my face, the cool air hitting it and turning its former warmth into a frigid chill.

“Calista!” Amy screams after me, but I ignore her, sprinting up the slight incline. I weave through the trees. Although we’ve put some distance between us and the cabin, we’re still within the gate. As the road clears, I spot the driveway—an ambulance is already there, parked against the blaze. I’m not surprised by how fully the cabin is engulfed, not with the amount of gasoline they used.

The thumping of helicopter blades overhead makes me glance up, and I stumble. It’s dark, but a fog light sweeps down, illuminating the lake. A group stands by the shore, so I change direction, pushing myself harder, nothing around me able to stop me from reaching him.

Then, an arm grabs me roughly around the waist, pulling me back. My head slams against someone’s chest, and I thrash in their grip.

“Calista! It’s me!” It’s Cedric, but I don’t care.

“Let me fucking go!” I scream, wanting to be released so that I can go to him.

“He…” The sound of Cedric’s voice breaking has me screaming out in agony. “Cal, his heart wasn’t—he had no pulse.”

My shoulders jerk and I put my arms down to his forearms where I squeeze and manically try to get free.

Ken is on his knees beside Ronan, tears spilling down his face as he speaks to the paramedics. My vision flickers in and out as he pushes up on his arm, then grabs hold of a paramedic’s uniform, shouting. I don’t need to hear his words to know what he’s saying.

“Save him.”

I keep fighting against Cedric, and the moment my heel drives into his foot, I break free.

“Damn it! Cal, don’t!”

I ignore him and sprint, my calves burning with each step. The slight incline almost sends me tumbling, but the light from the helicopter—now that I can make it out—shines over Ronan.

His lips are slightly parted, his body unnervingly still. My eyes blur, making it hard to tell if there’s any movement, but he looks…

“No… No!” My shout causes one of the paramedics to stand and turn toward me. Her hands raise up and I try to rush around her, but she intercepts.

“Miss, please.” Her arms wrap around my shoulders, and I try to throw her off me, but I’m weak. My entire body is ready to shut down and I just scream. “Stop and listen.”

I can’t.

“Let me go to him!” I scream again. “Please let me go! Ronan!! I’m here, baby, don’t leave me, please!”

I’m not sure what happens next, but suddenly I’m pulled away from the woman. It’s not just one set of arms that grabs me, but several. They yank me back, and as the paramedic turns, I catch a glimpse of a breathing mask being placed over Ronan’s mouth—just before a heavy gust of wind sweeps sand and dust into the air. The gritty texture of it hitting my eyes doesn’t even cause me to blink.

I just watch as Ken and the paramedics look at the man I can’t live without.

I can’t… I won’t… survive without him.

“Please save him…” I lose my strength and my knees give out. Whoever had my arms was taken off guard, because I fall to the ground.

I don’t want to be picked back up, not unless it’s by Ronan.