Page 58 of Last Breath (Blood Wine Dynasty #2)

Jett

Icy black sky.

Freezing swords slashed through Jett’s ribs, clogged his throat with salt and blood. Falling. Falling. It was space – empty, cold, soundless. No up or down. No light.

A face. Pale. Of course that was the last face he’d be left with as he drew his last breath. Of course it was her.

It had always been her.

It wasn’t an addiction. It was something more.

Except her face wasn’t fading away. And there was something pushing him, pulling him up. Pain in his shoulder screamed through his whole body. But he couldn’t scream, because there was still no air.

But then there was. Glorious, salty, breathable air – he swallowed it all.

It was Nella’s face now – her real face, not the delusions of his final moments. Black hair plastered to her face, all her energy forcing his body to float. He wanted to float, but his body did not.

‘Stay up,’ she pleaded. ‘Stay up!’

‘I ... trying ...’

‘HELP!’ she screamed. At who? ‘HELP! I’ve got him. He’s been shot!’

Shot? No way. There was hardly any pain anymore.

‘Did you call them?’ he managed as the beach figures he’d seen from the cliff loomed closer. Two of them, one big, one small, splashed into the water. Max and Grey.

‘No.’ She cupped his chin to stop the wave sloshing down his throat. ‘I didn’t call anyone.’

The water was lulling him to sleep, its cold arms pulling him down to the floor.

‘No. NO! Jett, NO! Stay awake, keep your head up, just lean on me. Lean on me.’

‘It’s okay,’ he said, everything fading. ‘It’s okay.’

‘Don’t you dare.’ She kicked out, pulling him on top of her as she floated on her back.

No. No. She’ll drown . He tried to push her away but she was stronger.

‘What the hell will it take?’ Her chest seized against his spine. ‘How can I make you see you’re loved? That you’ll be missed? That you’ll leave a crater the size of the goddamn earth if you leave? We won’t be the same. I won’t be the same. You’ve marked me, Jett. I’m forever scarred by you.’

‘You’ve shown me.’ His teeth were chattering so violently there was no way she would hear him. ‘You, here. I see it now.’

Then the darkness came and he didn’t see anything.