Page 73 of The Maverick (WaterFyre Rising #7)
CHAPTER SIXTY-EIGHT
VANESSA
Inside the Krazee Tavern, we sat around chattingwith my mom, Gigi, Ellen, Agnes, and Joseph. The appetizers and drinks were delicious. Watching Agnes and Joseph together made me so happy. I understood why Attikus had been so worried about Joseph—he was a father figure to him.
Nerves churned in my stomach, and I placed a hand over it. My left eyelid kept twitching. I didn’t want to think about it, but usually, those things signified a bad omen.
“What’s taking them so long?” I asked the girls.
They checked their phones, but no messages appeared.
Michelle’s phone rang, and she picked it up. “Where are you?” She listened intently. “What? Oh, my god.” Her face transformed into dread. “Okay. I’ll let them know. We’ll be there.”
My heart hammered. “What happened?”
The chatter in the room stopped, waiting for Michelle’s response.
With trembling hands, she lowered her phone and said, “There was an accident. An explosion. Remi, Grayson, and Attikus are dead.”
My heart froze as shock overcame my body. I couldn’t believe it. It had to be false. I just saw him this morning. I forced myself into survival mode. “What hospital?”
Michelle was about to tell me when Audri fainted. Vivian caught her just in time. Gigi called an ambulance and rode with Audri to the hospital.
Natalie and I clung to each other as Vivian drove us. Ellen took my mom in her car. Agnes and Joseph told us they’d meet us there. I was in no condition to drive. I’d probably run everyone over.
I was functioning in a daze of shock. My body felt detached from my head, and my soul was nowhere to be found. Somehow, I gathered my strength to step one foot in front of another. I supposed that was better than shattering into tiny pieces.
Attikus. I needed to see him. What happened to him?
When we arrived, I got out of the car and lost my balance. I braced a hand on the car, inhaling and exhaling to gain fresh oxygen.
Dear God, please give me the strength to survive this awful day.
When we entered the hospital waiting room, Forrest, Royce, Arrow, and Orion all rose from their seats.
I felt like I was floating, but I managed to look at Forrest because he was standing closest to me. “What happened?”
“An SUV hit Remi’s car and flipped it over,” he said. “The SUV burst into flames, and Remi’s car caught on fire. It happened so quickly.”
“We were a few cars back and rushed out as soon as it happened.” Royce embraced a teary Michelle. “But the explosion was too big. They didn’t stand a chance.”
Somehow, I found myself sitting while my mom rubbed circles on my back. Elena and Vivian consoled Natalie. I wished I could ease Natalie’s pain, but I was paralyzed by my own. Audri was in an exam room, and Gigi was with her.
How could this be happening? I only saw him a few hours ago.
I gathered my strength so I could walk into the room without falling.
“Do you need me to go with you?” M? asked.
“No. I’ll be okay.”
I pushed the door open, entered the room, and saw him on the stretcher. I didn’t recognize his face. It was severely burned. The only thing I recognized were the clothes he wore that morning. My fingers trembled as I touched a section of the torched clothing.
Anger and pain knifed me over and over. I didn’t want to remember him this way. Emotion surged in me, hot and angry. The dam broke, and I sobbed, dropping to the floor.
Attikus had such a bright future ahead of him. A video game to celebrate with his friends. I never got a chance to tell him I wanted to stay married to him and start a family.
Anger, grief, pain, and vengeance pumped through me.
Was this what he experienced all those years ago as a teen?
I knew who was responsible for this tragic accident today. Anger surged like hot lava, overflowing inside me. Anger numbed the other emotions, so I clung to it. Wiping the hot tears from my eyes, I vowed to make Madeline Claude-Collins pay tenfold.