Total pages in book: 72
Estimated words: 70417 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 352(@200wpm)___ 282(@250wpm)___ 235(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 70417 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 352(@200wpm)___ 282(@250wpm)___ 235(@300wpm)
A twisted smile curved his ugly mouth, and I felt a sharp pain in my chest. Falling back, I looked down at the knife sticking out of me, blood beginning to pool around it.
Skylar was screaming, Rex was yelling, and Orson lifted both his shaking hands, the remote clutched in one, my gun in the other—and it was aimed at Skylar. Darkness started to descend, but I fought against it.
I needed to get to Skylar. I needed to tell her I was sorry—how much I loved her. I wanted to feel her lips on mine one more time before we died.
“Stop him,” I tried to scream, but the words were only a whisper.
I lunged, his fingers moved, and a gunshot rang out, pain tearing through my body, hot and fast.
Skylar cried out my name as I fell into emptiness, and my world went black.
Chapter 20
Cian
Light crept in, faded, then the blackness descended—time and again, it happened. With the light came the pain. When it receded, I was left with only the blackness surrounding me. I floated aimlessly, alone in a never-ending sea of confusion. I knew I had to be somewhere—doing something—but what, I didn’t know. I was too tired to figure it out.
Voices would drift by, words sometimes unclear, other times slightly penetrating the fogginess. Some voices I didn’t know, their words meaningless.
Needs time to heal…
By all indications, he should…
As his doctor, all you I can say is hope for the best…
Doctor? Why would there be a doctor here?
One voice was familiar, and it made me want to find my way back to the light.
I tried to get there sooner…
I can’t lose him…
Why isn’t he waking up?
Sean? Why could I hear Sean? He was dead. Because of me, he was dead—wasn’t he? Was I dead?
Then I heard a voice that stirred something. Its soft cadence was buried inside my head and trailed through my chest, making my heart race.
Come back to me, Cian. You promised. I’m waiting.
Please…don’t leave me alone again. I won’t survive without you. I love you.
I had to get back to that voice.
Skylar.
My eyes fluttered and opened, blinking at the bright light of the room. They drifted shut, feeling too heavy to stay open. The light touch on my cheek felt familiar, and with great effort, I lifted my lids.
Skylar’s face swam into view, blurry and fuzzy—but it was her. I tried to talk, but no sound came out. Pain registered in my body. I hurt all over, especially in my torso, which burned with a fiery ache. My hand flew to my neck, clawing at the skin, when I realized something was lodged in my throat, stopping me from speaking.
Skylar’s hand covered mine. “Cian. I need you to relax. There’s a tube in your throat helping you breathe. You need to stop fighting, okay?”
My confused gaze met hers. She looked so tired—and hurt. She was covered in bruises, and she had a large bandage on her head.
How did she get hurt? Why couldn’t I breathe on my own? Where the hell was I?
I grasped her hand, holding it tight, the panic swelling. There was movement behind her, voices talking, then a stranger came beside my bed, holding a needle. I tried to stop her, beginning to thrash, the pain intensifying to the point that tears ran down my face. Skylar was sobbing, her face now hidden from my view. Sean suddenly appeared, leaning over me, his gaze locked on mine.
“Calm down, Cian. Listen to me. Stop fighting. You’re safe. Skylar is safe. We’re all okay.”
Sean was here. Skylar was here. They weren’t dead. I wasn’t dead.
I lifted my hand, and he grasped it, his voice low and reassuring. “Rest. I have your girl and she’s fine. It’s over.”
I could feel myself fading, the blackness creeping back in. I tried holding his hand harder, but my fingers refused to cooperate. Sean patted my shoulder. “We’ll be here when you’re ready to wake up.” He lifted my hand and placed it in Skylar’s, who smiled at me even as the tears ran down her face.
“Listen to him, fuckwit. For once, just listen to him.”
And I was gone.
The next time I woke up, the room was dim. I blinked, turning my head, and was met with Sean’s weary gaze. He smiled, sitting straight and leaning forward.
“Cian, there were complications. You have a breathing tube in your throat. Don’t try to speak and don’t panic. Blink twice if you understand me.”
It took me a minute to get coordinated enough to follow his instructions, but finally, I blinked.
“Good. Once you’re awake a bit, they’ll remove the tube.”
I blinked again, then moved my gaze around.
“You’re in the hospital.”
I kept looking around, and he smiled. “Skylar is asleep. Julia and the doctors convinced her to rest a little. She has barely left your side.”