Total pages in book: 193
Estimated words: 184001 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 920(@200wpm)___ 736(@250wpm)___ 613(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 184001 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 920(@200wpm)___ 736(@250wpm)___ 613(@300wpm)
I lift my gun, and his disciples raise theirs.
“Do you really think this will end well for you, Ezekiel?”
“I don’t know. You tell me.”
Two shots ring out, each one from opposite directions, and the disciple to his left drops followed by the one on his right. Khalil emerges from the shadows, clutching a gun in his hand, and behind me, Aurelia groans as she rises into a sitting position while holding her own gun.
Isaac looks around, finally realizing he’s alone.
There. That look. The fear of death finally enters his eyes. There are no more disciples, no more sheep to hide it from. There’s also no cage to throw me in or a table to strap me to.
It’s just him and me.
Khalil kicks Isaac in his back and sends him to his knees while I turn to help Aurelia up.
“You okay?” I ask her while leaning down to brush the tip of her nose with mine.
“I’ll live,” she answers. “You?”
I smile down at her. “I’ll live.”
Those two words carry a heavier meaning for me though, and I see the moment she realizes it too. “Good.”
“Ayo, Zeke. I really liked your speech about not needing to torture him and all, but there’s no reason why we can’t kick the shit out of him for a little bit.”
Aurelia raises her hand. “I’m down for some stomping the motherfucker out.”
“No,” I answer firmly. “There’s no time for that. Thor needs us.”
The reminder sobers the two of them as they nod and get into position. We aren’t taking any chances of this bitch surviving.
“Ezekiel, please,” Isaac begs when all three of us lift our guns to his head. “I’m your brother.”
“You were never my brother,” I say.
And then we fire. I’m numb as I watch the light leave Isaac’s eyes and then his body slump to the ground. It’s quiet except for the wildfire and the helicopter arriving. The three of us glance at each other, and I can see the silent question in their eyes as we consider Isaac’s insane belief that he’d rise again.
“Just to be sure?” Aurelia asks.
Khalil blows out a breath and grunts. “Fuck it.”
All at once we lift our guns once more and empty our clips into Isaac’s lifeless body. I then grab him by his bloody robe and drag him toward the cliff’s edge, painting a trail of blood as we go. Once there, I drop his body and lift my boot before kicking his ass over the side.
Just to be sure.
AURELIA
The steady hum and beep of the machines surrounding the hospital bed is the only confirmation that Thorin’s alive, but the real question that plagues my heart is if he’s still in there.
Coma, they’d uttered after he was finally brought out of surgery. Among other things like skull fractures, brain injury, broken ribs, a ruptured eardrum, and a shattered left arm. Thorin may never walk again. He may never talk. And his doctors won’t know a thing about how bad it is until he wakes up. If he ever does.
Isaac didn’t do this.
My uncle did.
He’s the one who told Isaac where to find us. He knew what would happen. He’d banked on it.
I cannot allow him to get away with this.
I can’t.
It’s been three days since Isaac burned down the cabin and nearly killed Thor. Three days of sitting by Thorin’s bedside, wishing he would open his eyes and call me songbird or wolf and being disappointed every time.
Right now, I’m alone in the room. Khalil and Zeke left a little under an hour ago to go for a run and quell their aggression, which rises to new heights each day that Thorin doesn’t wake up. But there was no way for me to dull mine, which was quieter but no less furious. I refused to leave Thor’s bedside for longer than a few minutes, so I sat and I thought of nothing but revenge.
Khalil and Zeke will be back soon, which means I don’t have much time left to say goodbye.
Tucked inside the overnight bag next to my feet are the results from my own doctor’s exam, but I can’t bring myself to look at the damning sheet of paper for longer than a glance. Instead, I shift forward in my seat next to the bed and I take Thorin’s hand in mine, wishing I could feel him squeeze it or link our fingers together like he always does.
“I love you,” I whisper through my tears as I rest my cheek on his lap and rub the blanket covering him. “I love you so much. And when you come back to me, I pray that you can find what’s left of me in your heart to not hate me. To forgive me for not being here when you wake up. I don’t know what else to do since I can’t forgive him. Not for hurting you. Never for hurting you. I can’t.”