My mind is reeling with all the possibilities of what happened and how this is going to end.
“I should have gone after him first, and none of this would have happened. I promised her I would protect her, and he walked right into our goddamn house.”
“You couldn’t have known this was going to happen. The police and lawyers have been trying to track him down for days.” He glances at his phone. “Take a right here,” he says, looking at the location. “She’s about five miles away. What’s the plan when we catch up?”
“Besides, kill the motherfucker?” I growl. “I have no clue.” I grip the wheel tighter and grind my teeth together. “You get to her and get her away safely. She’s all that matters, Miles,” I say quietly. “I’ll take care of him.”
“Fuck. There’s a wreck up ahead,” he says, looking out the windshield and gripping the dashboard.
I see the lights flashing and traffic slowing down as I come to a stop. “I’ve got to find a way around.” I try to ease off the road so I can bypass the wreck.
“Jake. Stop.” He frowns at the phone before looking up ahead. “She’s right where the wreck is,” he says quietly.
“What?” I check my phone and jump out of the car. I don’t even hear my brother call for me as I weave around vehicles. I see a car flipped over as I approach the scene. A body is covered next to it, and all the blood drains from my face.
“Jake, wait!” Miles tries to grab my arm, but I push him off of me.
“Sir, you can’t come in this area. Please go back to your vehicle,” an officer at the scene says, walking up to me.
He blocks my way when I don’t move, but I’m twice his size and push my way past him.
More cops try to stop me, and I struggle to see past them. I hear Miles talking in the distance as he argues with the officer to let us through.
“If you don’t go back to your car, I’m going to have to handcuff you and put you in the backseat of my car,” the officer says, putting his hands on me to stop me from going any further.
“I just need to see her. She’s…she’s with me,” I say, struggling to breathe through the pain that’s piercing my chest.
“Let me see what I can find out,” he finally says, sighing, “but you have to remain calm for me.” I’m sure I look half-crazed right now. I see a look of pity cross his eyes, and I clench my fist because the urge to wipe it off his face is strong. I don’t need his pity because she’s going to be okay. She has to be.
I watch them remove a second person from the vehicle and see a flash of brunette hair. The world spins as I lose a sense ofreality. I feel helpless and gutted to my soul as I watch them lay her down and start compressions.
I’m moving before my brain registers what's happening. I try to push my way through, but I’m held back as I struggle to get closer. Her body is lifeless as they work on her, and I feel myself break.
My brother’s hands come around me, holding me back.
“They need to work on her, Jake. Let them do their job,” Miles says firmly in my ear as I try to get out of his hold.
My chest heaves as I struggle to be near her.
“Don’t you fucking die on me, Lyla,” I yell. “You fight. You fight like hell to come back to me,” I choke out.
I watch my heart lie there with hers, neither wanting to beat again without the other. My throat is raw, and every bone in my body aches as I pray for a miracle.
“We’ve got a steady pulse,” I hear the paramedic say after what feels like lifetimes. “Let’s get her loaded up and to the hospital, STAT.”
I sink to my knees as my legs give out. I watch them lift her in the back and drive away.
“I’ll drive us to the hospital,” Miles says, quietly hauling me up.
“Wait.” I stop and turn to the police officer, who is still eyeing me like I might go off again. “What about the other guy that was with her?”
I can tell he’s debating whether to tell me, probably afraid I will cause more trouble.
“Just tell me if that’s the abusive fucker who took her.” I point to the white sheet with a person under it.
Something flicks in his eyes, and I can tell he’s right there with me on pieces of shit like that. “The driver was dead at the scene.”
I look over at the covered body as they load it into the back of an ambulance.
