“The second car is their go-car,” Aidan says. “Take out the tires.”
“We don’t have that kind of ammo,” I deadpan.
Aidan chuckles. “Guess you better shoot straight.” Aidan shifts his weight, leveling his aim. “Next step,” he says.
“Yep,” I throw back, checking the mirror to confirm the cars behind us are still as far away as they were the last time I looked.
One of the bad guys who stepped from the back seat takes aim at Aidan with a ratty-looking M4 and pulls the trigger. The bullet hits the door and pushes Aidan back a step, but it doesn’t penetrate the panel. First fire means fair game, and I pick off the one in the back easily, his body falling to the ground. That’s all it takes for all fucking hell to break out. Gunshots resound around us, loud and relentless as the bad guys scatter. More men appear from the go-car, all of them with weapons far superior to ours.
Aidan takes out a guy, a perfect headshot, just as a searing pain seethes up one of my legs. A glance down proves blood is in fact seeping down my leg at a steady pace, a momentary distraction. My gun disappears from my hand as a bullet picks it off, sending it flying through the air, rendering me useless, weak, bleeding, and fucking unarmed.
I fall over into the seat of the truck, unable to stand on the leg bleeding out. Aidan only glances at me briefly before leaving the safety of the paneled door to seek out my weapon, our only chance. I see the two cars in the mirror rapidly moving toward us—one in each lane.
Aidan appears in the mirror, cutting my view of the cars. He has my gun. He has it. He takes a bullet in his chest plate, and I hold my breath for him, knowing how strong the blow feels when you’re hit.
“Toss it,” I call out to him, leaning out of the truck on my good leg, holding out my hand. “Fucking toss it,” I scream, sweatdripping down my face. He does, and by some grace I’m able to catch it and pick off the guy approaching my side of the truck.
“We’re fucked! Where is the backup?” Aidan calls.
Limping, trailing more blood than I’m letting myself process, I stumble toward the bastard reloading his gun. My guy. My guy. My guy. My guy.
“No! Leif,” I hear Aidan say, but he’s already firing toward the assholes approaching from the back.
This is the moment. My defining moment. With the black steel clutched in my outstretched hand, my other hand steadying it, I take aim at the bastard’s head and pull the trigger. A misfire. No bullet. He laughs and turns his fully loaded M4 on me.
The world goes black.
SIXTEEN
Malena
Nine Months Later
She died on a Friday.About a week after I broke up with Leif. Of complications brought forth by the pneumonia. I buried her in a plot next to the Baptist church. The whole town showed up for the funeral. After she passed, I moved in with my cousin Amber. I always knew she would be there for me when it mattered. It was mostly so I could stay out of the Bronze Bay limelight when my pregnancy finally started showing. And so I wouldn’t have to be alone all the time.
I worked in Amber’s coffee shop and kept up with my business as best I could. My friends eventually found out about the pregnancy, but I still stayed away, unable to shake the memories of my hometown. Of my mom. Of Leif.
Leif sent me an email with photos of Dylan and me attached. I still don’t know who I have to thank for the images, but they were the perfect excuse to make an easy break. When he questioned the photos, I told him the biggest lie of my life.That I was in love with another man, my ex-husband, and never wanted to see him again. I wrote the email and nearly hyperventilated moments after I hit send. Leif never tried to contact me after that, and I still feel guilty for letting him believe the absolute worst of me after everything he did for my mother.
I lost my mom long before she was buried. I grieved the memories shared ages ago. When she passed away, it was merely the last step of saying goodbye to the vessel that used to house my mother. It was closure. In a way, it was the beginning of a completely new life.
After the baby arrived, I moved back to Bronze Bay, mainly because I needed more space for all of the baby gear and supplies. She has taken over my world almost completely. My heart was hers from the second she blinked her bright blue eyes, the same shade as her dad’s. She has a darker skin tone, like me, but her hair is a light blond to complement her eyes. She is beautiful and healthy. Everything I never knew I needed. When I first looked at her, a desperate sadness took over—reminding me of the love lost that I’ll never have again. It didn’t take long for me to realize how blessed I am to have living, breathing proof that such a thing even exists.
Her name is Luna Winterset, and she changed everything. It’s hard being a single parent. It’s lonely. Every tear and late night is worth it. Loving her is as natural as breathing. Caring for her gives my life a new purpose.
Shirley is cradling Luna on the sofa. I called her to come over so I can clean out my mom’s room. It’s time. Luna will need a larger room soon, and I’ve been avoiding the heartache for as long as I can.
I push open the bedroom door, and I’m hit with the scent of my mother. A mix of flowers and laundry soap. It’s tinged with a musty, uncleaned scent, but she’s still in here. My skin pricks. Rubbing my arms, I enter and head for her bed, where a sealedcardboard box sits unopened. A package Garden Breeze mailed after cleaning out her room. With the razor blade clutched in one hand, I slide it across the tape and open the box. Her robe is on top. I toss it and a few nightgowns into an empty laundry basket. There are a couple vases, the photo albums I brought her, and tucked into the side is her notebook.
I grab that, interested in any words she might have scribbled down, but not expecting much. There’s a sealed envelope, my name printed on the front in my mother’s shaky handwriting. It’s crumpled, almost as if it was thrown away on accident. I feel my heartbeat in my neck as I slide my finger under the flap to open it. My eyes blur with tears when I see a page filled with words. For me. Luna squeals a contented coo as Shirley sings a funny song. With my daughter’s voice in my ears, I read my mother’s note. It’s dated a couple weeks after she settled into Garden Breeze.
Malena, my sweet baby love,
Thank you for this. For this place. With the garden and the intelligent doctors who help me. They are kind. As kind as you were all of these years to care for me. Thank you for those years, baby. I don’t know how long I’ll remember this, and it gets a little spottier each time, but this time you are the only person that stands out clearly. You must miss me. You must feel so alone in this world. Malena, I must write quickly, as fast as I can, because I need you to know that you don’t have to be alone, that a man loves you so severely that hearing him speak of you gave me this flash of clarity. It stung me on a soul level, forcing me to remember what true love feels like.
Leif came to visit me today, and although he kept saying he knew I wouldn’t remember, and I’m sure that’s why hesaid the things he did and why he told me of his feelings for you. He said that when you smile, it brings meaning to his life. Leif wants to be with you forever. He said that you are the only person in the world that his heart will ever belong to. Baby, the way he spoke of you, his heart is yours. I hope that your heart is his. You’ll never be alone if you have a love like that. A partner. A lover. If I don’t remember in the morning, know this is what I want for you. I had it for a short time with your father, and you were born of that love. Had disease not addled my brain, I don’t doubt your father and I would still have it.
Please, darling. You are worthy of so much more than you give yourself credit for. Leif said you opened his eyes to loving on a different level. He wants to have a family with you and take care of you and any future children. His words brought me such comfort, a relief that there is hope for humanity. I can only assume if you’ve created such an effect on his heart, that you have strong feelings for this man as well. Don’t be afraid to ask for what you want from him. Be truthful in your love. Don’t sacrifice a life for me anymore. Don’t sacrifice love for anything.
