My entire body convulses as the desperation for air becomes critical. Black spots fill my vision as my limbs become heavy and slow. The sound of my heart beating in my ears starts to taper off.
Is this how Sarah felt?
Desperate.
Scared.
Helpless.
Oh, God. This is it. I can feel death’s icy grip begin to pull me into its clutches. Just when I was starting to feel like myself again. Finding Ace and facing my past. Only to have it all snuffed out after everything I’ve fought for.
CHAPTER 43
ACE
27 YEARS OLD
The roadback to Kingston is covered in freshly fallen snow, making it difficult to go as fast as I need to. I’m no good to Hazel if the stolen police vehicle plummets down the side of a cliff. And the road is far too narrow to navigate the way I want to. Every second that passes has my fear increasing tenfold, and my imagination runs wild with made up scenarios. Knowing what he’s capable of, he could be doing anything to Hazel right now. Torture, rape, murder.
All of the above.
Pulling into the parking lot, I find Kingston Prep completely deserted, save for one lone car. The kids must be out for the holiday break. As for everyone else, I suspect Kyle sent them off thinking I’d be stuck in jail. Usually, he doesn’t go anywhere without his security detail, but realizing he’s not wanting any witnesses tells me everything I need to know. Before I exit the car, I search it for any useful weapons. In the glove compartment, I find a pistol stowed away and send up a quick thank you to the universe for small town cops.
The school sprawls out in four different wings. The education wings taking up half and the dorms taking up the other sections. Then the library and gym are nestled in the middle along withthe offices. The second level houses the church, lofting above the school in a place of prominence to remind us of what they deem most important. Funny how a religion based on love and acceptance of others can be corrupted into one that demonizes people for simply existing. Used to inflict pain on others for being different.
As I reach the doors, the question that plagues me is wondering where he would take her. Almost by accident, my eyes catch on two sets of footprints. They’re barely visible but fresh enough that I realize they’re not in the school. Or at least I don’t think they are.
With no time to spare, I make the split-second decision to follow the footprints, hoping that listening to my intuition is the right call.
Pistol in hand, I hurry to see where they could have gone. The footprints lead to a trail in the woods, and they’re getting fainter by the second. It doesn’t help that the sun is beginning to set making it difficult to see. A fork in the trail has me second guessing which way they could have gone, until I hear a distant splash.
It could be nothing, but that doesn’t stop me from taking off in the direction of the sound. The lake is a new addition, one I haven’t been around for. It’s been impossible to get to Kingston with how many men my brother keeps employed. For years, I’ve been biding my time, waiting for the right moment to make it back here, ready to claim the piece of evidence I stowed away over a decade ago.
As luck or hubris would have it, Kyle felt secure enough to dismiss his employees, leaving me with the opportunity to end him once and for all. When I get my fucking hands on him, I’ll rip his goddamn spine from his body for this.
A scream shatters through the trees, sending a wave of black birds into the air. I know instantly that it belongs to Hazel.
Heart lodged in my throat, I slip trying to run to her, but I recover quickly. Time seems to slow as I will my body to get to her. The scene before me unravels, showing Hazel struggling in the water against Kyle who’s shoving her head beneath the surface. She manages to clock him in the face causing a river of blood to seep down his nose and mouth. Her nails dig into his face as she thrashes, trying to get away from him. I’m almost there.
Pride and relief wells in my chest until I see him bringing down his elbow on top of her head. She doesn’t resurface as he presses her down. Her thrashing becomes slow, and I begin to panic.
Please, hold on. I beg as I sprint onto the pier, putting the gun into my back pocket before I leap into the water. Hazel’s body is slumped over, and Kyle has the good sense to look surprised.
Grabbing her body, I move her head above water, hoping she’ll take a breath for me.
“Stay the fuck away, Kyle or I’ll blow your goddamn head off.” I yell out as I kick my legs to bring her to shore. Her lips are cracked and blue and her hair has chunks of snow clinging to her red locks. Rocks line the shore, digging into my knees as I start compressions on her unmoving chest.
“Breathe, baby, please. I can’t live without you.” I beg, as water drips down my face and arms, landing on her ice-cold body. Her sternum pulsates with every push of my locked hands, needing her to start breathing.
Everything fades into the background as I work tirelessly on her until finally a sputter of water drips from her mouth, turning into a harsh cough, making those beautiful doe eyes of hers fly open.
She finds me on top of her but weakly raises her arm, pointing to something behind me.
It’s too late, I realize, feeling a sharp knock to my head as I fall. Blinding pain shoots from my head and the world spins from behind my eyes.
Fucking Kyle.
There’s nothing I can do to stop him from lunging for me, his pruned fingertips shoving my face into the ground. We wrestle, limbs tangling together knowing if I could just reach for the gun still lodged in my pocket, I could end this all right now.
