“You fall, I fall—”
Hunter’s dead.
“Where are they?” I scream.
The person holding me, stealing me, pauses and tightens their arms around my body as they murmur, “They’re gone.”
Stone is dead.
Maddox is dead.
Gage is dead.
Nyx is dead.
They’re all dead, and I…I’m in the darkness.
I want to stay here forever. Because my life without them is nothing. Without them, I am nothing.
My heart cleaves in two, and I let it. My surroundings go black, and I let them. My mind turns to ash and flames and pain, and I let it. The numbness claws at my insides, and I let it.
Iwelcomeit.
But when the room spins, and my eyes drift shut, it’s not the darkness that greets me, embracing me like an old, familiar friend.
It’s the memories. It’s my past. Everything I’ve long since forgotten. Things that were once tucked away for safekeeping—held until this exact moment as if my mind knew this was coming.
And as the first vision flickers to life and dread coils in my gut, I realize that the memories I’d wished and prayed would return for all those years were better left dead.
Chapter 7
5 Years Old
“Try again, Skye,” UncleMilo says softly, guiding me toward the gun range.
My head shakes, and I sniffle, wiping my face with the back of my hand. “I don’t want to.” I’m tired and hungry. I don’t want to do this anymore.
He sighs and turns me around to face him before dropping to his knees. His rough hands cup my cheeks softly. “I know, sweetheart. Can you tell me why, though?”
I look from him to the row of guns laid out on a table. They’re so scary. So loud. I hate it. They make my hands hurt and my body sore. But I don’t want to tell him that. He loves teaching me things, and I love learning. If I tell him, he might stop.
So, I just shake my head as more tears spill free.
His bright green eyes look between mine before his face goes soft, and his thumb brushes my tears away. “Okay,” he murmurs, his thickly bearded, tan face kicking up in a wide smile. “What do you say we end class for the day and go find Auntie Charlotte for some pizza.”
“And Mommy?” I smile as I ask, but he swallows hard and looks away. “It’s ok—”
For just a second, he looks so sad, but he shakes it away and smiles at me as he stands to his full height. He’s so tall, so big. Mommy is tall, too, but me and Char are small.
“Of course, she can. She’s part of our family.” He reaches out a hand and gives me a playful smile. He waits for me to reach out and accept his offer. He doesn’t push, doesn’t force me to touch him. He’s just so…nice.
So, I reach out and grab his hand, letting him guide me from the indoor shooting range under our house to upstairs. This place is huge. It’s bigger than any of the other houses on our street, but it’s so warm and comfortable. I love it here.
Our hands swing as he guides me through the long hallways toward Char’s office. Miles takes a corner, sharp and fast, andhe starts to run. I gasp, but it turns into a squeal as he spins me around, his laughter booming off the walls. I look up, seeing his bright smile and kind eyes just before he picks me up and tosses me in the air, making me giggle.
“So, chipmunk.” He plops me on his shoulders, and I wave my hands in the air, marveling that I can almost touch the top of the hall ceiling. “¿Qué tipo de pizza quieres?”
I tap my chin, pretending to think about it. “Piña!” I shout just as we arrive at our destination. Aunty Char looks up from a stack of papers, and a huge smile spreads across her face.
