I sat back and focused on my breathing for a few moments. It felt as if my arm had been blown to pieces. I screamed. Then I breathed again.
I reached for the hem of my shirt and pulled. It didn't budge. I used both hands to tear it apart and more blood poured out of my wound making me grimace with pain.
I let myself feel it for a second or two then wrapped the piece of cloth over the wound and squeezed it as hard as I could, hopingit would be enough. Because the time for the pity party was over. The time for pain was over.
It was time to kill that motherfucker and save Zach.
THIRTY-TWO
ZACH
"Stay low!" Victor growled.
He shoved me behind a tree.
I had no choice but to obey and I pressed my back against the trunk, closing my eyes. Only for a moment.
A moment that stretched on for a goddamn eternity.
I'd done this. I'd caused this. What the hell was I thinking? Why the fuck had I decided to do this? I'd only gone and made things ten times worse. At least before, the only thing in danger was property. Now, real lives were at stake.
Dare's life.
I didn't even care about myself at this point. I'd signed up for this crap when I left the safety and warmth of Dare's home and jumped in a car with Victor.
But Dare? He didn't deserve any of this. He deserved a good life. He deserved a long, happy life being loved and cherished.
A loud blast shook me from my very core, and I felt the pounding in my chest travel all the way to my head, making my temples throb.
Shots were fired.
All I could do was pray. Pray to God, to the universe, to any higher power hoping one would answer. That one of them would spare Dare's life and put an end to this torture.
"I said, move it!"
I was yanked back to my feet and, as I tried to find my balance, I looked behind me to Dare.
He was there. I took a moment—a fleeting second—to look at him and feel hope. My heart flared at the sight of him. Beautiful and strong, as he'd ever been. And then...
All it took was a second. A second for that image of him before me to be sullied by fear and blood as Victor shot him.
He collapsed, disappearing from view and my breath caught in my throat.
"Dare!" I called but no sound came out.
I wanted to run to him. To go to him. To help him, though hadn't I already done enough? Still, I could try, right?
Victor shoved me again and the choice was taken from me before I could even make it.
The further away from him we walked, the deeper the pain in my chest got. It throbbed. It pulsed. It was unbearable. It felt as if my heart was being ripped right out of my chest and my head was all but spinning out of control. I flexed my fingers, butI could barely feel my limbs. My feet felt pins and needles with every step. This was torture.
This was a mess.
What have I done? What have I done? What have I done?
If I'd killed Dare how would I live with myself? If I'd caused him harm how would I breathe again?
My throat wheezed and I stopped in my tracks to try and inhale. Victor pushed me and I stumbled forward. My foot slipped on sludge but thankfully a tree appeared next to me, and I managed to steady myself. Something shook within me, from my very core, and I could only feel it once I became still for a moment or two.
