Kayden’s gaze sweeps over my face and he raises his hand, grasping my cheek tenderly. “It’s all over, angel. You did good.”
I choke on a sob leaning my face into his hand. “It wasn’t enough.”
“Shhh, it’s OK. Everything is going to be OK,” he replies, his thumb stroking my cheek.
I nod my head, knowing he probably doesn’t have much time left, and I’m not going to argue with him about it.
“I love you, Kayden. Ever since you cut my chains in that house, ever since you saved me, I’ve been yours.I was always yours.”
Kayden tries to take a breath but his chest sputters and he coughs up blood, yet he continues to try to push his words out. “It’s OK… angel. You are my heart.”
I turn my face away and I scream. I scream for help, I scream in fear, I scream in anger. I scream until my voice goes hoarse. I don’t know how long I scream for, could be seconds, could be minutes. All I know is my anguish is consuming me. I can’t lose him. After all this time, after all this, I can’t lose him, not like this.
Peering down at him, I brush my hand over his forehead, trying to convey all the words I can’t get out with a single look, but my vision starts to blur. I realize I probably lost more blood than I thought.
A few seconds later, I see flashlights through the trees and relief floods my system as I realize help is on the way.
“OVER HERE!” I scream, waving my arms as the lights pass over me.
“Stay with me, Kayden. I can’t lose you, not after all this. Help is here, you stay with me.”
“I love you… angel. You were always meant to save me,” he replies.
But I can’t save him, not from this.
Donovan drops to his knees on the other side of Kayden. “Shit.”
Axel peers over Donovan and immediately turns around, unclipping his helmet and tossing it into the woods, spewing expletives.
“Axel, don’t. If we have any hope of saving him, I need your help. Get the fuck over here,” Donovan demands as he digsthrough his first aid kit before pushing something into each of his wounds.
Kayden coughs, blood spraying, as Donovan packs the last wound. Five gunshot wounds total.
As Kayden’s breaths become more and more shallow, I get more and more dizzy.
“Shit, Donovan. Dani’s about to pass out. Look at her fucking neck,” Axel says, though he sounds miles away. He digs around in his pack, grabbing supplies before he gets up.
“Dammit,” Donovan says. “You take care of Dani, I got Kayden.”
I take another look at Kayden and grasp his hand. When Axel kneels down in front of me I lose sight of him.
I push at Axel, desperate for him to move so I can see Kayden.I have to see him. “Move, Axel,” I say as I push at him weakly. “I have to see him.”
A sharp pain pinches at my neck as I see Axel bring his hand back with a sharp-needled syringe. “What did you do…” I whisper, my hand flying to the side of my neck as the world spins.
Axel lowers me to the ground and I immediately seek out Kayden, reaching for his hand. The last thing I see before my world fades to black is Donovan doing compressions on Kayden.
I love you.
Twenty-Nine
Dani
Two weeks later
The funeral procession is long. I’ve honestly never seen so many cars for a single funeral; not only are there family and friends here, there are military and police for miles.
One week ago I woke up in a strange place which I later learned was the new Eden. Melody told me I immediately started pulling out the numerous cords and IVs attached to my body, screaming out for Kayden until eventually they had to sedate me. It took three days for me to calm down enough to even listen to what they were telling me—Donovan did CPR for twenty minutes as I laid next to Kayden on that forest floor while Axel stitched up my neck. It took me two more days to accept he was really gone.
