Without hesitation,I pulled her halfway onto the rock I stood on to get her to safety.My breath caught in my throat, and a million fucking thoughts were rushing through my head.That was, until the hair fell from her face, and my stomach dropped.
Mira.
Soaking wet.Shivering.Mascara smeared down her mutilated face.
And blood.Tons of fucking blood.
I released her hand and stepped backward.She wasn’t Astrid.Where was Astrid?I had come to the Overlook to find Astrid, not for Mira.Why was she here?Why had she died her hair to look like Astrid?Who had done this to her?Where the fuck was my girl?
Mira coughed and reached for my wrist again.“Please, help …” she sputtered from the wound straight down her lips to her chin, separated almost completely so that I could see all her bottom teeth and jaw.
My blood boiled at the sound of her desperate, hoarse voice.
“Please, help me.They left me here.I … I?—”
“Where’s Astrid?”
“I don’t know,” she said, shaking her head.
I lifted my head and stared out into the ocean as the rescue team climbed out of the water to get supplies for Mira.This was all … it was all a fucking setup.They’d used Mira to throw us off.Astrid could be anywhere.
“Where is she?”I asked again, voice deathly calm.
“I don’t know.”She grabbed my ankle and tried to hold herself upright.“I really don’t.”
After shrugging her hand off me, I stepped on it so hard that I could hear the bones snap.A scream left her lips, blood spewing everywhere.But I didn’t care.Astrid had cried over this bitch.She had fucking cried over this bitch!
“Arch, please.I’m telling the truth.I don’t?—”
Before she could finish her sentence, I kicked her back into the ocean.The current grabbed her instantly, her screams being drowned out by the crashing waves.She flailed, trying to find a grip on the slippery rocks.
“Arch!”Diya screamed, scrambling down the rocky slope behind me.“What the fuck?!”
I turned toward the group.“It wasn’t Astrid.”
“I know that, asshole!”Diya said.“You think Astrid would want this?”
“Yes,” I growled, snapping my hand around her throat.“You don’t even know your best fucking friend.You have no idea who she is or what she’d want.Because allyoucare about is yourself.”I pulled her even closer so we were face-to-face.“You’re lucky that you’re Calix’s sister, or I’d throwyouin right after her.”
The rescue team ran past me, sliding down the rocky ledge and back into the water, trying to rescue her.One threw a rope into the waves, as if that’d do shit.Two more jumped back into the ocean.
Mira slipped underneath the current.Once.Then twice.Then she was gone.
Officers at the top of the Overlook pointed their guns at me.“Put the girl down.Step away from her.Hands where we can see them!”
I kept Diya in front of me and shoved her up the rocks toward the street, using her as a shield.Honestly?I didn’t care about her getting hurt because what the fuck had she done with Astrid?Who had she called?What had she wanted to happen to her best friend?
When we reached the street, one of the officers reached for her cuffs.“Turn around.”
But I didn’t move because if I did, I’d probably throw them in the ocean too.
Kai from Poison stepped forward and raised his gun at the officers.“Put it down.”
“Are you threatening an officer?—”
Cairo stepped forward.“How much to make this entire scene disappear?”
The female officer shook her head.“Disappear?Are you trying to?—”
