Page 87 of Wicked Rush

Lars pressed his lips to hers. A gentle kiss, it felt like their last as he gently guided her away from the cliff. As she fell back into the harness, he looked up to Seth and whistled, giving him a thumbs up. Lars had climbed hundreds of times, yet as he watched her ascend, apprehension set in.

Shaking off fear, he set out up the cliff. Testing each jutting rock, he easily scaled it. Ten feet. Five feet. Two feet. A shot rang out, and Braelynn’s distinctive voice reverberated in the crisp morning air. Clasping onto the ledge, Lars watched, in shock, as Seth toppled over the precipice.

“No!” Lars roared, helpless to save him. Blood sprayed into the air as his friend tumbled down the cliffs. With one hand, Lars hung, struggling to locate him. As the possibility of Seth’s death slammed into him, tears sprang from his eyes. Even in the rare chance he’d survived the fall, Lars knew that he’d never be able to reach him. The unstable cliffs could slip anytime during his descent, killing them both.

Gunfire sprayed, and Braelynn went silent. Anger and grief surged through Lars. He swung his arm over the ledge, digging into the dirt and hauling himself over the edge. In the distance, he caught sight of Garrett dragging Braelynn by her arm into the house. Although relieved she was alive, he hated seeing her distressed and swore he’d kick Garrett’s ass. Both Dean and Shane took cover behind redwoods, firing off shots at Giordano, who stumbled across the lawn toward the helicopter. Giordano spotted Lars from twelve yards away, and turned his gun toward him.

It wasn’t as if danger didn’t register, but Lars simply didn’t care. Giordano had killed Seth. Eye for an eye, the man would die by his hand today. A gunshot exploded from behind Lars. He dove to the ground, never taking his eyes off Giordano, whose body jolted, wavering like a flag as he took a clean hit to the arm. Still holding his gun, Giordano staggered back, but kept his eyes trained on Lars. Springing to his feet, Lars lunged at him like a striking cobra. The gun flew across the lawn, and Lars smashed his fist into Giordano’s face. The sound of crunching bone sounded in his ears as he lost control, pummeling him.

“You’re a fucking dead man!” Lars screamed as his bloodied fist slipped off Giordano’s lifeless body.

“That’s enough,” Dean yelled through the roar of the aircraft. “You’re going to kill him.”

Exhausted, he fought as Dean restrained him. “Get off me,” Lars demanded.

Lars caught sight of the helicopter spinning off into the distance, wind blowing dust into the air. Heaving for breath and devastated, he fell onto his knees. Through a heavy sob, he pleaded. “Dean. Get my fucking heli. It’s in the hangar. Call the coast guard.”

“I’m sorry.” Dean’s voice cracked as tears came to his eyes. “Seth. Giordano shot him, shoved him off. We got here just as he was going after Braelynn again.”

“I’ll fucking do it myself.” Lars shoved upward, and stumbled.

Dean held out his hand, supporting him around his waist. “Look. The feds are already here. They’ll find him.”

“No. I’ve gotta go down. Just hold the rope.”

“No way, man. You know it’s not safe. If those rocks slide, we’ll be picking up both your bodies. Just let them do their job. Garrett. My office. We’ll exhaust every resource looking for him.”

“This is my fault,” Lars cried, brushing his hand over his face. Realizing he was covered in blood, he opened his palms and sighed. “Where’s Braelynn?”

“Garrett’s got her.”

“I saw him take her. Where the fuck are they?”

“She’s gone by now.”

“What?” The words hit him like a punch in the stomach. Lars bent over, his hands on his knees, trying to comprehend the overwhelming loss. Seth. Braelynn.

“The ambulance. They’ll be here soon.” Dean glanced to Giordano. As Shane approached, he gave a brief nod. “We need to keep him alive so we can question him. We don’t know how far Giordano’s reach is, who he’s working with.”

Confusion swept through Lars as he caught sight of Shane cuffing Giordano. Quickly processing the situation, Lars realized that he must have been working undercover for the DA’s office.

“Let him die. He’s a fucking murderer,” Lars yelled.

Dean took a deep breath, and held his hand to his pursed mouth. He coughed away a sob, attempting to keep his composure.

“I’m sorry. Dean. I know he’s your friend too. Garrett. Does he know about Seth? Jesus Christ. I can’t do this…I can’t.” Grief rolled through Lars as Seth’s death registered.

“We’re going to look for him,” Dean managed but Lars knew the truth. Even if Seth had managed to survive the three-hundred-foot fall, it’d be likely he’d been sucked out into the Pacific.

“I’ve…I’ve got to call Garrett. I’ll be in the house.”

Braelynn Rollins, the only woman he’d ever loved, was gone. And as much as he loved her, the guilt of knowing they’d killed Seth left him reeling. Seth had been like a brother, and he’d brought this mess to his feet. Lars trod into the house, knowing that when he returned to San Diego, he would never see Big Sur again.