Page 140 of Shatter

"She comes out first." He says it low, to himself, like something he promised somebody. "Come on, Anni. You come out first."

I look down at my brother.

Hakon doesn't rush me.

He waits while I close Pierce's eyes with two bloody fingers, the way I've seen people do in movies.

I brush his hair back off his forehead and press my lips to his cold cheek.

Then I put my hand in Hakon's.

***

The sun is blinding.

I don't remember the hall or crossing the crushed shell.

I only remember his arms carrying me, and the sound of him saying my name over and over under his breath, like he's afraid it'll stop being true if he stops.

The lot is full of bikes.

Men in leather everywhere, and Tor standing in the middle of all of it with a shotgun resting on his shoulder and blood on his knuckles.

He sees us.

He crosses the shell in three strides and looks down at me in Hakon's arms, at my blue lips and my brother's blood soaking the front of my hoodie.

His jaw works.

"She hurt?" He looks at Hakon.

"Cold." Hakon's voice is hoarse. "Really cold."

I'm shaking so hard now my teeth are rattling again, great racking shudders from my shoulders to my feet.

Hakon sets me down on the tailgate of somebody's truck, gently, like I'm made of glass.

Then he shrugs out of his cut.

He wraps it around my shoulders and pulls the leather closed across my chest and holds it there with both hands.

It swallows me.

It's warm from his body and smells like him.

My fingers curl into the leather and don't let go.

Across the lot, Rati is watching.

He looks at the cut on my shoulders.

He looks at Hakon, kneeling in the crushed shell in front of me in his bloody T-shirt with his hands locked around the leather.

Then he nods, slowly, once, and turns away.

I pull the cut tighter.

Over Hakon's shoulder, at the edge of the lot by the road, a black Charger sits with its door open.