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Another bullet whizzes by penetrating the very area my head just was.

My crawling is quick and the slick curve around the corner I execute is sadly done in her blood.

That fact leads to there being no hesitation to pull the trigger the instant he’s in my sight.

Once.

Twice.

Four.

Five.

Seven.

It’s overkill.

His sprayed brain matter painting the room behind him is proof of that, yet it doesn’t feel like enough.

Becoming soaked in my woman’s blood during the firing feeds that feeling.

That rage.

And having her lifelessly lying just a couple feet away amplifies it to unfathomable levels.

“Teach…” I whisper, recklessly abandoning my gun, fingers anxious to reach her. Touch her. “T…T…Teach?” They curl around her paper towel covered wrist eager to find a pulse. Needing to find it. “Emmerz?”

“Call medic!” Flames shouts at the top of his lungs. “Now!”

“Emaline…” Tears sting the corners of my eyes as I frantically move them around in search of the faintest beat. “Can you hear me?”

Nothing out of her mouth.

Nothing out of her body.

Not even a goddamn twitch.

“Come on, baby,” I breathlessly encourage, body curling closer to hers, soaked digits moving to check her neck near the sexy bruises she was happy to have to display. “Stay with me…” Shutting my eyes, I frenziedly search the cold, clammy skin for what I need more than my next breath. “Don’t leave.” My failure to find even the tiniest throb has me collecting her limp torso into my arms and airily croaking, “Please, don’t make me live without you…”

Chapter 27

Emaline

“Girl, you better get your behind over here and stir this,” Gam Gam scolds, wooden spoon sharply pointed in my direction. “Pie fillin’ don’t just whip itself.”

Pie?

When did we start making a pie?

Why?

Random wild hair on her beautiful gray head?

Or is it someone’s birthday?

Oh! Oh!

Is this a congratulations pie?!