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Mac is standing about ten feet away from Steven, who has a gun in his hand. Mac’s gun is pointed in Steven’s direction. Steven’s now lying on his stomach, with the weapon pointed in our direction. Where he got the gun from I have no idea. What matters is the pool of blood seeping out around him. He’s gone and the threat is no more.
I look to Mac and his grim expression. He simply nods and turns back toward the now dead body of Steven.
Good fucking riddance! I hope you burn in hell!
I bring my head close to Bailey’s ear and whisper, “It’s okay. He’s gone now. He can’t hurt you anymore.”
Her cries become stronger, but I know it’s from relief. Knowing that Steven is dead and can no longer hurt her is a relief to us both. If he were still alive, there’s a chance he could still get to her. Steven has connections, and whether he was in jail or not those connections would still stand.
Making my way to the door, I step through and zone in on the shadowed form of Nick sitting on the ground with Anna in his lap. He has his head bent toward her. When I reach them, I notice that Nick found a blanket to wrap around Anna and is holding her tight to his chest. In the light of the porch, I get my first real glimpse of Anna and it literally brings me to my knees. Still holding Bailey, we both sink to the ground beside them.
“Oh, Anna,” I whisper with a jagged breath. Bailey spasms in my arms, but my focus is still on the broken and defeated body of my baby sister. I don’t know how, but I know this is the end. The knowledge causes an unbearable pain in my chest to form. My breaths are coming faster and it feels like I can’t get enough air in. My body sags, and I hunch over a still sobbing Bailey in my arms.
Nick looks over at me with bloodshot eyes. There are no tears, but I’ve never seen eyes that showed so much pain before.
“Jax—I can’t…,” he says in a cracked voice before he stops and squeezes his eyes shut. “I don’t know…” He stops again when we hear a soft whisper.
“Nick,” Anna says, in a voice barely heard.
Nick whips his head back around and brings his face closer to Anna.
“I’m here, baby,” he whispers back to her.
Anna shifts in Nick’s lap but then stills again when she whimpers in pain. My jaw clenches at the sound, and I want to go back inside and finish off the job Nick started.
“No, Anna, stay still. The ambulance is on their way, okay?” His voice is still small.
Anna ignores him and shifts again, bringing an arm that’s riddled with marks from under the blanket. She gets it halfway to his face before she drops it again. She’s so fucking weak she can’t even lift her arm. I want to slaughter the bastards.
Nick helps her by raising her hand and bringing it to his lips and then settling it against his cheek. She closes her eyes and takes in several shallow breaths before opening them again, focusing back on Nick.
“I love you, Nick,” she breathes in a broken voice.
Nick bends forward and kisses her forehead. “I love you too, Anna Banana.” I barely hear his whisper.
With her eyes opened only to slits and her palm on Nick’s cheek, Anna tries to speak again, but I can tell it’s hard for her.
“Be happy for me,” she says weakly.
“Don’t do this, Anna! Don’t you dare die on me! You hang on, goddammit! You can’t leave me!” Nick’s voice gets louder and louder as he speaks. It comes out broken, but determined.
Bailey shifts in my lap and lifts her head toward Nick and Anna. I can still hear her quietly crying. I gently start to rock her back and forth, trying to soothe both our shattered hearts.
“It’s… too late… for me, Nick. I need… you to promise… you’ll be... happy. Promise… me. Please.”
Her voice is growing weaker by the minute and all I can do is stare at her. I can’t believe my little sister is right here, right now, dying. The rage I felt earlier is replaced by crushing grief and helplessness. We were both too late. Yes, Bailey is now safe, but my sister is dying in Nick’s arms. I feel a single tear trail down my face.
“No!” Nick says heatedly, and brings Anna’s body closer. “I can’t promise that! I can’t be happy without you. You’re my happy. Please, Anna, just hang on a little bit longer.”
Anna ignores his pleas and sends her own in return. “Promise me, Nick.”
“Fuck!” He throws his head back and bellows to the dark sky. Bringing his head back down, he looks at her. “I promise.”
I watch as Anna’s cracked and dry lips form a tiny smile at Nick’s words. Next, my body jerks and my heart freezes as Anna slumps in Nick’s arms, the smile still in place. She’s gone. My beautiful, bright sister is gone.
“Anna?” Nick asks with no response. “No, no, no! Jesus Christ! Please, Anna baby, answer me.” Still no response.
Nick drops her palm that he still had lying on his cheek and pulls her limp body even closer. He buries his face in her hair and starts mumbling words I can’t understand. He sways back and forth.
