AllFreeNovel
Share Us
Bending over, I began CPR, my mind screaming. No! He couldn’t be dead.
"Summer.” Rook grabbed my shoulder, but I pushed him away.
“I have to save him," I growled out.
"He's dead," Rook insisted after a long moment. Gripping my face, he pulled me to him and away from Benson. His fingers strong on my chin, he forced me to look in his face, "He's dead, baby.”
"He's not," I shook my head, trying to hold back tears, "I have to save him. You don't understand. I have to." He’d been the grandfatherly figure my whole life. He couldn’t just die on me like that.
"Summer," his voice was gentle, “look."
Turning my face, he showed me the proof. I'd been so panicked to help him, I hadn't seen the bullet hole in the middle of his forehead.
CHAPTER 39
Summer
"Holy motherfucker, look at your lazy ass,” a familiar voice made my eyes dart open, memories of the last several days immediately flooding in.
From dealing with cops, who didn’t seem to really care about Benson’s death. Then, funeral arrangements with only a sprinkle of mourners: a few elderly ladies from Blackthorne Chapel, the Expiarus—the same man who’d presided at my father’s funeral, and a couple of staff members from the funeral home. Plus Callie, who came home for the day and who’d already returned to school. Seeing her was the only silver lining in the tragedy.
Suddenly, the bed bounced as I turned over, and I found myself met by one brown eye and one blue eye staring at me. A bright smile flashed, “What's up, bitch?"
“Amara? Ohmygod!” I squealed, wrapping my arms around her neck and dragging her to me, smiling so hard my cheeks ached. “What? How?”
“I’m here for a few days.”
“How?”
“I rode my magic broom over,” she teased, squeezing me tight. “I missed you.”
“You have no idea,” I agreed, feeling suddenly lighter. Amara always had that kind of effect—she lit up the room wherever she went. “How are you?”
“Fine.” A shoulder came up but she rolled her eyes. “Done with men, but otherwise fine.”
“And the…”
Her hand unconsciously went to her stomach. “Things are going well, but I don’t want to talk about that,” she rushed, “I just missed my bestie.”
She jumped up and down on the mattress again. “Come on. Up up. Let’s go do something.”
I sat up, laughing. “Seriously though. How did you get here?”
“Some dude called me up and said he was flying me to see you." She dramatically flipped her silver hair over her shoulder, making her signature creepy doll earrings shake.
"Amara! And you just got on a plane? Without even asking me who he was?”
"He said he wanted to surprise you, so duh, I couldn’t tell you.”
“What if he kidnapped you or something?” I didn’t want to tell her—she had enough to worry about—but I wouldn’t put it past the Magnolia to do something like that. “He could’ve done horrible things to you.”
“Honey,” she gave me a stark look, wiggling her eyebrows, “man looking like that, I don’t think I would mind him doing horrible things to me. You fucked him yet?”
“Amara!” My cheeks pinked, and she flashed a grin.
“I knew it!”
“I haven’t—eek!”
