Dima drops me on the ground like a piece of trash.
“Enjoy death.” It’s Lev’s parting words as they walk back to the car, leaving me baking underneath the desert sun, slowly and painfully bleeding out.
18
Liv
“Sable,please just get out of the studio!” I fight with my stubborn sister.
“Liv, why? You have an entire dance rehearsal going on.”
“I don’t care! Kick them out and then leave!” I scream into the phone, as we drive straight into the middle of nowhere.
“What is going on with you?” She’s exasperated, and rightfully so.
“I promise I will explain everything when we get back. Just shut it all down and get out! Now!” I hang up, then throw the phone right out the window. Now that everything is shot to shit, I have to cover all my bases as quickly as possible. My number-one priority is making sure my sisters are safe and that no one is inside Animar. Who knows what kind of destructive provisions Pony has in place? I can’t take any chances. I underestimated one criminal; I won’t make the same mistake twice.
I hyperventilate in the Mustang’s cramped back seat on the verge of fragmenting into ten-thousand tiny pieces. I can’t shake the feeling that this is all my fault.Ihired Knuckles.I’mresponsible for his actions.I’mresponsible for all of this.
“Take a breath, Livey. Everything is going to be okay,” Gerard assures me through the rearview mirror.
I beat myself up. Nothing will be okay until we find Damon.
“I want to believe you, Gerard. So much.” I glance back at the truck following us. “But it’s so hard.”
Ky and Fender drive close behind us in a monster of a pickup. A black souped-up thing with huge, chunky tires, tinted windows, and chrome fender flares.
I don’t know how it happened so quickly. I only just told the story to Gerard and Fender before I was getting shoved into a borrowed car with a burner phone in my hand. Gerard being from Vegas has proved to be a huge advantage in this whole fucking nightmare of an ordeal. Thankfully, when you know the right people in the right places, you can get shit done. And get it done fast.
Being knocked out for hours stole so much precious time from me. It gave Lev and Dima a detrimental head start and left us with a disturbing disadvantage.
The sun is setting too quickly for my liking, swallowing the daylight with each passing minute. Each trying, nerve-racking, maddening minute. All I can think about is Damon and what state we’re going to find him in. Common sense tells me it’s been too long. It’s too late. He’s already dead.
But hope refuses to let me believe that. We’ve barely had any time together. We spent so many years apart. Years we can never get back. Years we were supposed to make up for. I never wanted to admit that I believed Damon was my soulmate. You don’t find your soulmate when you’re five years old. But I did.
Deep down, for almost all my life, I believed it. Even when I hated him. Even when I thought I was never going to see him again. I believed it. I suppressed it. But the belief, underneath it all, survived.
And then fate handed us a second chance. One I didn’t even want. One I was so obstinate about. Adamant that he would break my heart. I didn’t even entertain the idea until he wore me down. Until I truly saw the conviction in his eyes. Now, I would give anything for just one more second with him.Anything.
I can’t control the sob that escapes from me. It gains the attention of Hawk and Gerard in the front seat.
“Sorry.” I cover my mouth. “I’m sorry.”
“Hey.” Hawk turns to me. “Breaker is the biggest pain in the ass I know. Heaven don’t want him and neither does Hell. So don’t worry your pretty little head off just yet.” He reaches his hand out to me.
It’s an unexpected gesture, but one I appreciate. I place my hand in his, and he squeezes. “We’re with you.”
“Thanks.” I fight to smile.
He nods confidently. It’s refreshing to see a humbler side of him.
“Think you can put in a good word with your sister?” He slips that in, and I realize I spoke too soon.
Gerard smacks him on the head, causing his glasses to slide down his nose.
“Ouch. Whatcha do that for, Gambit?”
“’Cause you’re an idiot sometimes.”
