“This will help you,” Mike insisted.
Mike knew he was lying to himself; he could see the truth in the stillness of Doug’s body, the ashen hue of his cheeks, the blood spreading across his chest, and the missing beat of his heart, but he refused to believe it.
“Drink, Doug!” Mike gave his friend a shake that caused Doug’s head to turn toward him. Doug’s once lively blue eyes were unseeing beneath his half-closed lids.
No!Mike screamed inwardly as memories of their life together flashed through his mind.
They’d been friends since they were kids running their neighborhood, riding their bikes uptown to get penny candy, discussing girls, stealing Playboys from Doug’s dad, and building forts. They’d played on the same teams together, had many of the same classes in high school, and gone to college together. When Liam and David initially chose different colleges, he, Doug, and Jack went to the same one and joined the same frat. The three of them were turned into vampires only hours apart from each other.
Never had he imagined life without his friends in it, without hisfamilyin it, but one of his brothers was gone. A bellow swelled in his chest and lodged in his throat as tears burned his eyes, and he swayed between rage and choking grief. Doug, the gentlest soul, the one with the smile that melted women’s hearts and brightened everyone’s day, was dead.
The bellow erupted from him, and he smashed his fist into the bench seat. The hole he tore through it caused yellow stuffing to explode and rain down on Doug’s body. Horror filled him, and he brushed the offending debris away.
“I’m sorry,” he murmured. “I’m so sorry.”
Mike knew he wasn’t apologizing for the stuffing; he was apologizing for his failure to save Doug’s life and his inability to get them all off the island alive. He gripped Doug’s still warm wrist and squeezed it.
Lifting his head, he glowered at the island on the horizon. One of his friends remained in that hellhole, and no matter what it took, he would get Jack out of there. He wouldnotlet another one of his friends down.
A sob sounded behind him, and he glanced back to find Aida with her hand against her mouth to stifle her sounds. Mollie sat beside her with an arm around Aida’s waist and tears streaming down her face.
Aida pulled her hand away from her mouth. “He died to protect us,” she whispered and sobbed again.
Mollie kissed her sister’s temple when Aida turned her head into her shoulder. Mike’s glistening red eyes briefly met hers before he focused on Doug again. His shoulders remained hunched as if he expected someone to hit him, but no one could deliver him a worse blow than this.
Still kneeling, Mike turned to another set of seats and lifted the top of one to peer at the contents stashed inside. He discovered a white boat covering tucked within and pulled it out before turning back to Doug.
Rising, he unfolded the covering and carefully draped it over Doug’s body, but he couldn’t bring himself to cover his friend’s face yet. Falling back on his knees beside Doug, he rested his hand on Doug’s chest and willed his friend to live again. He had a better chance of seeing a unicorn, but he couldn’t bring himself to give up on him yet.
Doug’s words from earlier played through his mind.“Besides, you have something more to live for now, Mike, someone to live for. That’s more than either Jack or I have, and you can’t risk losing it; I won’t let you.”
Doug died to protect Mollie, and he did it forhim.“I’ll protect her with my life,”Doug had promised, and he’d upheld that promise.
Mike had only one thing to give Doug in return. “I’ll make them pay for this,” he vowed as he settled the covering over Doug’s face.
A hand on his shoulder drew Mike’s attention away from Doug as Mollie knelt at his side. She draped her arms over his shoulders and rested her face against his neck.
“I’m so sorry,” she whispered.
She’d give anything to take away his suffering, but it was impossible. Only time would help him cope with the loss of his friend, but no matter how much time passed, the sadness would remain, and the hole would never fill. However, he had to know she was here for him.
Mike hugged her against him and buried his face in her hair. He squeezed her tighter than he probably should have, but she didn’t protest or try to pull away.
Mollie turned her head to kiss him on the cheek. “I love you.”
“And I love you,” he said.
Chapter Forty-Five
Once he spottedland less than a mile from the island, Mike searched for a secluded stretch of beach. He waited until nightfall before daring to come ashore with their bullet-riddled boat, bloody clothes, and Doug’s body.
Once he beached the boat, he removed Doug’s body from it before cutting the gas line and using his Zippo and a rag to set it on fire. He didn’t worry the police or someone would somehow locate him through blood and fingerprints, but he needed to hide any evidence of Mollie and Aida.
With the flames rising behind them, and with Mike carrying Doug, they trudged along the shoreline and into a small town where they slipped through the shadows until he discovered a man exiting his car. Placing Doug down, Mike snuck up on the man, knocked him out, and stole the vehicle. They couldn’t stay in this town; he wasn’t going to take the chance the people here were working with the Savages.
Judging by the kilometer speed limit signs on the side of the dark, two-lane road winding through barren fields and pine trees as he drove south, Mike assumed they were still in Canada.
“I’m so sorry about Doug,” Mollie whispered. “He was a good man.”
