Grasping her hand, he pulled her hand away from his good arm. She lifted it and draped it over her shoulder. He tried not to lean against her, it would only worry her more, but his legs were too weak for him to remain completely upright on his own.
They made their way over to the dead man, and Asher bent to scoop up the flashlight. He turned it on the man who looked like any other person out for a walk, a drive, at the store, or at work.
A baseball cap covered graying brown hair, and the striking, bright blue of his wide-open eyes probably helped lure some of his victims into his evil web. His build was impressive, but his handsome face probably disarmed more than his large size intimidated. His worn jeans, work boots, and flannel shirt all served to complete the normal exterior harboring the soul of something evil.
Sometimes, Asher questioned why they were trying to save the world and humans, and standing in the middle of all this horror was one of those times. And then, he looked at Brie and knew exactlywhythey were fighting so hard.
They were doing it for hope, for all the good out there, because no matter what, the good outweighed the bad, even if it didn’t always seem that way. And they were doing it forlove. For the deep and abiding love of families, the precious love of children, the unconditional love of couples, and the undying love of mates.
And he was doing it because he loved her.
He pulled Brie closer and continued to lean against her as she helped lead him out of the cave. They still had to call the police and report those bodies down there.
Those people deserved better, and their families’ deserved answers. He didn’t care what the police came up with as an explanation for why the killer’s body was down there too, as long as those remains made it home to their families.
When they made it to the entrance, Brie had to release him to help him duck under the boards, and he stumbled into the open before going down. With his good hand resting on the ground, sweat dripped from his forehead, and his body shook. He’d never been this cold in his life.
Brie hurried to join him, and grasping his good arm, she helped him rise. Panic left a bitter taste on her tongue as she tried to ignore his chilly skin against hers and the rapid flutter of his heart.
No! Please no. Please no!The plea ran on repeat in her head as she draped his arm around her shoulders again and slid her arm around his waist.
He blinked against the blazing sunlight; it was so warm earlier but did nothing for him now. He tried to find the car but couldn’t see it through the sun and sweat blurring his vision. His heart lumbered to keep beating; if it wasn’t for Brie’s support, he would have fallen before they made it to the car.
And he wouldn’t have gotten back up.
The door clicked open, and Brie carefully slid him into the passenger seat. She tried to bury her apprehension as she closed the door and ran around to the driver’s seat, but it had become as incessant as a rat gnawing on wood to keep their incisors shorter. And she hated it as much as she hated rats.
This wasn’t how he was supposed to die; this wasn’t how she saw him dying, but he was. And she couldn’t lose him.
The possibility of losing him was like a knife to her chest. It made the gunshot to her stomach feel like a scratch in comparison as she started the car, but before she could put it in drive, his head fell forward and nearly hit the dashboard.
She grasped his good shoulder and settled him back against the seat. Unsure of what else to do, she gently slapped his cheeks.
“Asher? Asher wake up,” she begged as her heart shredded into thousands of pieces.
His eyes cracked open; when they met hers, a small smile curved his lips. “I love you, Brie,” he muttered in a slurred voice.
Her breath caught in her throat as her heart slammed against her ribs. “Asher.”
His good hand lifted and stroked her cheek before falling away to flop against his thigh. “Always.”
A sense of urgency propelled her as his eyes closed again. “Let me give you some of my blood! It will help you heal and keep you alive.”
Asher strained to keep his eyes open as death crept through his system. If his suspicions about her were right, his death would kill her too, and she didn’t know it.
“I think we’re already past that,” he said.
His voice was hoarse, and his words twisted the knife in heart deeper.
“No, we’re not,” she insisted. “I’ll give you some blood, and we’ll get you to a hospital. They’ll give you more blood, get you into surgery, and fix you up.”
“We’re past that.”
“I can save you.”
“If you give me….”
Asher tried to form words, but everything hurt, and at the same time, nothing did. It was so strange to be so numb and so full of pain.
