It was so loud and painful that security came in behind her.
“NO!”he screamed.“NOOOOO!”
There was no doubt the whole building heard that pain-filled wail.
Moving toward him, she tried to comfort him.
“I’m sorry, Caspian. I’m really sorry.”
He stared up at her.
In his eyes, she saw the finality of it all. She saw his hope shattering, and that faith escaping to a place where it would never come back.
So, it began.
No matter what she did to make this right, she’d never be able to fix that hole in Caspian Carter. Evil reached into his soul and ripped a piece of him out.
Security moved toward him, and Raphael got down on his knees to hold the man.
They all circled him, like a family would. They crowded him so he wouldn’t be alone.
Mom.
Marine.
Brothers.
“She can’t be gone!” he said. “She can’t be! She was all I had!” he said, tears streaming down his cheeks. “I wanted to marry her! I wanted a life!”
Tears filled Elizabeth’s eyes.
And she wanted that for him.
Desperately.
“I’m sorry, Caspian. I’m so very sorry,” she said, touching his shoulder.
He viciously slapped her hand away and stared up at her in the rage she knew would be headed her way.
Yeah, she’d called this, and she’d carry it.
The messenger was the one who always paid the deepest price, and she was the harbinger of shit.
“You didn’t protect her!” he accused.
Elizabeth braced herself, but it still stole her breath.
“You let her die! You were supposed to keep her safe! It’s your job!”
She said nothing.
What was there to say?
It was the truth.
On top of that, he wasn’t telling her anything she didn’t already know. Hindsight was something that was unchangeable.
Unfortunately.
