Page 93 of Then We Shatter

“Shorty…”

“You can’t call me that until you’re back wearing your stilettos. Remember?”

She draws on her remaining strength to smile. “I love you.”

The words I should say back clog my throat. She’s saying goodbye and if I reply the same, she’ll leave. The hand I have pressed to her stomach feels warm and wet. She’s leaving anyway.

“I love you, Katarina. I love you with every bone in my body and every fiber of my being,” I say, forcing out the words. “I love you with every last breath I don’t want to take in this cruel as fuck world without you.”

She blinks once, but her lips are no longer moving. I feel her body sag as her eyes roll back in her head, and when her eyelids flutter closed, they don’t open again.

I pull Katarina to me, pressing her lifeless body tight against mine. I sob like a fucking baby and my choked cries vibrate against her neck. She’s still warm. No way has she left me. She wouldn’t fucking dare.

“No, no, no,” I repeat over and over again as the position of the boat tilts steeply.

I’d be staring down at the water lapping over my feet if my face wasn’t buried in Katarina’s neck. The ocean is slowly claiming us, and when we go down, we go down together. I promised I’d never leave her again, and she’s not leaving me.

The wind picks up as I say a silent apology to all the victims of human trafficking Katarina wanted me to help. It’s too much to ask. I can’t help others when I failed the one person who truly mattered. I don’t care if that makes me a coward, or a quitter. And it’s not like my family hasn’t already grieved for me. And as for my friends…

The whoosh of chopper blades grows too loud to ignore, and as the updraft churns the water, it rises up to my waist and over Katarina’s legs. I tip back my head and sniff away my tears.

“No fucking way,” I curse as Mace Griffin climbs onto the feet of the helicopter hovering over my head.

Ash is at the controls and I gesture for him to get the fuck away. Smoke and sea water sting my eyes as I attempt to outstare the man behind the reflective aviator glasses, but Ash is the master of stoic expressions. I’ve no idea what he’s thinking, but if he’s planning on removing me from the boat against my will, he can fuck off.

“I’m not leaving her!” I yell, though I doubt either of the Griffins can hear me, or would pay any attention if they could.

Just the thought of letting go of Katarina tears a sob from my throat. I’m pathetic and I know exactly what she’d say.

“How the fuck did I ever fall for such a cry baby?”

I suck in a lungful of air that has me choking on diesel fumes and ocean spray.

“Seriously, Shorty,” she rasps. “If you’re not going to bother saving me, I’ll save myself.”

The only reason I can hear Katarina’s weak voice over the thunderous whoosh of chopper blades is that I feel the vibration against my shoulder. I’m almost convinced I’ve imagined it, but as I loosen my grip enough to see her face again, Katarina’s eyes are open. She’s not so dead that she can’t glare at me.

“I thought–”

“Then think less,” she cuts in. “Do.”

My gaze snaps up to Mace, who’s slowly being winched down. “Hurry the fuck up! Jesus Christ! We haven’t got all fucking day, gobshite!”

Mace beams a smile from twenty feet above us. “Welcome to Air Griffin, please have your boarding passes ready. Today’s inflight entertainment will be… me.”

Only Mace could make you want to hug him with one arm and punch him in the face with the other. “Please tell me it’s not Hunter winching you down.” I couldn’t cope with three of the smug pricks crowing about saving me after the day I’ve had.

“It’s Simon,” Mace calls back. The Griffins’ bodyguard is built like a brick shithouse and it’ll be a wonder if the rest of us will fit in the helicopter with him. “But I’ll tell Hunter you were missing him.”

Mace sets his feet down, straddling the deck as he assesses Katarina. She’s barely conscious now. His expression is pinched and he won’t meet my eyes. Thankfully, he’s not quite crazy enough to tell me how bad it looks.

“Put this around her,” he says offering the second harness to loop beneath Katarina’s arms. “I’ll pull her up first.”

“You don’t touch her,” I say. “I’m taking her up.”

“Fuck that. I’m not giving you my harness.”

“I didn’t ask you to,” I hit back. “I’ll carry her.”