Page 144 of Deadfall

“I–I can’t,” G panted. “You know I can’t—nothing is worth that—”

“She is,” I said fervently and grabbed him. “She is everything,” I said breathlessly.

“Fuck!” G looked at the treeline, then back at the ocean.

He knew I was right. He knew I was right, and he hated me for it.

“I’ll stay here with you,” G stated.

I gave him one of my lopsided smiles. “We both know that can’t happen.”

“Fuck, Sev—” His voice broke. “I can’t.”

“Yes, you can,” I said, gentler this time. “This is my decision. This is not on you.”

I locked my hand behind his neck and dragged us together so his forehead lay against mine. I knew the battle he faced—he hadn’t left me behind all those years ago when we were POWs. It wasn’t in his nature. I was asking something that was nearly impossible for him to comprehend.

“I’ll be right behind you,” I insisted.

“You better be,” he replied, his words rough.

“I’ll see you soon, brother.” Then, I shoved him back. Hard. “Go.”

G backed away toward the edge, the devastation on his face only hardened my resolve. I grabbed my gun and fixed him with one last, gut-wrenching look.

“If this kills me, I’m haunting you both,” I called out.

That caused his lips to twitch, just like I knew it would and with that last memory burned into my mind, I turned and opened fire.

67

EMERSYN

The look on Griffin’s face as he climbed into the boat nearly brought me to my knees. Then the mask of a soldier slammed back into place, and he signaled for Angel to leave. Angel fixed him with a hard look before he waved at the Captain, and the boat whipped around to face the open ocean. I stood next to Griffin and watched the shore recede. The treeline was alive with muzzle flashes. Bursts of light exploded in the dark and against the chaotic light, I could have sworn I saw the silhouette of a man holding his ground. Maybe it would be okay. Maybe he’d find a way to escape.

Maybe he’d—

An explosion rocked the edge of the cliff and all rational thought left.

“No,” I breathed, sure I was hallucinating again.

“No!” Griffin gripped the boat’s sides and looked like he was about to bail out. Angel grabbed him.

“NO! Seven!” The agony in his words cut through my chest. “Fuck!”

“Oh god,” I choked and watched the entire side of the cliff crumble down onto the shoreline, completely obliterating the path.

“Seven come in!” Griffin barked into his comms unit. “Come in, Seven—fucking come in damnit!”

I leaned heavily against the rail of the boat. My chest was tight in a way that should have surprised me, but didn’t.

“Damnit it!” Griffin raged and yanked himself from Angel’s grip. “Fuck!”

Griffin ripped out his comms unit and threw it viciously across the boat. The glow of the explosion was burned into my retina, and even once the island disappeared through the fog that sat at the mouth of the bay, it was all I could see. The shadows closed in. I could smell the smoke from the explosion and it mingled with the smoke from my memories.

My hands shook. Seven didn’t deserve to die.

He’d done nothing but help me. He couldn’t be dead. He couldn’t.