AllFreeNovel
Share Us
“That is not as reassuring as it sounds.”
Rook uses a set of scissors to slice through the cloth of Hark’s shirt like butter.
I release Hark’s hand and step away to peer down at my fingers. The rock on my hand is truly a blood diamond now.
It covers everything in its dried caked-on mess.
Despite Rook’s sardonic answer, harsh breaths start to come and my heartbeat accelerates. I claw at my throat but I can’t get a deep enough breath to fill my lungs. In front of me, Hark’s breathing is shallow. Scars cover his chest but there’s only one that holds me spellbound.
Hark, no, please don’t die.
My past words fly through my head like a ghost to haunt me.
Show no fear. Show no fear.I mentally chant the words I adopted a long time ago to ground myself and hide from the monsters both in the real world and in my head.
“Eyes up here, sweetheart. What has you spooked?”
“Nothing. It’s just been a long day.” Getting Hark to someone who could help was my number one goal. Seeing the blood—smelling it—on the drive here was one thing. But now that things have slowed down and my brain has time to process the coppery scent and the warmth of it on my hands, I find I can’t breathe right.
I splay my fingers out in front of me. I shake my head. This is not happening again. It’s a miracle he survived the last time. How? I have no clue. But here he is fighting yet again. All because of me.
I smear my hands down the front of my dress, but the blood has dried and refuses to come off. I try to slow my breathing before I pass out. Nothing works. I can’t do this again. I can’t lose him. Not yet.
“Look at me,dorogaya moya. That’s it. Pay attention, this is important,da?”
“Da.” I follow Rook’s voice out of the darkness just like I did all those years ago.
He considers me with kind eyes. “Deep breaths. Remember how we did it before.”
Good advice.
Inhale.
Focus on the small details like neither of us managed to die tonight.
Exhale.
More small details. Rook. He’s about Hark’s age give or take a couple of years. His eyes, while kind, show he’s been around a while and through hell. On some level I know I can trust him to do right by Hark. Just like he did for me.
My senses clear enough to speak. “It isn’t…the blood…it is not mine.”
Rook takes in my dress, his fingers moving over Hark’s shoulder. He’s inspecting it and the exit wound on the opposite side. “Okay. And can you tell me how long ago Dragon was shot?”
My brows arch with confusion? “Dragon? Oh. However long it took me to get here from Asylum. I think I hit ninety miles an hour for a long stretch.”
“What happened?”
His eyes and hands never waver from their task.
The man is good at multitasking.
“A shootout at his bar.”
“The Asylum?”
I shrug a little and keep my eyes on his quick movements as I consider my limited options.
“Will he need blood? I’m O positive.”
