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“I love you baby, forever and always.”
Then he launches us both off the cliff just as the sky lights up with the orange glow of an explosion.
JAGGER
Pain rips through my body as saltwater fills my lungs. I’m spluttering and coughing, trying to get myself to the surface. I can’t feel anything, my body is beyond pain now. It’s just numb. I surface and breathe in a breath full of smoky air. I dive back under when a huge rock flings into the water. I can only think of one thing. I have to find her. I can’t let her die here.
I can’t live without her.
I dive, searching the water even though it burns my eyes. I reach out, hitting only bits of rock and debris. I surface again and the smoke burns my lungs as I desperately try to breathe. She can’t be gone, she can’t be. She’s strong, stronger than I am. She has to fucking live through this.
“Jagger?”
A tiny voice in the distance calling my name.
I spin towards the sound, her sweet fucking voice.
“Willow!”
Wading through the now filthy ocean, I call her name until I get eyes on her. She’s floating in the water, barely keeping her head above it. She’s not a good swimmer. I reach her quickly, wrapping my arm around her and running my hand over her face. She’s bleeding badly from a wound on her head.
“You got hit.”
“A rock,” she whispers.
Her eyes are rolling slightly. A loud, roaring sound has me turning in the water to glance up at the cliff that we jumped off. It is slowly beginning to slide down as more explosions rip through the island. We have to move, or we’re going to end up beneath it all. I start swimming, dragging Willow beside me. She’s kicking her legs as best she can, but she’s losing a lot of blood.
“Hang in there for me,” I gasp, trying to keep us both above the water.
I kick harder, forcing my legs to move even though they don’t want to. Willow stops kicking just as I’m out of the way of flying rocks. I pull her in front of me, kicking my legs madly to keep afloat. She’s got her eyes closed and there’s blood all over her face. So much fucking blood.
“Willow,” I rasp, “wake up.”
She doesn’t move. Panic seizes my chest and I slap her face a few times. Nothing.
“Willow,” I roar, “don’t you die on me. Don’t you fuckin’ die on me.”
Tears burn my eyes and I slap her again.
She won’t wake up.
“Willow!”
The sound of a speed boat has me jerking my head up. I can see a white boat speeding towards us at a great rate. I wave my hand, desperate. It slows just as the next explosion rocks the island. This time more rocks come launching into the water. We have to move. We’ll be dead in seconds. The boat stops and Ace leans over the side, taking Willow and sliding her on board. Then he pulls me on, too. I drop to my knees beside Willow, shaking her lifeless body.
“Wake up. Come on, wake up. Don’t die, please don’t die.”
A rock smashes the side of the boat.
“Ace drive!” I roar.
Ace spins the boat around and speeds out into the blue depths. Soon the air is clearing, and the water is blue once more. In the distance all I can see is a mass of black smoke rising up into the horizon. Mick really did have that planned well. No one would survive that. No one. I look back down at Willow.
“Ace, first aid kit?”
“Under the seat.”
I move the white plastic seat along the side and pull out a kit. I begin frantically cleaning Willow’s head, but she’s lost so much blood. It looks like her leg is nearly broken, it’s twisted in an odd way and blood seeps from a bullet wound. I close my eyes a moment, then I begin cleaning her up, applying pressure where I can. She’s still breathing. If she remains breathing, I’ll find a way to save her.
I have to.
We reach the second boat when we’re further out and it relieves me to see they’re all alive. Ace stops beside it, and I glance at everyone, before looking back down at Willow.
“We need help. We have to move.” I say, my fingers trembling as I carefully lift her head into my lap.
“Jagger, we might not make it in time. It’s a long trip and,” Angel begins, his voice hoarse.
“No,” I grind out. “Fuckin’ no, Angel. She can’t die. She won’t.”
Angel nods and looks over at Ace, then he turns to the other boat.
“Get me a blanket, she needs to stay warm. Throw over as many first aid supplies as you have,” I order, staring at her beautiful face.
The guys on the other boat begin tossing things over. Ace wraps Willow’s leg while I take a needle and thread, unsterilized, and I stitch her head. If we don’t stop the bleeding, she’ll die. An infection is the least of her problems right now. She’s still out, and her breathing is becoming more jagged. We don’t have long, hours if we’re lucky. I wrap her in a blanket and bring her to my chest.
