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What? When did I fall asleep?
My head hangs awkwardly to the side, and my body is draped over the center console. Bracing myself against the solid plastic, I force my aching body to a semi-upright position and wince when a sharp stabbing pain in my side flares to life. Razors slice into my neck and arms. And numbness travels down my right leg.
“Kain,” I croak, my throat blazing with fire as though I’ve swallowed acid with a dusting of glass.
I reach for my seatbelt, needing to get upright better, and a scream escapes me, the pain in my side freezing me in place. Tentatively, I reach for my right side, but find something smooth and sharp instead. I twist, reaching further, and slice my finger on a large shard of glass.
The low hum in my ears since I opened my eyes morphs into a ringing that continues to intensify. I attempt to focus on what’s around me, but with each movement of my head, my vision blurs around the edges.
Where is Kain?
Scanning the SUV, it all finally clicks. The SUV is on its side, and I’m basically sitting on the center console with a large piece of glass sticking out of my side. But where the fuck is Kain?
“Kain,” I cry, fear and pain riding me hard.
I suck in a deep breath and reach for the glass in my side again. I wrap my hand around it and count to three.
“One. Two. Three.” I pull quick and hard with a cry. “Fucking. Son-of-a—mm.” I bite down on my bottom lip and try to control my breathing and heart rate. I need to get out of this car and find Kain.
Pain is your friend, Eden. Remember, it tells you you’re alive. Now, breathe dammit.
I breathe deep and slow my heart, not wanting to bleed out from the hole in my side before I find Kain.
Breathe.
The windshield is mostly gone. I cover my hands with the sleeves of Kain’s jacket and carefully crawl through the open space. I fall on my ass once I get out of the truck and gag as I inhale a lungful of gas fumes.
Standing, I scan the area and throw a hand over my mouth and limp as I attempt to run to Kain’s unmoving body lying in the middle of the road.
“Kain. Kain.” I drop down beside him and tap him on the cheek, trying to wake him up. “For fuck’s sake, Kain, wake the hell up.”
Pain shoots through my side, reminding me I have a hole there. I slip my arms out of Kain’s jacket and tie the sleeves tight around my waist to apply pressure to the laceration.
Headlights click on one by one in front of me and a large, imposing figure steps out in front of them. I lift a hand, trying to shield my eyes and get a better look at the man.
“It’s time to come back, Eden.”
Sid. Shit.
Kain coughs and rolls to the side. A sigh escapes me, a brief moment of relief. He gets to his hands and knees and looks up at the light of cars and silhouette in front of us. “Get behind me,” he rasps, spitting a mouth full of blood on the ground.
“Kain—”
“Get behind me, Eden,” he growls and stands. “What do you want, Sid?” he shouts to the other man.
“I’m here for her. Hand her over, and I’ll consider not killing you.” Sid walks in our direction, three men following close behind him.
One of Kain’s arms dangles from his shoulder. Blood runs down his face from a gash in his head. His body is littered in cuts and scrapes, and a long cut runs from his left hip to his knee. He reaches into his pocket and pulls out the switchblade from earlier. The same one that’s attached to one of the happiest moments in my life.
“You better kill me then, because you’re not getting to her otherwise,” Kain says and takes a step forward, thrusting the blade in Sid’s direction.
“As you wish,” Sid states, and meets Kain’s attack with his own. He grabs Kain’s injured arm. Kain roars in pain, momentarily distracted. Sid takes the blade from Kain’s hand and thrusts it into his abdomen.
Time slows to a crawl, and the world grows silent. Shock freezes me in place. Shaky breaths and inaudible sobs rack my body, and ice fills my veins once more.
Kain’s sorrowful gaze meets mine as he sinks to the ground at Sid’s feet. Light from the overhead streetlamp reflects off the hilt of the knife sticking out of his stomach.
I take a step forward, but Kain stops me with a shake of his head and bloodied mouthed,no.
