Chapter 34 Zach
THIRTY-FOUR
ZACH
Ifelt his arms around me, and it was only within the safety of his embrace that the last seconds caught up with me. The gravity of what I'd done hit me like a ton of bricks.
My hands trembled and I flinched, turning to look at the gun on the ground as if it was about to explode.
"Zach, baby, are you okay?" Dare pushed me off him gently and tried to catch my gaze, but my eyes were too busy staring at the gun and the dead man behind it. The man who was glaring back at me with vacant eyes. It chilled my spine.
Dare rubbed my cheekbone with his thumb and pulled the side of my face toward him gently until I was looking at him and not at Victor’s body.
"It's okay," he whispered. "It's okay."
The blue of his eyes seemed to shine in the sudden sunlight, and my body finally seemed to remember how to function.
I missed him. I missed him so fucking much. How could I have missed him when it was only hours since I'd been with him?
I had no idea, but what I did know was that I didn't want to let him go ever again. I didn't want to be stupid any longer. I wanted to be smart. To be loved. To be cherished. I wanted him.
"I know," I answered back.
As he hugged me again I cast a glance at Victor. I'd taken a life. I'd killed someone. I...
Two seconds ago I felt dread wash all over me but now? I felt the tension lift from my body, and it was replaced with nothing but lightness. By warmth. Hope.
I was free. He couldn't hurt me any longer.
He couldn't manipulate me or haunt me anymore.
All the years I spent under his rule, under his wrath, under his abuse disguised as affection, ruptured out of me like chains shattering in pieces, leaving behind only a faint scar of what had been there before.
I would heal though. Because Victor was dead. I'd killed him. I'd taken his life. Maybe there was something wrong with me that I felt no remorse, but I didn't care.
He was gone. I had hard proof. I'd made him leave us alone. I could stop hiding. I could stop looking over my shoulder. I could be me.
"I'm free," I muttered, closed my eyes and took a deep breath, as if inhaling my new-found freedom into my lungs. "Hang on." I paused and looked at Dare. "What do you mean before it's too late?"
"Huh?" Dare asked.
"Before. You said you wanted to tell me you loved me before it was too late."
Dare smiled and cupped my cheek.
"I only meant I wanted to tell you before something else happened to split us apart. I don't want to go another second without having told you how I feel about you."
I blinked. His smile deepened. I blinked again only my eyes felt raw all of a sudden and a tear ran down my face before I could wipe it clean.
"You love me?" I asked, my voice barely audible.
"I love you." He gave a single, assured nod and more tears found their way down my face.
"I...I love you too," I said and it was as if I'd opened the floodgates because everything else was just a soundless sob. "I'm so sorry. So sorry. I shouldn't have left. I don't know what I was thinking. I'm the biggest—"
Dare pulled me back onto him and my mouth collided with his.
I swallowed everything else I wanted to say and let go.
I let him kiss me and after a few moments, I put my hands around his neck and kissed him back.
I kissed him as if it were the first and the last time.
Even if our kiss tasted like copper and dirt, I didn't stop.
I couldn't stop. A few minutes ago, I thought I'd never see or hold him again.
I could survive a little blood and mud if it meant being with him.
I deepened our kiss and I slid my hands down his arms when he winced, hissing in pain.
"What is it?" I pushed away and looked at him, but he didn't need to tell me.
I could see it. The sleeve soaked in blood. How could I forget?
"Shit, Dare. We need to get you to a doctor." I touched the impromptu tourniquet as gently as possible, and he let out a beastly growl that made me fall back.
"Sorry," he said and I shook my head.
"Nothing to apologize for. You're in pain."
"We need to get back to the car. I left my phone there."
I nodded and lifted myself off the ground then reached around Dare's other side so I could help him up. Once he was up, he could walk just fine, but I still stayed by his side in case he felt lightheaded or needed my support.
We walked away, going back the way we'd come but I stopped after a few feet and looked back.
"What about him? We're going to leave him like that?" As I spoke, another realization hit me. "Oh shit. I'm gonna go to prison. Oh my God, what have I done?"
All this effort, all these feelings, all this freedom and I was going to lose it because of that monster.
“Shit. Fuck!” I spat.
Before I could unravel any further, Dare stepped in front of me, blocking my view of Victor's dead body and narrowed his eyes.
"Don't worry about him. My guys will make him disappear. And you won't go to prison. No one knows what happened out here. No one will ever know."
Something caught in my throat as I grasped what he was saying and I nodded slowly.
How had I gone from an average baker to a murderer with a whole cover-up crew was beyond me. I didn't want to think about it too hard or my head might implode.
"Let's get you to the car ASAP," I said and we continued our walk back.
Now that the rain had stopped it was a little easier to navigate and a little quicker to get to. I had assumed we'd walked miles, but adrenaline must have distorted time and space because it only took us ten minutes to get back to the car.
Once there, Dare made a call and I got behind the wheel and adjusted the seat and mirrors.
"Right. Where is the nearest hospital?" I asked when he hung up.
Dare put his phone on the dashboard and shook his head.
"We’re not going to a hospital. The guys are on their way. Just pull up in front of Victor's car in case anyone drives by. We don't want anyone calling the cops."
I drove a few feet forward and parked next to Victor's car before I switched the engine off and sat back with a sigh.
"How did you find us? Hell, how did you catch up? We left so long ago."
Dare raised an eyebrow, completely unamused.
"Did you forget Slade has access to your phone?"
I all but smashed my head on the steering wheel.
"I'm so stupid."
Dare chuckled.
"Well, it wasn't your brightest moment, but I'm glad for it. Because it helped us find you."
I nodded.
"Slade hacked into Victor's phone and changed your route. Warren called his buddies and they blocked the A6 which should have slowed you down. I guess it did."
"Yeah, it was crammed when we came off A6. That's why Victor decided to fill the tank up, hoping it would clear up."
"I'm guessing it did because they reopened the main road."
I blinked, so confused but also impressed.
"Gosh, who are you people?"
Dare pressed the side of his head on the headrest and with tired eyes he said, "your family. We'd do anything to save you. I know I would."
He sounded so drained it made it hard to believe he was saying those words.
I offered him my hand and when he took it, I squeezed.
"And you have. You’ve done so much already. I'm so sorry I left. I hated doing it but...it was the only way I could think to keep you safe."
"I can take care of myself."
"I know. But...it wasn't just you. It was Mr. Rogers, Hwan, everyone was in danger while he and I were still on the island. I couldn't stand the thought you were all at risk from being seen with me. I was just trying to keep you all safe."
Dare huffed.
"And who was going to keep you safe?"
My gaze dropped and I bit my lip.
"I didn't care about myself in that moment."
"But I do. I've always cared about you and always will. Did you think I was just going to let you go back to that beast?"
"I'm sorry. I was stupid. I know I was. And I'm glad you found me. That you came after me. Even if he hurt you."
I glanced at his injured arm, and he covered it with his other hand.
"I'm not mad at you, sweetheart. I mean...I was when I thought you just ditched me, but then Wyatt talked some sense into me, and I saw what was right before my eyes."
I looked up and smiled.
"He did?"
He nodded.
"Look at you saying his name without growling. That's growth."
"Yeah, don't push it." He rolled his eyes.
"But I'm not mad at you. I know why you did what you did.
I may not agree with it, but I know you thought it was your only choice.
I was stupid too. I didn't wait for backup.
I just came after you like a madman and put both our lives at risk.
I mean...look at me." He glanced down at his arm, then at me. "Look at you."
"What's wrong with me?" I touched my face and flinched. "Ouch!"
I pulled down the sun visor and looked at myself in the mirror. I was all bruised and bloodied and it was as if seeing my injuries made them hurt because an ache washed over my body at the sight of them.
"We're quite a pair," I said.
"We're both dummies," he said.
I shrugged.
"Dummies in love. I hope," I said. "Right?"
Dare chuckled but his amusement turned to a choked groan, and he grimaced while holding his arm.
"Yeah. As long as you don't leave me again."
"I'm never ever leaving you, ever again. I'm done being stupid. I'm going to be smart from now on."
"And being with me is smart?" He raised an eyebrow.
"It doesn't take Einstein to know you're the best thing that's ever happened to me. I just hope you can forgive me for ditching you. "
He frowned and I held my breath, staring at his lips, waiting for the next words to come out of his mouth.
"I took a bullet for you. What do you think?"
I raised my hand and cupped the side of his face.
"I think you love me and I love you," I said. "And we'd both better get over it so we can be happy together."
He smiled.
"Yeah. I agree," he said and leaned over the center console. “Hey. Is that my scarf?”
I glanced down at the dirty piece of fabric that no longer resembled the one I’d wrapped around me all those hours ago and chuckled.
“Sorry. I borrowed it for courage.”
“And?” he raised an eyebrow. “Did it give you any?”
I smiled, relaxing back into the car seat.
“What do you think?”
Dare tugged at the scarf, pulling me closer to him and I touched my forehead to his before he could kiss me.
"We need a shower," I said. "We're too dirty and bloody to be kissing."
Dare put his hand behind my head and pulled me into his mouth. He didn't care about our state. He just wanted to show me how much he loved me. As if he needed to after what he'd done for me. If anything, I needed to show him how I felt about him.
He came after me. He'd saved me. He'd given me my freedom again. Loving him back was the least I could do.