Chapter Twenty-Four
My Everything
Sammy
The way his eyes flashed, all savage with jealousy, made my knees weak. It was scary and sexy all at once. No one had ever looked at me like that.
“You sure you broke out of the county over your personal safety, or was it because of a picture?”
I had no business taunting him. I didn’t even really look at the bike, I never considered asking her whose it was or where she got the image.
Menace flubbed his lips like I was being ridiculous, and my attention settled on the bottom of his chin. I’d hit him more times than I could count, but I doubted a punch would leave the meat split like that, not at that angle.
“Then why are you asking me where he is, instead of how long ago the marshals left?”
“I told you; I’ll die in there. Which means I couldn’t stay and I ain’t goin’ back.”
“Why are you here?” I circled back, still unable to believe he was standing in my bedroom.
His gaze dropped to my lips for a moment.
“You have siblings–” I pointed out.
Why the fuck wasn’t he at Henny’s house? Why me? We barely knew each other.
“They’ve got lives,” he whispered.
“What?”
“I knew when–” He paused and blinked, his gaze dropping to his wrists.
It drew my attention as well, and my jaw dropped a little when I saw the bruising and marks.
“Jesus.” I shifted, taking his wrist in hand to study it in the dark, and he allowed the movement.
“I knew when I hit public pavement, my life was on a timer. They’re gonna find me… I just wanted to spend what time I could with someone who mattered. Someone who could make my last few days on this Earth special.”
His words hit me like a brick. I dropped his wrist and stared into his eyes.
“You came here to die?” I couldn’t even find my voice to say it, the horror kept my tone almost beneath a whisper.
“No. I’m not disturbed, Sammy. I’m just unwilling to die in a cage, slowly, at enemy hands. That shit would be gruesome as fuck.”
“You can’t–” I panicked, blinking back tears as my thoughts collided and something swelled in my throat.
I didn’t wish that kind of ending on anyone. To go out in a hail of police bullets? Jesus.
“There has to be some way–” I didn’t know what I was even saying.
Was he supposed to call the news and report that he was an escaped, abused inmate? Should he call nine-one-one and hope they sent a negotiator instead of a SWAT team?
“Hm?” he gently murmured, his fingers brushing my wet cheek.
“You can’t stay here.” I shut my eyes, hating myself for saying it.
He needed a friend. He needed help… but I couldn’t be in the middle of some shit like this.
This was serious!
“I’ve no intention of it,” he assured me, or so I thought, until he finished his thought, “I’m not leaving you here, either.”
I swallowed and locked my gaze on him as a chill shot up my spine.
“Look,” he cleared his throat, “I didn’t want anything ugly…”
“What the fuck did you think was going to happen, breaking in here like this?”
He huffed out a laugh. “It ain’t like I had the option of showing up with roses.”
“Why did you show up at all?”
“Because, when they tried to kill me– The only thing that kept me clinging to consciousness was the regret that I never got to kiss or know you-- That I never got to claim you as my first and only ol’ lady. I told you– I ain’t leavin’ here without you. So, if that means we’re kickin’ it here, and the last thing I see is your yard lit up in red and blue– So be it.”
Tears stung my eyes and slipped down my cheeks. The man I thought was Mr. forever had been nothing but a lie, and one I thought would never see the light of day was willing to give me everything he had left. It was fucked-up. Even more fucked-up that I found sentiment in it, I supposed.
“I’d much rather it be a place we can both call home, if only for what little bit of time we can squeeze out of it together. What do you say?”