Forty
It happens in slow-motion.
I’m right behind Chief Farrow, the hammer held in a tight grip, muscles coiled as I prepare to bring it down on the back of his head and end this for good.
But, it all goes wrong.
I’m not sure if he hears my rushed footsteps. Maybe my frantic breathing. Or if he catches the look on Oakley’s face, the way his eyes squeeze shut like he’s anticipating the inevitable spray of blood across his skin. Whatever it is, it has him turning around, foiling my plan completely.
He dives, tackling me to the ground, the gun and the hammer falling from both of our grips and clattering across the floor. I hit the dusty concrete hard, a groan escaping my lips as a dull ache throbs through my skull.
Then, all hell breaks loose.
Chief Farrow doesn’t miss a beat, straddling my hips before raining down punches all aimed directly for my face. I block as many as I can, throwing up my arms and twisting my head from left to right, attempting to dodge his fists. All the while, my eyes search out Oakley, spotting him and April hovering nearby, watching it all unfold.
“Get out of here,” I scream at them. “Go! Get somewhere safe!”
I see Oakley grab April’s hand and drag her away through a doorway to our right, before my vision spins as the Chief lands a hit across my nose. Blood drips down my chin, sheer agony radiating through my entire face. Motherfucker.
“I thought you’d be here,” he spits. “What is it about him, huh? What is it that won’t let you quit? Must be a really good piece of ass.”
Gaining momentum, I plant my feet to the floor and buck my hips as hard as I can, throwing him off. Then, I flip our positions so I’m the one on top of him, fist clenched and raised in the air.
“He’s not just a piece of ass, you son of a bitch. He’s twice the man you’ll ever be.”
I hit him once, twice, three times, dazing him for a couple of seconds before he rears back and headbutts me, sending me flying backward. I hold my head in my hands, wincing at the screaming pain shooting through it. The asshole’s got twenty years and about fifty pounds on me, but he still gets back up like he’s not even phased. Is he fucking serious?
I guess it’s a good job that I have zero intentions of quitting. If he wants a fucking fight, I’ll give him one.
We run at each other, throwing fists and elbows. I grab him by the back of the head, tossing him into a shelving unit at the side of the room. He crashes to the floor, bringing down half of the stuff on the shelf with him. When he comes at me again, I duck to avoid his attempted punch but lose my footing as I come back up. He uses it to his advantage, shoving me to the ground again.
“It’s a shame,” he grits out, his arm clamping over my throat. “It’s all coming out now, the truth about what I’ve done. The charges against you would have been dropped. You’d have been a free man. But, you just couldn’t leave it alone, could you? And now, you’re gonna die like the rest of them.”
I try to fight him off, but he pins my legs with his, using his free hand to punch me again and again and again. My vision swims more and more with each hit, stomach lurching. Then, the grip on my throat tightens and my lungs scream as I struggle to suck in air. Is this what he did to Oakley? I flail my arms, buck my legs, claw at his hands. Anything to try and stop him. But, it’s no use.
He’s fucking killing me.
And he’s enjoying it, too. His arms are shaking from the effort, but there’s a sick smile on his face. One that’s pure evil. This is the last face I’m gonna see before I die. Honestly, though? It fucking sucks, but me going out like this is worth it as long as Oakley got away. If it’s a question between my life and his, I’ll choose him every damn time.
“Give it up, kid,” Chief Farrow says. “There’s nothing you can do now. Your time’s up, just let it—”
His words come to an abrupt halt and he rolls off of me, hitting the floor with a thump.
I gasp, choking and sputtering as I heave in lungfuls of air. My hands grasp my throat and I sit up, chest rising and falling rapidly. My eyes bulge when I see Oakley standing above me, face white as he looks down at Chief Farrow’s prone form. He’s got the hammer in his hand, the end of it stained red, matching the pool of blood oozing from the Chief’s head. A choked sound slips from his lips and I shoot to my feet.
“Oakley,” I murmur, voice raw. “Are you okay? I thought I told you to get out of here.”
His eyes flick to me. “I had to make sure you were okay. You risked your lives for us… I owed it to you.”
I shake my head, palming the sides of his face. “You don’t owe me a damn thing.” The corners of his mouth lift in a small smile, but it slips as soon as his gaze wanders back to the floor. I sigh, pulling him tighter to me. “Hey. You did what you had to do.”
“I know.”
He’s still in shock, the events of the last week more than enough for even the strongest person to handle. Hell, he just saved a guy he can’t even remember. But, it’s over now. Chief Farrow’s dead, and he can’t hurt Oakley or April ever again.
Wrapping my arm around his shoulders, I lead him away. “Where’s April?”
“Outside in the cruiser. I told her to wait there while I—”
A sound comes from behind us. Oakley reacts quicker than I do, spinning around before his expression morphs into one of utter terror. “Watch out,” he yells.
I have a split-second to process it all. The Chief’s back on his feet, limping toward us with his gun gripped between his hands. The fucker just doesn’t die, I swear. Without hesitating, I knock Oakley out of the way just as a gunshot rings out, echoing off of the walls. Adrenaline and the intense need to protect surges through me, rendering my brain immobile. I don’t think, I just do. I run at Chief Farrow, barreling into him and sending him hurtling backwards. We crash into the wall behind him, both of us grunting at the impact. I rear back, ready to fight him off again, but I stop short when I notice his slack face. The gun slips from his fingers. He lets out one ragged breath before his chest stops moving completely, the life draining from his half-lidded eyes.
I stagger back a step, only realizing after a beat that I’d thrown him straight into a sheet of warped metal, sending one of the sharp spikes right through the back of his head. Impaling him. Killing him.
My breath rushes out of me, the shock of what I’ve done settling over me. But then, the feeling goes just as quickly as it came. Numbness takes over, making me feel like I’m floating. The room spins, brighter all of a sudden. Is it morning already?
I turn to ask Oakley just that, but pause when his eyes fall to my stomach and his face crumbles. “Asher,” he screams, the sound gut-wrenching.
I frown and look down, collapsing to the ground when my gaze lands on the blood pooling through my shirt. Holy shit, the gunshot. It hit me.
“No,” he cries, rushing to me and catching me in his arms. “Oh, God. Shit. Oh my God.”
He cradles me to him, my top half resting in his lap as he keeps pressure on my wound with one hand. It doesn’t hurt. Quite the opposite, actually. It feels like I’m on a cloud, lighter than air. But, I’m guessing that’s probably a bad thing. The blood loss, maybe. My eyes flutter shut, stars twinkling at the edges.
“No,” Oakley urges, his voice thick as he jostles me. “Wake up, Ash. Stay with me. Please, baby. Fucking stay with me.”
Baby?
I open them again, squinting to zero in on him. His body’s shaking from the force of his sobs, eyes red and cheeks wet with tears. The way he’s looking at me… it makes my heart soar. “You remember me?” I croak, the words blurring together.
He sniffles, cupping my cheek in his palm. “Of course, I do. How the hell could I forget?”
“You’re not just saying that because I took a bullet for you, right?”
“Want me to prove it to you? My first day at Leighton Bay High, you barged into me and made all my papers go flying into the air. Right from that second, I was a hundred percent yours.” He leans in, brushing his lips over mine. “I love you, Asher.”
A dopey smile spreads over my face, pure happiness filtering through my chest. This is all I’ve longed for for what feels like forever. For Oakley to be safe, to remember me and tell me he loves me. I should be jumping for joy right now. But, I’m just so damn… tired. My arms and legs feel like lead weights, my head fuzzy and full of cotton wool. My eyes fall shut again, the need for sleep pulling me under.
Within seconds, I’m shaken awake again.
“No, baby. Come on, you’ve got to stay awake. Asher? Listen to me. Listen to my voice. Stay with me.”
I try so hard to do as he says, but it’s virtually impossible. My eyelids are heavy, falling closed again like they have a mind of their own. I want to stay with him, to bask in the feel of his arms around me, his warmth. The need for sleep is a hell of a lot stronger, though.
The sound of distant sirens pierces the air and Oakley gasps. I guess my dad really pulled through. I knew he would.
“You hear that, Ash? They’re getting close. We’re gonna get you some help, okay? Gonna get you to a hospital and fix you up, then you’ll be all better in no time. Just stay awake for me. Keep your eyes open. You can’t leave me now. I remember. I remember everything!”
I wish I could. I really want to. I’m trying, I try to tell him, but no words come out. That warm, fuzzy feeling from before envelopes me, completely cocooning me. My eyes slip closed again, turning everything black.
“Asher?” Oakley cries. “Ash, please. Wake up, baby. Come on, wake up.” I feel him jostling me, trying to rouse me. But, I’m too far gone this time. His pleas turn to desperate screams, his voice raw and cracking on every word. “No! Somebody help! Please, somebody help us! Fuck! Asher, please!”
I fade deeper into unconsciousness, his voice turning more distant by the second, until eventually… I can’t hear him anymore.