Chapter 32
DONOVAN
My tires skid against the gravel in front of Audrey’s cottage. An unfamiliar sedan is parked outside next to her Jeep with California license plates. Not Tia. Ted? Chief said they identified his car leaving town. Can’t be him. I throw the gear into park, swinging my car door open as my dad pulls in behind me.
I jog to his side as he rolls his window down. “Dad, stay here. I’m gonna make sure Audrey’s okay.” His brows knit together, giving me a curt nod before I clap his shoulder and hastily move up her porch steps.
I push open the door, not bothering to knock. I’ve missed her too damn much. I immediately see Audrey leaning against the wall across from me, her eyes full of panic, breathing erratically, the color entirely drained from her face.
“Mouse, what’s wrong?” She’s in my grasp within seconds, our hands clutching one another, her head buried in my chest.
“Donovan, please. Leave. Go. Now!” she begs, pushing me off of her. I stumble back, eyes bewildered. There is a terror in her eyes that I’ve never seen. Worse than the nightmare. This fear is evil, and it has its sharp claws buried so deep in her that she’s hysterically crying, shoving me toward the door.
“Please, you need to leave. Now! Go!” she cries out, her sobs frantic and piercing. I steady myself and root my feet into the ground.
“Mouse, I’m not going anywhere. Tell me what’s wrong? You told me to come. I’m not leaving,” I mutter, her body slumps against mine.
“Mouse? Huh. That’s real cute.”
A low timbre vibrates in front of me, sending an ominous chill down the length of my spine. I pull Audrey close, clutching her to my chest as Kellan emerges from the shadows. The blanket of dusk casts a sinister light behind him, darkening every feature.
He wears a wicked smirk, propping himself against the wall. The dark circles under his bloodshot eyes tell me he hasn’t slept in days. His dress shirt is unbuttoned at the top, tucked into a wrinkled pair of suit pants. He rests his hands in the pockets as he tilts his head at us. Our eyes lock as mine blaze with fire. I gently maneuver Audrey behind me, pushing her back against the door.
“So, you must be the famous Donovan?” he teases. My jaw ticks and every muscle in my body flexes to keep me from murdering this guy with my bare hands, like he tried to do with Audrey.
“What the hell do you want, Kellan?” I seethe, narrowing my eyes. Audrey’s forehead rests on my back with one hand linked in mine. Her touch is kerosene, lighting me up for her.
“Well, my buddy Ted let me know that you and the little bird weren’t together last night,” he utters, jutting his chin as he talks. So Ted was involved in all this. Fucking hell.
“I came to bring Audrey home,” he growls, his head leaning to search for Audrey behind me. “You took her from me, after all. Didn’t anyone ever teach you manners?” he teases. The rage in my chest boils over as I spit my hellish anger straight at him.
“Manners?You were fucking killing her. You’re the last person on this earth to know anything about manners,” I hiss through my teeth. “I won’t let you fucking touch her again, you hear me? You stay the fuck away from us.”
If Audrey wasn’t holding onto me, I would’ve already had this asshole in a choke-hold, escorting him myself to the police. But her grip on me is desperate, mirroring the expression in her eyes. Kellan’s face remains unamused until the slightest of smirks tugs the corner of his lip, pissing me the hell off.
“Little bird, we’re leaving,” he demands, raising his voice. Audrey moves out from my hold. I try to move her back, but she puts her hand on my chest and gives me a reassuring nod.
She squares her shoulders to Kellan, eyes like steel. She’s no longer hiding. She’s standing strong, facing the demon of a man who beat her. Who trapped her in a loveless life for nearly a decade.
“I will never go back with you. I don’t love you. ’Cause you know what, Kellan?” She pauses, taking one more step forward. “I fucking hate you. Now get the fuck out of my house,” she spews every word with confidence. Strength. Conviction. I watch her stare him down—her stance never wavers and neither does her voice.
That’s my girl.
My eyes flicker back to Kellan, whose expression morphs from unbothered to fuming. Something shifts in his eyes. They go completely black. Dark and empty.
“Now, now, little bird. I gave you everything. What does he give you?”
“Everything you never could,” she spits back boldly. No hesitations.
He throws his head back and laughs. It’s menacing, undone and unhinged. I grab Audrey by the wrist, pulling her back to my side. Kellan moves his body in an animalistic fashion, cracking his neck like he’s morphing into a snake. It’s unnerving, but I stand my ground. I’m not letting this fucker get away.
He stares hard into Audrey’s eyes and lets out an exasperated exhale, thinning his lips. His eyes well up unexpectedly, grinding his molars, creating a flex in his jaw.
“Audrey, my dad is outside. Go to him. Now,” I mutter under my breath. Her eyes fix on Kellan as she slowly shakes her head, pursing her lips.
Jesus, this stubborn woman.
Kellan’s shoulders shake up and down as quiet sobs escape him. This guy is losing his goddamn mind.
“Audrey, I love you. I’m sorry for hurting you. Please. I need you. Just come home,” he cries, his voice trembling. Audrey shows no weakness. Her body is tense, wound up so tight that if you touched her, she’d snap. Her anger fumes, vibrating from her body and off the walls.
“I. Am. Home.” Every word she spits comes on a growl, rumbling deep in her chest. My eyes flick back and forth between them. “I won’t say it again, Kellan. Leave or I call the cops,” she seethes, not a tear falls from her face. I’m on edge seeing Kellan’s expression shift unstably. One minute he’s angry, the next he’s crying. This guy is off his rocker and I need to get Audrey out of here.
“Mouse, he’s not right in the head. Leave and let me deal with him,” I plead, grabbing her wrist while I reach for the front doorknob to usher her out.
“Fine. You leave me no choice, little bird,” he chokes. I snap my eyes to Kellan, my grip tightening on Audrey’s wrist. “If I can’t have you, neither can he.”
Kellan’s hand emerges from his pocket, exposing a shiny silver pistol pointing straight at Audrey. The world stops spinning. All I see is Audrey. My girl. The love of my life. Seconds go by, but it seems like hours. Days even. I twist and maneuver my body in front of her. Time moves slowly. The only sound I hear is a faint ticking that echoes from a clock that hangs nearby.
Tick.
Tick.
Boom.
A sharp pain. A searing burn. My eyes lock onto the green irises that hold so much love. So many memories of us. The light in her eyes instantly warms my chest until I realize that warmth is seeping out of me quickly. Blood. Audrey’s eyes widen, an incoherent sound leaves her lips.
“Donovan?! Oh, god! Baby?!” Her arms clutch mine, gripping my forearms so tight that her nails dig into them.
“Audrey, are you hurt? Are yo—” I utter breathlessly.
I fall to my knees, taking Audrey down with me. Her mouth is moving, but nothing comes out. I home in on the freckles that dance across her nose, mustering all of my strength to trace them. To touch her. I open my mouth to say something, but I can’t.
Blood spreads all throughout my back and chest, warm, wet, and sticky. I can’t hold myself up. I need to lie down. Audrey catches my head, putting it in her lap. I want to hear her voice.
Mouse?
God, she’s gorgeous. How did I ever get so lucky? My vision blurs and I will myself to focus just a little longer. Let me see that beautiful face. I see a rush of movement blur past Audrey above me, but I keep my eyes on her. My Audrey. My ears dampen, unable to hear my girl. Her voice is muffled as her hands touch my face and over my chest. I love the way her touch feels against my skin, like reading a favorite book for the first time. That’s how she feels. Like it’s the first time.
Searing hot pain rips through me like a scorched branding iron for a moment, then leaves me. There’s that ticking again, mixed with my heartbeat.
Tick.
Thump.
Boom.
Please let me hear her voice. She’s trying to say something to me, but I’m fading too fast.
I gotta tell her I love her.
Focus, Donovan.
But I can’t. Audrey, I’m so sorry.
I hold on just long enough to see her strawberry hair frame her delicate face. Her lips full, eyes so green I want to explore the forests inside them.
Maybe that’s where I’ll go.
Maybe I’ll find her there.
And maybe I’ll wake up.
But I don’t.
AUDREY
Caleb comes crashing in, sprinting past me. I don’t look up. My eyes stay on Donovan. There’s so much blood. Too much blood. I press my hands against his chest, trying to stop it from seeping out.
Guttural grunts and struggle fill the room, but all I care about is Donovan’s labored breathing.
Boom.
My body reacts, jolting to a second gunshot, only to see Caleb rushing to my side moments later. I don’t look behind me. I know Kellan is dead.
“Son? Donovan? Oh, god. No, please!” Caleb wails, his hands grasping Donovan’s. I apply firm pressure on his wound, my tears falling on their own accord. Caleb’s screams are raw, emitted from the deepest parts of his soul. I close my eyes for a moment, feeling my breath shudder as my hands tremble over Donovan’s chest.
“Caleb, call 911. He’s okay,” I say calmly, staring deep into those ocean blues. “Come on, baby. Stay with me.”
“My son! I can’t lose another son! God, please!” Caleb sobs, heavy and heartbreaking. The walls surrounding me threaten to close in, but I don’t let it. As badly as I want to take Donovan and sink beneath the ground, erasing what just happened—I can’t. I need to save him. Like he saved me.
Twice. God damn it, Donovan.
I can’t keep my hands from shaking as they push on Donovan’s chest. His eyes stay locked on mine as he struggles to breathe. I turn to Caleb as his gut-wrenching wails vibrate off the walls.
“Caleb, call 911 right now. He’s alright,” I reassure, my eyes darting back to Donovan. The blood pools around his body rapidly. My eyes bulge at the sight. His breaths are shallow, and he’s fading quickly. Caleb frantically dials 911 and screams into the phone, pleading with the operator to get someone here quickly.
I push one hand firmly on his wound and the other through his chocolate locks. His head rests peacefully in my lap as I stroke his hair. I love threading my fingers through his hair, like the very first night he kissed me in the gazebo. The first night we touched.
“Hey baby, you’re okay. You’re gonna be okay. Help is on the way,” I whisper, kissing him on the forehead.
“He’s dying, Audrey. There’s too much blood. I’m going to lose my son, aren’t I?” Caleb cries out, faint sirens blaring in the distance. Donovan’s eyes are half lidded, but his gaze never leaves mine. Caleb holds his hand and cries into his palm, a visceral roar that will haunt my dreams.
“He’s gonna be alright. Caleb, it’s okay,” I tell him, the sirens getting closer. I lean closer to Donovan, his breaths getting more and more shallow.
Please get here faster.
“Stay with me, baby. Don’t sleep. Stay awake for me. Stay with me,” I whisper. I press my lips against his, my tears fall on his face. “I love you. Don’t leave me.”
He stops moving. His body goes limp. The slam of a door. The hurried footsteps up the porch. EMTs work around me, carefully moving Donovan off of my lap. His face is lifeless, the color completely drained. I glance behind me and see another set of first responders on Kellan.
A puddle of blood pools around Kellan’s body, a gunshot wound to the chest. His dirty blonde hair is speckled with blood. The sharp features on his face droop as his limp body is examined by a first responder. He’s dead. Kellan’s whiskey brown eyes stare back lifelessly, and I feel his hooks unclasp and release me.
I’m free from Kellan forever. For good.
Caleb is in hysterics in the corner of the room, hands covered in blood, screaming at the EMTs to save his son.
I look down and assess myself. My hands are warm and sticky, my clothes drenched. “Ma’am, are you hurt? Do you need help?” A first responder asks. I shake my head no and rise to my feet as they lift Donovan on a stretcher. Everyone moves so quickly, but my world is in slow motion. I silently beg for Donovan to turn his head toward me and grin that beautiful grin.
“I’m okay, Mouse,” he’d say. But he doesn’t.
“I’m going with him in the ambulance,” I demand as I watch them strap an oxygen mask around Donovan’s face. I look at Caleb, whose hands are above his head, trying to gain control of his breath. His eyes follow Donovan as they whisk him away.
“Caleb,” I clip, getting his attention. “I’m going in the ambulance. I’m not leaving him,” I choke, my voice finally breaking as the emotions flood back into me.
First responders cut through Donovan’s shirt to dress the wound as I step up into the back of the ambulance. It’s chaos as hurried voices float in the small space. I’m not in my body. I’m more like an obscure fly on the wall, bug-eyed and vision blurry.
They hook him up to an AED, strategically placing the pads on his chest. I jerk at the first shock, Donovan’s chest arching off of the stretcher. A man with large hands administers CPR, trying to pump life back into him. I’m frozen in time. I study Donovan’s features, following the perfect slope of his nose with my eyes. His lips are full, but the reddish pink hue is gone. He’s still so beautiful.
Another shock.
My shoulders jerk at the sound. Suddenly, everything moves in real time. It feels out of control, the world spinning chaotically off its axis. My hands shake as I hold them up to my face, the blood drying, but still wet against my clothes. This can’t be real. This isn’t happening.
Another shock.
I reach for his hand, lacing my fingers through his, but he doesn’t grip back.
Please, hold my hand. Just let me know you’re still here with me.
“Donovan, baby, wake up. Come on. Wake up!” I grit, my voice cracking as the hot tears streak down my cheeks.
My world begins with Donovan King. It always has. And as I look up at the heart monitor, all I see is a flat green line, like the horizon of a world now devoid of sun. A long torturous beep, piercing the deepest part of my soul. The part that belongs to Donovan. A part of me gone forever.
My world now, as I know it, ends with Donovan King.