Chapter 26
Chapter twenty-six
Rose
Niko’s roar tears through the room.
It’s primal. Broken. Full of something I can’t name.
Cal lies motionless by the bed, blood streaking down the side of his face. Maggie’s on the floor too, one hand pressed against her shoulder, the other smeared red from trying to stop the bleeding. Her gun lies a few feet away, forgotten.
My pulse thrashes in my throat as I struggle against the ties cutting into my wrists. I look at Niko, wondering what is going to happen next as he stalks toward Maggie.
Oh, God, no. She might have caused all this pain, but she’s still Maggie somewhere beneath the madness. And I can’t let this happen. “Niko, please don’t,” I beg.
He doesn’t hear me or even look at me. His eyes are locked on my cousin, wild and glassy. “You were going to kill her,” he growls, stalking forward. “You were going to take her from me.”
Maggie scrambles backward, the heels of her boots squealing against the floor. “Niko, wait—listen to me—” He pounces.
His hands wrap around her throat, and the sound that escapes her is half gasp, half scream. She claws at him, kicking, tears streaming down her face as she sputters, “Please—I didn’t—”
“You were going to kill her!” he shouts, shaking her.
“Niko!” I cry, my voice raw. “Stop! Please, stop! This isn’t you!”
Mom’s sobbing from across the room, twisting against the ties binding her hands. “Niko, please!” she screams. “You’ll kill her!”
But he doesn’t stop. His knuckles are white as his face twists in pure rage and revenge.
Maggie’s eyes start to roll back.
The air feels like it’s shrinking, pressing down on me until I can’t breathe either. I yank at the tie until it burns my skin, but it doesn’t budge. “Niko, I’m begging you!”
The door slams open.
“Police! Drop her! Now!”
Denny’s voice booms through the violence, his gun drawn, backup pouring in behind him.
Niko doesn’t move. Doesn’t even flinch. He just keeps whispering, over and over, “I love her. I love her. I love her.” He’s a man possessed.
“Let her go!” Denny yells, stepping closer, his tone cutting through the air like a crack of thunder.
Still nothing.
“Don’t make me do this.”
Slowly, Niko's grip falters.
He sucks in a long breath and releases her. Maggie collapses, gasping, her body shaking as she drags in air like it’s the first breath she’s ever taken.
For a long, endless second, the room is frozen.
Finally, movement.
Niko rises to his feet, and slowly lifts his palms in the air.
Surrendering.
He connects with me, eyes bloodshot and void of their usual blue sparkle. “I’m sorry,” he mouths as he closes his eyes and bows his head.
The room erupts as officers rush in, shouting commands I can’t make out.
Denny re-holsters his gun, runs to Niko, locking his arms behind his back, and gives him his Miranda Rights. “You have the right to remain silent. Anything you say can and will be…”
The room blurs into chaos as someone’s cutting my ties, but I barely feel it. All I can do is stare. Niko’s eyes flutter open, finding me through the haze. There’s no rage there. Just regret. Denny ushers him out of the room.
And then he’s gone.
The ties fall away, and I stumble to my feet. “Mom!” My knees give out halfway to her, and I collapse beside her chair. She’s crying so hard she can’t speak, her arms wrapping tight around me as soon as they’re free, squeezing with the little strength she has left.
“It’s over,” I whisper, though my voice cracks on the words. “It’s really over.”
The rain outside has stopped, and for the first time in days, I let myself breathe.
And this time—it doesn’t hurt.