Page 96 of Whiteout

Blood.

“Sinjin.” But her voice came out barely a whisper.

“We heard what sounded like an explosion.”

“Yeah, we saw it.” She thought maybe it was Randall talking, but she couldn’t be sure. “A vehicle skidded off the pass.”

The shrill scream of a woman pierced through the air. Breanna didn’t know who it was. But then maybe it was the ambulance driving away with the only man she would ever love that she heard.

Sinjin.

Francie held her.

Tears froze on her face.

And the world went dark.

He didn’t remember much after the bullet struck his flesh.

Derek standing there.

Francie rushing through the door.

Was Miranda there, too?

Ian wracked his brain, but everything was still so foggy. He blamed it on the morphine, or whatever the fuck they were pumping into his veins. With heavy eyelids, his gaze traveled up the tubing to the bag dripping the drug into a chamber.

He tried counting the drops.

Drip.

Drip.

Drip.

“Sinjin. Baby, wake up.”

“Princess?” His eyes focusing, he squinted. “Oh…Mom…where’s Breanna?”

“I told you, dear.” Pamela leaned over the bedrail to kiss his brow. “She went to the airport to pick up her folks.”

“But I need her.” He did. Every minute of every day for the rest of his life.

“Breanna’s been with you the whole time, baby. She hasn’t left your side,” his mother said, her fingers combing through his hair. “Let’s raise your head and sit you up a little, yeah?”

“Ah, fuck.” It felt like his insides were ripping apart.

“I’m going to ring for the nurse.”

“No, don’t.” He gritted his teeth, snatching Pamela’s hand so she wouldn’t press the call light. “They’ll just shoot me up with some more shit I don’t want.”

“A bullet blasted through your liver. Take the damn medicine.”

Ian glanced down at the bandage covering his chest and snickered. “That’s going to leave a good scar, isn’t it?”

“It isn’t funny. Do you have any idea how lucky you are?” She squeezed his hand to emphasize the point. “You almost died.”

“But I didn’t.”

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