Page 118 of The Eleventh Hour

“Jax! Keep pressure,” River shouts.

I look at River and lick my lips before looking back at Mason, but this time, his eyes are closed, and I’m relieved. I shouldn’t be, but I am.

The door crashes open, and two paramedics rush in, wheeling a trolley with them. They take over, pushing me back. I know they try to ask me some questions, but I can’t do anything but stare at Mason.

I will him to open his eyes again. I will him to see me. But he doesn’t. He remains still on that bed.

I play it over and over in my mind. His hazel eyes close, and a moment later, his green eyes open.

I squeeze my hands so tight that my nails cut into my palms.

His eyes are green.

His eyes are hazel.

He’s dead.

He’s alive.

Phil shouts at the cops as they drag him away. River sobs and puts his arms around me, but his eyes are green when they should be hazel.

My mind splinters, and everything gets grey and fuzzy.

Dane

“WAKE UP!”

The voice is female, but it fades as clarity grasps my mind and tears away the confusion. No! I look to my left and find Rafael struggling to sit up.

“Get up. We have to go now,” I shout at him.

I don’t know what it is, but I just feel this urgency, this fear that if we don’t get back right now, everything will go wrong.

I lead Rafe through the weeds and grasses and almost throw myself over the fence, collapsing to my knees before I can get my feet under me.

We jog and then run down the street, the sounds of the emergency at Red Shard getting louder and louder. I don’t know why I’m running back here, but I’m following my instincts.

Inside, I’m cursing myself, Rafe, the ghosts, this whole fucking city, and that madman.

I’m almost there when Rafe cries out. I whip my head around to look at him and see him frozen, hugging an electricity pole to hold himself up. His eyes on the building beside Red Shard.

River is arguing with a man in a white jacket, but beside him is Doctor Sparrow, and he’s escorting a very calm, pale Jax into the backseat of his car.

“No!” I shout. Sparrow gets in the driver’s seat of the car, the man in the jacket gets in the back, and before I can get halfway across the street, they’re gone.

“No!” I shout!

River looks up. His eyes are streaming with tears.

“What happened?” Rafe asks.

“He shot Mason. Phil did it. He was going to kill Jax, but Mason got in the way. I don’t even know how he did it. He wasn’t even close.”

I close my eyes in relief and grief. The big blond was an okay guy. He’d loved her and supported her in the end. Saved her. I owed him.

“Sparrow came and took her. There’s nothing I can do.”

“All right, focus River,” I say calmly. “You need to call your father. Tell him that Sparrow has Jax and that I will be at the hospital to explain everything in an hour. You also need to let him know about Mason.”

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