Page 79 of Embers of Torment

I ran toward the attraction, glimpsing Della standing on the periphery. Relieved, I started to relax, then realized she was alone. Coming up beside her, I placed my hand on her arm. "Thank God you're okay. Where's Evie?"

"Get away from me," Della yelled. She swatted at me and jumped back.

"Della, stop. Please. You and Evie could be in danger. Sofie called Adam. She found out why her mother is here. She wants to take Evie as payback for the death of some guy named Denny. She could be here right now."

"There she is!" Adam pointed to the left side of the circle of jetting water.

I recognized Evie in her pink tee shirt, kneeling between two jets on the outer ring.

Adam made a face. "Who's the older woman walking up to her?"

"Oh, shit! That must be Sofie's mother." Della bolted toward the fountain, with Adam and me in pursuit. "Evie! Come here," she yelled as we ran.

The woman reached for Evie's arm, but the little girl pulled back. Hearing Della, Evie ran to her. The woman stared at us for a moment. Then she swiveled and took off in the other direction.

With Evie safely in Della's grasp, I took off after the woman and caught her several yards away. She was out of control, acting like a wild creature, and I struggled to hold her. Her arms and legs flailed and kicked as she cussed, spit, and tried to bite. Two men came to help me.

Then I heard a woman yelling.

It was Della.

The man I'd chased that day in the plaza was attempting to snatch Evie from Della as she used her body to block him. Adam was writhing on the ground.

"Don't let that woman go. She tried to steal a kid, and the police are on their way," I yelled to the two guys helping me as I rushed to assist Della.

I had almost reached them when Della bit the man's hand, causing him to howl and stumble backward. Della swooped Evie into a protective hold. I lunged for the man when he angrily seized Della's shoulder seconds later, the two of us crashing to the concrete.

The man was all muscle and power as we punched, pinned, and rolled. Then I felt a hit to my stomach just before onlookers dragged the man off me, their action knocking a knife from his hand. The metallic weapon clinked when it landed on the ground.

Lying there, I became aware of something running down my side. It was almost featherlike and tickling. I touched the spot, feeling something wet and sticky. Confused, I held my hand over my face and stared at it in awe.

Blood covered my fingers.

"No, no, no! Don't you freaking die on me," Della commanded as she knelt over me. She ripped the backpack off her shoulders and handed it to Evie after extracting a piece of clothing.

I winced as she pressed it to my abdomen. "I can't. I love you too much." Seeing the tears in her eyes, I tried to smile. I wanted to wipe away her fear.

"I'm sorry. I didn't mean it. I was so mad. I don't hate you. I want to take it all back. All of it," Della cried as she continued to press the blood-filled material against my wound. "Oh God, you can't leave me. I love you, and I need you."

I placed my hand on top of hers, my body shivering at the added pressure on my stomach. "I'm not going anywhere."

Della's voice broke as she sobbed, "You better not."

"A man got stabbed. He's over there," someone yelled from the swelling crowd.

There were gasps, mingled voices, and urgent shouts. Faces contorted as they registered horror and shock. A policeman came to my side while another directed the bystanders to move back. A third went to Adam as he tried to sit up. Several more rushed over and took the man who stabbed me from the people restraining him.

The entire scene felt disjointed. It was like I viewed it from a bubble, experiencing a growing disassociation from myself and my surroundings. I knew I was telling the officer what happened, although I wasn't sure what I was saying. I was also aware Della hovered over me, repeating, "I'm sorry," as she tried to stop the bleeding.

Then bodies parted like an oddly moving wave, and two paramedics hurried toward me. They knelt beside me while another officer seemed to come out of nowhere. He gently maneuvered Della and Evie out of the way, with Della insisting she had to help.

My body was poked and prodded, and the knife wound bandaged. I was placed on a gurney and wheeled to an ambulance. Sirens blared as we pulled away.

Through it all, Della's words echoed in my mind.

She said she loved me.

Chapter 24

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