Page 22 of Proof

“No. Your place,” he grated. His eyes were still closed.

“JJ—” I began.

“Promise me, Cass,” he said softly, opening his eyes only long enough to catch mine. He didn’t wait for me to respond. Instead, he let his eyes drift closed, his long, dark lashes fanning across his pale skin. “Promise me…” he repeated in a barely there whisper.

“I promise, JJ,” I murmured, more to myself than anything else since I doubted he could hear me.

JJ’s fingers were still wrapped around mine as I got the car moving.

“Cass,” he breathed. I glanced at him and saw that he was looking at me. His skin was still pale, but he wasn’t shaking as violently as he had been when I’d gotten him into the car. I desperately wanted to pull the car over so I could take him in my arms and feel the life still running through his body.

“Yeah?” I responded quietly as I tightened my fingers around his.

“Don’t tell Sully,” JJ whispered. Then his head dipped so it was resting against the side of the seat. His fingers loosened and fell away from mine. I quickly checked his pulse again and nearly cried in relief when I felt it beating beneath my touch. It had slowed but was strong. That was the only thing that kept me from breaking my promise and taking him to a hospital.

Between what Sully had told me about JJ’s health after he’d been shot and his behavior today, I had no fucking clue what was happening.

But I sure as shit was going to find out.

CHAPTER 8

Jj

One thing I hadn’t expected when it came to heaven was how fucking cold it was. And dark.

Maybe my father and his beloved Bible had been right. Maybe I was burning in hell, but the guys who’d written the book had gotten the description of hell wrong. I couldn’t decide which I preferred to spend eternity in—cold that wassocold it felt like it was burning my skin or actual fire.

I didn’t like the dark, though. I’d always feared that life after death was just darkness and nothingness. No other souls, no other voices, not even hearing the thoughts of those I couldn’t see. Just black, empty space and complete awareness that I was alone and probably always would be. No peace, no warmth, no burning, no bright lights. Just… silence.

“JJ, open your eyes.”

The sudden voice in my ear would have made me happy to know that Iwasn’tactually alone in that dark place, except I knew that voice.

It belonged to the devil himself.

Okay, maybe not the devil but, at best, a fallen angel who’d been cast out of heaven to join me in the infinite nothingness.

The mere thought of angels had my mind tracking in a whole new direction. Did angels sin like I had? Did they make the mistake of not being who they were supposed to be? Were they cast into whatever version of hell I was in because they’d gone down on a guy or taken it up the ass like I had? Did angels even have sex? Were they even guys and girls?

“Damn it, JJ, wake the fuck up!”

Pain shattered my errant thoughts like delicate glass. Image after image tormented me.

A hill.

Running, heart pounding, a gun in my hand.

Some kid and his phone.

Another gun butnotin my hand.

Blinding light burned my eyes as I tried to pull the trigger.

“Can’t see,” I called, though I wasn’t sure who I was calling to. “Get down!” I shouted because there had been that kid. He needed to get down because there was a gun that wasn’t mine?—

“JJ, open your eyes!”

I bolted upright at the sound of the familiar voice. “Cass!” I yelled. “Gun! Gun!” Fear consumed me as I tried to blink the light away. I had to warn Cass.

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