Page 61 of War

Leaning in like he’s sharing a secret, he whispers, “You’ll want to kill me when I tell you what happened to Harley.”

CHAPTER16

DEATH

No.No.No.

My head shakes frantically, horror streaking through me.“Ty—what does that mean?”

I jolt in my seat, trying to get to him.The ropes shave at my wrists, digging farther into my hands.“Say it wasn’t you,” I demand, my throat constricting, every muscle tensing.“Say it wasn’t you, Ty!”A sob catches in my chest when he remains silent.

“Speak goddammit.”

He doesn’t deny it.Why isn’t he denying it?“Tell me.”

Standing there, he watches my destruction.

Tears bleed from my eyes like arteries opening up.“Say it wasn’t you,” I urge.“Please, Ty.”

Silence.

“Tyler!”I scream.

The worn threads tethering us snap in my brain.

Rip.Rip.Rip.

It’s all too much.Too silent.Too excruciating.Too real.

Pain swallows me whole as the horrifying realization sits like a boulder on my chest.

“She looked just like you in her final moment,” he finally says, his words rupturing through the center of my being.Cracking me wide open.

“Stop.”Thoughts wage war in my mind.“No, it couldn’t have been.”I sob.“You bastard!You fucking bastard!”

No…please no…

Agony grips it’s cold, unforgiving hands around me, squeezing.I’m dying.

“You killed her.It was you.”This can’t be real.I’m trapped in a nightmare and can’t wake up.“No…” I sob as the world around me falls into darkness.I thrash and tug at my restraints, an ache for violence building inside.I need to be free.

“She wasn’t supposed to be there.”

Rip.Rip.Rip.

Hurting.Killing.Destroying.

“Stop.”

“She asked for a ride home.Drank too much.I told her to wait in the truck.I was going to get Carver to take her, but I got distracted and forgot.”

Bastard.

Harley.

Oh god.

It’s too painful.

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