Page 144 of Rugger: The Huntress

My thoughts were all over the place. But, my heart… it was in my shoes. With each passing second, it grew heavier.

I exited the elevator at full speed. I dashed across the parking lot and into the building where I’d located him. This time, not even the elevator could delay my ascent. I climbed the stairs two at a time to reach the eighth floor.

One.

Two.

Three.

Four.

Five.

I counted each door I passed.

Twelve.

Thirteen.

Fourteen.

I pushed the door open. My heart shattered into a hundred more pieces as I stared at the emptiness.

Fuck.

“I’m coming, baby.”

The tears I was trying to keep at bay came tumbling down my face. Dread slowed my feet and hammered my heart, drawing blood with each blow.

“I’m co–

Confusion plagued me. I’d begun counting on the wrong end. He wasn’t fourteen doors down from where I’d entered the eighth floor. He was fourteen doors down from the opposite end.

I swiped my eyes but there was hardly any use. My vision was altered. So was my body. My heart. My head. Everything had been altered. Everything ached.

“Son– Sonnie, don’t do this to me. Please.”

My back pressed against the wall behind me. Sirens sounded in the distance. They were closer. Far too close for comfort.

Snap. Snap.

Focus, baby.

Snap. Snap.

Teddy’s voice summoned my strength. I pushed forward, counting down until I reached the number six. I shoved the door open with my right foot.

My body numbed at the sight before me. Fire blazed inside of me. My eyebrows crinkled, drawing closer to the center of my face. My cheeks peaked as my top lip began to shiver.

“Sonnie baby.”

I rushed inside, falling to my knees before him. His blood pooled around the black leather, immersing me in my newest reality. I placed my index and middle finger on his neck, frantically searching for a pulse. There was nothing. Not an inkling of life. Not a single beat. Not a sign of life within his body.

“Baby, plea– please. You can’t do this to me.”

The once white paper that was now covered in his blood caught my attention. Quickly, I took a look around the room. It was tidy, but there were still so many things connecting Sonnie to his career choices and the bodies he’d piled since becoming the man he was at this moment.

Desperate to reserve his image, I sprung into action. I disassembled his weapon and shoved it into the case he carried to each assignment. I folded the soaked paper up and shoved it in my bag. The wrapper from his deli sandwich that was peeking from his pocket slid into the pocket of my jacket with ease.

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