Page 113 of Dear John

Struggling to my feet, I stumbled over to the doors, my body heavy with exhaustion. I didn’t know if I had anything left in me to give, but if there was even a chance I could get us out of here, I would give my last breath to see Isla live. I picked up the piece of wood from the pallet, holding it in my cracked and splintered hands. Even holding it at waist level was nearly impossible.

I took a deep breath, closing my eyes as I drew on the last of my strength. I couldn’t give up—not yet. Not while there was still a chance I could get Isla out of here. I pulled back and swung with all my might, slamming the wood into the door. Vibrationsshook my arms, but I kept going, kept drawing on what little strength I had.

Over and over, I slammed that wood into the door. I knew there were dents in the metal. I could feel it as I ran my hand over the interior. But it wasn’t enough. Not even a sliver of light pierced the door. I kept going until my legs could barely hold me. And when the wood fell from my fingers, I stumbled into the door, ramming my shoulder against it. Pain shattered my left shoulder, leaving it limp and dangling at my side.

I bent over, sucking in dry air, my throat scratchy and coated with dust. I glanced at the door again and flung myself at it, but this time, my legs buckled and my body gave out, collapsing to the ground. My head lolled to the side and Isla’s limp body swayed in my vision. I held out my hand as if I could reach her, wishing I hadn’t left her side.

“Isla,” I called out, my voice nothing more than a whisper.

My eyes drooped and my hand fell to the cold metal floor. I needed to get to her, to hold her like I promised. But my body wouldn’t move. I pried my eyes open one last time and murmured her name just as the last tea light died.

38

KAVANAUGH

“That one,”Tish nodded to the shipping container straight ahead of us.

It was at the ass end of the shipyard where it looked like no one ever came. Containers could sit here for an entire year without anyone looking at them. We skidded to a stop and I jumped out of the vehicle, racing to the doors. Red was one step ahead of me, busting the lock on it, then grabbing the handles and yanking them up. I grabbed the other side and did the same.

Light flooded the containers and the first thing I noticed was IKE lying on the ground next to a piece of wood, his shoes missing and his hands bloody. I stepped right over him and raced inside, my heart stopping in my chest as I saw the bundle laying on cardboard, rolled up in what looked like a Christmas skirt.

“Isla!” I shouted, falling to my knees beside her.

She was so fucking cold and I was afraid to touch her, afraid to see if she was still alive. My fingers skimmed over her throat as I closed my eyes and prayed. A faint heartbeat thumped against my fingers and I cried out in relief.

“I’ve got a pulse!”

Medics were there in an instant, loading her up on the stretcher and strapping her in. I was shoved back, pushed out of the way when all I wanted to do was hold on tight and never let her go. I shoved my fingers through my hair as I watched them speaking quickly to each other, racing out of the container to the ambulance.

I wasn’t sure if my heart started again after what I just saw. My eyes wandered around the shipping container, taking in the busted pallet further into the container and the Christmas decorations strewn all over the floor. I walked over to the garland against the opposite wall and picked up the tea light that was tucked inside it.

“She’ll make it,” Red said, but his voice was gruff and unsure.

I nodded, not able to say anything else at the moment.

“What is that?” he asked, jerking his head at what was clenched in my hand.

I opened my fingers, showing him the tea light. “She was trapped in here. I can’t…She only had tea lights and then they went out. How fucking long was she in the dark?”

“She had IKE with her, at least.”

Yes, by some small miracle, she wasn’t alone, but some perverse part of me wished that she had been with me, that it wasn’t IKE trapped in this container with her. I knew deep down that nothing happened. Why would it? But jealousy still consumed me that he had been the one with her in her darkest moments.

“I need to get to the hospital.”

“Uh…” He scratched the back of his head. “Not to bring up the senator, but…”

Shit. “Yeah.”

“Maybe she’ll wait.”

“I doubt it. She came through on her part. Now it’s time for me to honor my end of the bargain.”

So, as much as I hated leaving Isla right now, I had to follow through on my deal with Tish. I was a man of my word. Besides, there was nothing I could do for Isla, and I doubted there would be anything for me to do but pace the hospital waiting room.

Rae set everything up, calling a press conference that would shock the senator when he heard of it. I didn’t bother changing into a suit or shaving the scruff on my face. For once, I was going out in front of the world as myself—not as the man the senator always molded me to be.

As soon as I stepped out onto the platform for news conferences, the blinding lights from the cameras sent me back into those moments that had me running when the senator thrust me onto the stage. I swallowed down the urge to run as the reporters stared at me, wondering what I had to say that would warrant a news conference, sans the senator.

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