Page 86 of Final Vendetta

“Gideon,” a voice worked its way through the haze, followed by a firm hand on my shoulder.

I jerked my head up, blinking through the tears to see Henry standing over me, his face tight with urgency. Behind him, medics surged forward, pushing a stretcher, medical bags slung on their shoulders.

“Let go of her,” Henry said, his voice calm but firm.

His words didn’t register. I stared at him, trying to comprehend, but the meaning slipped through my fingers like sand. Let go of her? How could I?

“Please, Gideon,” he begged, the faintest crack of emotion breaking through. “Every second counts. There’s a med-evac helicopter waiting outside, but you have to let her go.”

I looked back down at Imogene, her face ashen, her breaths shallow. The blood pooling beneath her seemed brighter than before, its sickening vibrancy clawing at my chest.

“I can’t,” I rasped, shaking my head, my fingers tightening around hers. “I need her.”

“You’re not losing her,” Henry said, crouching beside me. “But you have to trust me. Let me help her. Please.”

His words pulled me back just enough to meet his eyes, and what I saw there finally broke through the haze. Resolve. And something else. Fear.

My hands trembled as I released her, every fiber of my being screaming against it. Henry steadied me as the medics moved in.

I could only watch as they carried her onto the stretcher and immediately went to work on stabilizing her. Their actions blurred together, too fast and too slow all at once.

As they wheeled her away, I caught one last glimpse of her, so still, so pale. My chest tightened, panic spiraling into a suffocating weight.

“She’ll make it,” Henry said, his hand gripping my shoulder. “She’s a fighter, Gideon. So are you.”

But his words barely registered as my knees buckled beneath me. The ground rose up to meet me as my strength gave out, my hands bracing against the cold, blood-streaked concrete.

The last thing I saw before the darkness took me was the trail of blood Imogene left behind.

Chapter Thirty-Nine

Gideon

The sunlight was blinding, even through my closed eyelids. I blinked against it, disoriented and uncertain of where I was. My feet were on sand, soft and warm but somehow not clinging to me. The air was thick with salt and the faintest hint of flowers, stirring something deep in my memory.

Hilton Head.

But as I opened my eyes, I saw it wasn’t exactly Hilton Head. The colors were too bright, the edges of everything blurred as though I were looking through frosted glass. It felt like a memory come to life, beautiful, but not quite real.

And then I saw her.

Imogene.

She sat beside me, her legs tucked beneath her as the wind teased strands of hair across her face. Her eyes met mine, full of warmth and light, like none of the horrors we’d endured had ever touched her.

“Is this...?” My voice was hoarse, cracking like I hadn’t used it in years.

Imogene smiled softly and placed her hand over mine. “Does it matter?”

I wanted to ask more, but she leaned in and pressed her lips to mine. The taste of her, the sweetness of her breath, the warmth of her touch drowned out every question.

For the first time in years, I felt at peace.

But our perfect moment was interrupted by a familiar bark. I looked up just as Ollie bounded across the sand toward a flock of seagulls, his tail wagging furiously.

“Ollie! Heel!” Imogene and I both shouted at the same time.

We shared a look before bursting into laughter. Ollie joined us, and I wrapped my arms around him as he smothered me with slobbery kisses, my chest aching with a mixture of joy and something else. Something heavier.

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