Page 132 of Ramsay

I stumble over a hole and it’s too much for my aching leg. Falling to my knees, I look up when a familiar looking SUV pulls through the entrance. No! I wave my arms but either he doesn’t see or ignores me as the vehicle careens around the corner.

“Fucking bitch,” Crush barks and I look back. My leg burns like a motherfucker, and I grasp the injury, shaking my head when Crush’s torso appears, his hands raking the cold ground as he pulls from the hole.

Too bad. I guess the dick won’t rot after all.

The screech of tires brings me back to the entrance but before I have time to do anything, the car slows, and Ramsay blows from the passenger side.

His cerulean gaze meets mine and I point behind me, hoping he’ll come to his damn senses and slow down. His mouth opens, those pretty lips bent on a lecture no doubt, but I never get to hear whatever he was going to say.

A loud boom sounds behind me, the roar rushing through my ears as I flinch and fall to my face. The cold earth stings my cheeks and I shake my head to clear the faint buzz before looking up.

Where the fuck did Ramsay go?

Searching the area, I scan the SUV but all I find is Oliver’s stone-cold gaze as he crouches near the vehicle. Diem’s head pops up beyond the hood and I follow his wide-eyed stare to the ground fifty feet before me. Oh. Oh no.

Ramsay’s laying on the ground, staring at the sky. He touches his chest before a shudder racks his body. My heart, previously beating wildly in my chest, jumps into my throat and with a whimper, I say, “Ramsay?”

Except my words are drowned out by more gunfire. It’s a war zone all around me and I drop to the dirt once more before rolling my head and meeting Ramsay's gaze.

Blood lines his mouth and I bite back a sob when a trickle slips past his lip and rolls down his chin as he mouths, “I’m sorry.”

Shaking my head, I clutch the ground and pull forward, my fingers scrabbling against the cold hard grass. Once again, I make it a paltry few feet before Diem appears from around the side of the SUV and drops beside Ramsay, his gun raised in the air.

“Down,” he shouts, and I fall back.

Time has no meaning while I watch Ramsay, the boom boom boom of gunfire faint to my ears. His eyes flutter before opening again and he searches me out before raising a damn brow. I hate that damn brow.

Half laughing, I sob, “I hate you.”

His lips curl in a smile and my heart thumps before his eyes roll and he slumps to the ground.

“Ramsay,” I shout and Diem spins to him as I shout again, “Ramsay!”

“Stay with me bro,” Diem says, tapping Ramsay’s cheek but he doesn’t so much as twitch and with a sob, I lay my cheek on the ground.

Diem drops the gun, placing his fingers over the pulse in Ramsay’s neck. Frozen, I watch, the silent words of a prayer I don’t remember ever learning bleeding from my lips. “I will…fear…no-no…”

Suddenly, its achingly silent, the gunfire gone and I pause as Diem bows his head. No. No, no, no.

He says something I can’t hear and shouts to Oliver, who races toward them with a wasteland of pain behind his eyes.

“Unh,” I moan, dropping my head to the ground. Why? Why him? Why now? Just…why?

“C’mon,” Diem shouts and I peek through my lashes as Oliver leans over and says something to Diem I can’t hear, shaking his head. Diem frowns, waving his arms but through it all, Ramsay doesn’t move.

“Ramsay,” I croak, and Diem looks up. His dark eyes flicker before he drops his gaze.

Gone. Ramsay’s gone.

The half-formed remnants of my heart break again and with a wretched smile, I let it all go. The future. Hope. Forgiveness. It’s all fucking gone.

∞∞∞

“Hurry,” Diem grunts.

Rolling to my back I stare at the sky. The acrid stench of smoke rents the air, creating swirls of gray in an otherwise beautiful vista.

It’s quiet but for Diem and Oliver behind me. I should care about Crush or getting the fuck out of here, but I don’t. I don’t care about fucking anything.

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