Page 60 of Burning Bridges

Kylo stops shoving me when we make it to the top of the walking track where it looks out over the view of the desert below. It would be beautiful with the sun rising over the horizon if it weren't the last sunrise I was about to see.

“Why are we up here?”

“Your brother liked to play with fire. Well, I like to watch things go splat. It’s so satisfying.”

I feel my eyes go wide. This crazy motherfucker is going to shove me off the cliff.

“See, this way my hands are clean. I can make it look like you killed yourself, just like your crazy brother. Love will do all sorts of insane things to people. In the morning, the police will finding poor Leo in his car then you at the bottom of the cliff, and they put two and two together. You killed yourself in the name of love. I will be long gone, and we both know how lazy these desert cops are. The case will be closed.”

He raises his gun, pointing it toward me. I take a step back from him, then another. I can feel how close I am to the edge. The earth crumbles around me. I close my eyes, seeing my little girl's face. I won’t get to see her grow up. She will have to go on without me. A sob escapes me at the thought. I don’t want to show him how scared I am, but all I can see is her face when they tell her I’m not coming back. My lips tremble, and I feel the tears slipping down my cheeks.

“Last step, little princess, take it or I will shoot you and you will fly anyway.”

I take a deep breath and prepare myself for the inevitable. I hear a shot go off and flinch, before I realize the bullet didn’t shoot me. My eyes fly open just in time to see Kylo’s body fall to the side.

I gasp when I see Leo. He's alive! The relief and joy flood through me, overwhelming me. I take a step toward him, but the earth shakes and crumbles beneath me. I feel myself falling, but before I can hit the ground, strong arms pull me forward. Leo. He saved me.

My heart pounds in my chest as he pulls me away from the edge. Tears stream down my face as I cling to him, trying to make sense of what's happening. "I thought you were dead," I sob into his blood-soaked chest.

"I'm sorry," he says, his voice hoarse. "I should have been here sooner. I was so woozy, I couldn’t see straight. I just kept listening for your voice. Thank God you were talking to him.”

"It doesn't matter," I say, my words barely audible through my tears. "You're here now, you saved me in time."

He sits down in the middle of the path, pulling me with him. I try to calm my racing heart as I look at him. He's so pale, his face contorted in pain. "You're not in a good way, are you?" I ask, my voice shaking with a new fear. I’m not sure what to do to help him from here, there is no way I can get him down the path alone.

"I'll be okay," he says, but I can hear the uncertainty in his voice. He knows he’s not.

I take out my phone, hoping to call for help, but it slips from my shaking fingers. Leo catches it before it can hit the ground. "Call Kobe," he says, his voice barely above a whisper. "He can help.”

I dial the number, my hands shaking so badly I can barely press the buttons. "Kobe, it's Piper," I say, my voice trembling. I can’t lose him now. "Kylo ran us off the road, and Leo's hurt. Badly. We need help," I cry, not able to stop the tears.

“Fuck, Piper.” There's a long pause on the other end of the line. "Where are you?" he finally asks.

"I'm not sure," I say, my voice barely audible. "We were just past the border on our side when he took us out. He made me walk up some track. I think it's a lookout or something."

"Okay, I think I see you on the tracker," Kobe says, his voice calm and steady. "I'll send help. Just stay put."

I hang up the phone and look at Leo. He's fading in and out of consciousness. And for once I’m grateful for his stalking, tracking my phone. "Stay with me," I plead. "Please." I press a kiss to his cheek.

"I'll try," he says, his words slurred. "I just need to rest."

I cradle his head in my lap, trying to keep him awake. I take off my shirt and use it to apply pressure to his head wound, trying to slow the bleeding. "You're going to be okay," I say, my voice barely above a whisper. "We're going to be okay. Just stay with me, I need you."

“Not as much as I need you, Piper.”

Chapter 33

LEO

“Piper!”Mypanickedcryechoes through the bland hospital room as I jolt awake. I scan the stark surroundings, pain searing through my chest as I struggle to breathe. Dryness coats my mouth, and I see that I'm hooked up to cords and monitors. But the only thing I give a shit about right now is knowing where my girl is and that she's okay.

I sit up abruptly, causing the heart rate monitor to go haywire beside me. What were my brothers thinking, bringing me to a hospital? They should fucking know better. Especially at the moment when we don’t know who to trust. The door bursts open, and Kobe rushes in. "He's awake!" he calls out to someone behind him. "You look like shit, Brother," he jokes, trying to lighten the mood the only way Kobe can.

"Where's Piper?" I growl, my voice hoarse with worry.

"I'm here," she follows him in, flinging her arms around me. A sharp pain shoots through my chest, and I grimace. "Sorry, did I hurt you?" She looks me over, concerned. “I was so happy to see you awake that I forgot about the fractured ribs.” She winces.

"No, I'm fine," I lie, leaning in to kiss her. I'm so relieved she's here with me. Everything is such a blur, and waking up without her by my side made me think my nightmare was real, that Kylo had taken her away from me. She laces her hand in mine, and I look her over, taking in her injuries. Her face has a cut that's been stitched up, and there's some bruising around her eye, but other than that, she looks okay. I pull her closer to me, not caring about the pain in my ribcage.

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