Page 77 of Annika's Aurora

“And did you love her?”

“With everything I had.”

“That sounds like a true love, Mr. Petersen,” Annika said with a sad smile. “Do you really want to taint that love? If you do this … if you take away someone else’s love, you will destroy Carlie’s love. You will dishonor that precious gift of love you shared with Carlie with one despicable act.”

“I have to do thisforCarlie,” he mumbled.

“No, Mr. Petersen. Carlie would never have asked this of you. Especially knowing you have a child that is completely dependent on you. I understand your grief, Mr. Petersen. I do. I lost my brother. My twin! He was the most important person in my life. I understand how the grief takes over everything, how you can’t see past the agony and pain of the grief; it’s all consuming. I, too, tried to take a life because of my grief. I thought it was the only way to end the pain. But the life I tried to take was my own.”

Petersen looked at the gun in his hand. He turned it slightly towards himself. “Maybe … the only way out …” Fuck. Were they all going to witness this man’s suicide?

“Eyes, Mr. Petersen!” Annika shouted again. “Look at me!” He tore his gaze from the weapon, a look of pure agony in his eyes. “I survived, Mr. Petersen. And I am so thankful every day that I was unsuccessful in my attempt. It would have been a great disservice to my brother’s memory had I succeeded in killing myself. He was so full of life, as is your Rachel. As I’m sure your Carlie was as well. My brother would never want his legacy to be my death. And Carlie would not want her husband to become a murderer for her legacy. She would not want your death either. She would not want her daughter to be left all alone in a world as dark as that.” Annika reached out and placed her hand over his on the gun. There was an audible gasp from everyone. Logan’s heart felt like it was about to be torn out of his chest.

“Let go of the gun, Mr. Petersen. For Rachel. For Carlie.” Miraculously he let go. One finger at a time. Annika grabbed hold of it and held it away from her. Then she stunned everyone by throwing her other arm around Petersen’s neck and pulling him in for a hug. He placed his head on her shoulder, sobbing, his grief tangible. Annika held him as the deputies closed in, and Ian grabbed the gun from her hand.

“You have to go now, Mr. Petersen. But I promise you this; Rachel will not be alone. She has her grandparents who love her very much. And she has me now. And I come with an extended Nighthawk family. She will be waiting for you when you are better.”

Petersen nodded to her as two deputies grabbed his arms and put him in cuffs. Before Logan could blink, Annika was kneeling beside him. She’d picked up his hand and placed it against her face. He tried to bring her into focus, but it was getting more and more difficult. “My Sunfire,” he rasped.

“Stay with me, Logan.” She was crying, the tears falling freely down her cheeks. “Don’t leave me again.”

“I’m sorry, Annika.” He tried to reach up with his other hand to touch her face, but his muscles wouldn’t obey. She caught his hand and brought it to her lips, her tears falling on his fingers. “I love you.”

“I know. I love you too,” she sobbed. He smiled at her, content for the first time in fifteen years. He could just make out Annika’s voice calling out for him as his world went dark.

Hours later, Annika paced the hospital waiting room as they operated on Logan. Waiting for someone to tell her if he was alive or dead, the entire extended Nighthawk family was with her. She was grateful for their presence while lost in her own thoughts as she paced.

Ian and another deputy had already interviewed her about the incident. They also offered her a job as their hostage negotiator, but there was no way she ever wanted to do anything like that again. Twice was enough for her.

After Natalie forced her into a bathroom to try to wash as much of Logan’s blood off her hands as she could, she’d called her parents, who were racing to Lake Haven. But at the moment, she was left alone with her thoughts, unable to get the image of Logan’s blood on her hands out of her mind. A terrifying thought repeating itself over and over haunted her; what if he died? The answers searing through her thoughts frightened her. Jamie’s death had been devastating, but it was Logan’s abandonment that affected her the hardest. Her parents had been helpless to see her suffering, especially after she’d tried to end that pain. And now Logan was suffering, and she was helpless to save him.

But if Logan died now as she feared he might, she didn’t know if she was strong enough to keep on fighting without him. It worried her to think the darkness would take hold again. She looked over at Natalie, who seemed to understand exactly where her thoughts were going. She jumped out of her seat and grabbed Annika’s hands.

“Hewillbe okay!” she insisted.

“But what if …” Tears overwhelmed her, cutting off her ability to voice her fears.

“You will survive. But you won’t have to worry about that. He will be okay. He’s strong. And he knows you are waiting for him. He’s got too much to live for. He won’t give up. And neither will you!”

Annika nodded, and they hugged. Her parents burst into the waiting room then and thought the worst upon seeing Annika’s tears. “Oh God!” cried Johanna. “He’s not …”

“No, Mom, we don’t know anything yet.” She hugged her parents, and her mother’s sigh of relief was short-lived as the doctor came in.

“Who is Logan Cain’s family?” he asked.

“We are,” the room called out as a whole.

“All of you?”

“Please,” Annika begged. “Tell us. Is he okay?” She held her breath, waiting for his answer.

“The bullet entered his abdomen, perforated his lung, and lodged itself against a rib. We repaired the damage, but his injuries were severe. He will need to stay in the ICU for a few days.”

“But he’s alive?” Annika needed to hear the words, to understand what the doctor was telling them.

“Yes. I expect he’ll make a full recovery.” He smiled at her, and Annika felt her knees give out. If her parents hadn’t been holding her, she probably would have collapsed to the floor.

“Can we see him?” Johanna asked.

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