Page 84 of Heartless
“Mari!”
I heard thumping at the door, and saw the wood buckle as its hinges groaned to keep it in place.
“Reaper!” I called. “Help me! Hel—”
My cry choked off as Shadow’s hand tightened, black dots swarming my vision as I struggled to breathe. Trapped in his nightmare, he didn’t pay any attention to the door or how I pleaded and fought for my life. I kicked my legs out and clawed at his hand, but my strength was nothing compared to his.
Still I lashed out at him, fighting with everything I had left, even as my limbs grew heavier, his cruel scowl above me fading to blackness. Sensation started to leave my body, leaving me to sink into the worst heartbreak I’d ever felt. This loving, gentle man was literally killing me because of the abusehehad endured.
I’m so sorry, Shadow…
I knew the sleeping pills were only a band-aid solution to the nightmares. He pushed back when I broached the idea of getting more help, but I should have insisted. Maybe then we would have a normal night together, waking each other up with soft words, more kisses and exploring touches.
As the darkness began to swallow me up, I only wished that I hadn’t been too late to save him.
Twenty-Four
REAPER
“Wake up.”
“Huh?”
I blinked slowly to see Daren standing at the foot of the bed.
“Wake up, Rory. She needs you.”
“Why, what’s—”
Something cracked over the side of my face like a hand slapping me, and then I really did wake up.
“What the fuck?” I grumbled, rubbing my eyes.
Hades growled at my bedside, teeth glinting white in the dark room.
“What’s gotten into you?” I peered at him.
A thumping sound came from somewhere in the house, making me pause and listen. It was only our third night in the new house, and Vance’s builders insulated it like a fortress. I still couldn’t tell exactly where noises were coming from.
I heard another thump, and then a scream. A woman’s scream.
“Fuck, Mari!”
I shot out of bed, Hades already running down the hallway. Wearing nothing but my boxers, I somehow found the coordination in my panicked state to race down the stairs to Shadow’s room. I jiggled the knob. Locked, of course. I jammed my shoulder hard into the door and it didn’t budge. Fucking Vance just had to make every door in the house from solid oak.
“Shadow!” I yelled through the wood, slamming my fist against it. “Open the door!”
“No, no, please! Help!”
Mari’s fear-stricken cry from inside spurred me into desperate, frantic action. My mind was blank except for the burningneedto get her out. I tried my shoulder again, then a kick to the door, to no avail.
Fuck, fuck, fuck I had no time! What could I do?
“Helllp! Somebody help me!”
“Mari!” I slammed and clawed at the wood like I could tear through it. “Shadow, let her go! I’ll fucking kill you if you don’t!”
Her screams cut off with strangled coughs and wheezes. Crazed, desperate fear consumed me as I unleashed every ounce of my strength into that door. No, I couldnotlose her, but she was going to die if I didn’t get in that room.
