Page 190 of Chalk Outline
The one she gave Reeve when he was a kid.
Her hard features soften, and she mouths, “Thank you,” as she falls to the floor.
I gasp, shoving the knife into my thigh bag. My heart twists as I turn around to see James on the floor, and Mitch unlocks Reeve’s cuffs.
I run to him, cupping his face, and he wraps his arms around me.
“I’m okay, Baby. I’m okay.”
“I love you so much,” I say, running my hands down his back and pausing when he winces. Mitch ties a piece of fabric around his bleeding calf.
“I love you, too, Winona. I’m sorry.”
A tear rolls down my cheek. “Me too.” I sniffle against his chest. The warmth of his body grounds me once again.
He places two fingers under my chin, gently nudging me to look up at him.
“I knew you’d come for me.” He brushes the hair sticking to my face and tucks it behind my ear. “I made it just in case I never saw you again. I didn’t want to leave you without answers like I had before.”
“I have so many new questions.”
His husky chuckle echoes deep in my heart as he pulls me by the throat into a feverish kiss. Gliding my tongue against his, he pulls away to bite my bottom lip.
“I don’t want to interrupt you, love birds, but we have to go,” Mitch pulls us away from each other. “You’ll have plenty of time for this later.”
“Not if the world ends,” Reeve comments with a smirk.
“Or we die here because we can’t find a way out,” I continue.
“Bury that negativity down,” Mitch flips his hands playfully and pauses, “away from my nuts, though. Your wife squeezed them so tight I started yodeling for a second.”
“You what?” Reeve questions, his face turning murderous in the blink of an eye, but I know he’s just pretending to be pissed. “You touched my wife?”
I can’t help but laugh at them.
“She grabbedme. I had no say in the matter whatsoever.”
My man has no limits when it comes to me. Somehow, he seems bigger, even more dangerous.
“It was dark, and rule number three: if you’re in danger, don’t hesitate,” I clarify before Mitch loses an eye or two. “He saved me twice.”
“Three times.” Mitch rolls his eyes at Reeve. “You’re welcome,” he shouts as he walks out the door.
Reeve pauses above his mom and stares at her for a moment. “I think she made a lot of mistakes and maybe she didn’t deserve to end up like this, but she wanted to die a long time ago, so I’m glad she got what she wanted.”
“I’m sorry,” I whisper.
He interlaces our fingers. “We need to get you medical aid,” he says in a serious tone, pointing at my hand.
“I know.”
We rush outside and run down the corridor to Braxton. “I found a way out,” he shouts, keeping the seventh gate open. A huge weight lifts off my shoulders with each step.
Reeve’s fingers slip from my hands as a gunshot reverberates.
“No!” I scream in panic, stopping in place.
My eyes lock on Braxton, aiming his rifle in our direction. I turn around to see Reeve standing. The man behind him drops dead. His hand comes up to yank an arrow out of his neck.
