Page 78 of Shiver

He kept pumping, praying, and breathing into her mouth. After a moment, Devra coughed and water spurted out of her lips.

Riley helped her clear the water and rolled her onto her side as she started to cough again. “Breathe for me, baby,” he pleaded. “Come on and breathe.”

Tears streamed from her eyes as she turned to look at him. “Riley?” Relief filled him at the sight of her vivid blue gaze.

“The paramedics are here,” the chief yelled as the truck pulled near.

“You’re going to be okay,” Riley said, pushing her hair back from her face.

“Mama?” She whispered as a shadow fell over her eyes, stealing their brightness and replacing it with a dull gleam.

A cold fist of fear grabbed hold of his heart, as her stare turned cold and distant. It was almost as if the Devra he knew, the Devra inside, just disappeared. “Devra? Come on, sweetie. Talk to me.”

“Excuse me, sir,” one of the paramedics said and bent over her. “We need to check her.”

Reluctantly, Riley moved out of the way as the team checked her vitals, put an oxygen mask over her face, then loaded her into the ambulance.

“Ride with them to the hospital,” the chief said, nudging Riley toward their van.

“What about you?”

“I’m not leaving until I find the man who killed my boy.”

“He was drifting downstream. He didn’t make it,” Riley said. Then he climbed into the back of the ambulance and took Devra’s hand.

“It’s going to be all right now. The nightmare is over,” he whispered, trying to assure her that everything was okay. But he didn’t like the dark cast to her gaze nor the way he couldn’t get her to focus on him. He had the feeling that everything wasn’t okay, and it might never be again.

Chapter 30

Icy darkness swirled around her.Devra waited patiently for the light, for her mama to come back to her. She was cold and alone, but she wasn’t scared. Somehow, it was comforting here. There was no fear, no running; she’d finally found someplace to hide where no one could hurt her.

She felt someone touching her face, her hair.Mama? Are you here? I’m so tired.The shadows drifted away and she fell back to sleep.

“Devra, can you hear me?”

She stirred.

Who was that?A voice reached for her. She retreated. She wasn’t ready.Not yet.

“What’s wrong with her? Why won’t she wake up?”

She heard the rattling of papers. A harsh bright light pricked her eyes. Panic tripped her heart.Stay away from me. She retreated into the darkness, looking for Mama, looking for a safe place.

* * *

Riley watchedDevra grow paler and more withdrawn with each passing hour. She was leaving him. He could feel it. Despair racked his body. She’d needed him, depended on him, and he’d let her down.

“I’m so sorry.” He squeezed her hand and pushed her wild hair back from her head. “Don’t leave me, Devra. Please, come back to me.”

No sound, no movement. She lay motionless, like a lost princess from a fairy tale. Only he wasn’t her Prince Charming. Far from it, but he did love her with all his heart.

“I love you. Please don’t leave me.”

She didn’t respond. He rose and stared out the window. A storm had moved in and the rain was falling in sheets onto the hospital parking lot. He turned back to her. “Your mom and dad are here. They’ve been here all night, taking turns talking to you, holding your hand. They love you, baby, and so do I. We all love and need you.”

He stared at the monitor that measured her heartbeat. Steady rhythms, no change, no stress, no sign that would tell him she was fighting to find her way back to him.

“I’m sorry I doubted you,” he said, hoping that somehow she could hear him. “It was only for an instant, but it was enough to send you chasing after that monster alone. I’ll never forgive myself for letting you down.”

---