Page 93 of Never Trust the Living (Battle Crows MC 7)

“Adrenaline,” I mumbled, feeling dizzy. “That’s why I can’t feel everything that’s wrong with me.”

“You’re okay,” Bram lied straight to my face.

I laughed weakly. “I thought that we weren’t going to lie to each other anymore?”

Bram opened his mouth and then closed it, clearly unsure how to answer that.

“You know, today was the day that I was going to tell you I wanted to go back home.” I swallowed. “I contacted the movers already and everything.”

His eyes filled with tears.

I tried to lift my hand to catch one from falling off his cheek but realized I couldn’t lift my hand.

“The medics on their way?” KD asked, practically dragging himself out from under the debris covering his legs.

“Yeah,” Bram croaked, sounding as if he’d just been screaming.

Maybe internally was all he would allow himself.

“How long?” KD asked.

“Twenty minutes,” Bram replied, never taking his eyes away from me.

There was another trickle of blood that fell into my ear canal, and it instantly started to tickle.

The baby in my belly moved again.

“Can you move my hand to my belly?” I asked. “I want to feel him.”

One last time.

Bram looked torn, as if he didn’t want to move me at all. Not one body part. Not one single inch.

“No,” he finally decided. “But I’ll feel for you.”

He placed his hand on my belly, at least, it felt like it was on my belly since I couldn’t quite turn my head to see.

“You’re gonna be okay, baby.” Bram sounded a little more in control of himself that time.

Lies.

He was such a bad liar.

How did we ever lie to the cops about my brother?

“Bram?” I questioned.

He moved until he was as close as he could get.

“Yeah?” he asked.

“I want you to run. I want you to run toward whatever makes you happy in life. I want you to run toward what makes you take a deep breath and relish it. Even if your running takes you away from me.”

Was my voice weaker? Or was that just my imagination?

“Just hold on,” Bram cried, his tears disappearing into his mustache. “Just hold on one second longer.”

If I had the energy to cry, I would have.

---