Page 95 of Broken

“Fucking bitch. Stay out of this.” He screamed at me.

The force of his slap was unexpected, and it knocked me back, causing me to stumble. I righted myself and reached out to Millie again.

Everything happened so fast. I didn’t see Noah run to us when Joey hit me. I didn’t see the .380 handgun he pulled out of his jean pocket, and I didn’t see him point it at Noah and pull the trigger. I didn’t even feel the bullet hit me. I just heard the scream and felt the hot wetness as it spread through my shirt.

I was dizzy, really dizzy suddenly. I felt my legs giving out from under me as Kai's arms wrapped around my waist. My ears were ringing, and I didn’t know what he was saying. He looked worried.

Don’t worry, baby. We are going to start a family together. I wasn’t sure if I said it out loud or not. I could just see my life with him right there in his eyes. We’d get married, Aine and our new baby with us. Noah and Cal by our side, and Mia and Tess by mine. We would live in that beautiful cabin of his, and make new, happy memories by the lake.

But I was so tired. Kai's arms were so warm. I love you, Kai; I sighed and closed my eyes.

fifty-seven

Kai

“Sin.Sinclairbaby,it’sokay.” She was going to be okay. She had to be. I felt so helpless, my entire world was falling apart in my arms. I was a doctor, I spent eight fucking years in school, and four years in my residency, for what? To fucking lose the love of my life when I’d just gotten her back. “Tess!” I yelled.

I got Sin's text, and we dropped everything and ran out the door. Cal and I had made it out just in time to watch as the first shot rang out. The second and third came before we could reach the psycho and stop him.

I tore Sin's shirt open to try and find the wound. There was blood everywhere, and she was unconscious. I couldn’t lose her. What was I going to tell Aine? She barely knew me, and it had always been her and her mom.

“Mia.” I cried looking in her direction. She was sitting on the ground, a couple of feet from me. My brother’s lifeless body was in her arms. She was sobbing as she looked up at me, my hands covered in blood as

I kept the pressure on Sins' wound. We couldn’t lose them both.

Millie had to pull Callum off Joey before my little brother beat the piece of shit to death. Not that he didn’t deserve it, but none of us wanted to lose Cal to prison and bury the people we loved at the same time.

“An ambulance is on its way,” Tess said calmly. I’d never been so thankful for her cool demeanor as I was at this moment.

There was nothing to do now but wait. The five of us sat, motionless in the dark, tears silently falling from our eyes. The only sound coming from the sirens coming in our direction.

fifty-eight

Epilogue

Aine

One year later…

My mom always loved this beach. She said it was her favorite place to go when she needed to find peace. I guess that’s why dad thought spreading the ashes here was a good idea.

Last summer started out as the best summer ever and ended as the worst summer ever. I met my dad and found out I had uncles and aunts, just to lose some of the people I loved.

I moved in with my dad and changed schools, again. But it wasn’t all bad. I was making a lot of new friends, and Riley even got to come to visit when school let out. Aunt Mia was teaching me about crystals, and tarot cards. Even though dad says it’s all silly and superstitious.

Mom spent a long time in the hospital, and she almost lost the baby. My baby brother, I didn’t even know she was going to have until she got hurt. Mom and dad named him Noah Michael Carter, after my uncle Noah and my grandpa.

I missed my uncle Noah. I stayed at the hospital with mom and Nana on the day of his funeral. Mom was sad, and dad didn’t want her to be alone. Nana said she wanted to be with her girls.

Today we were spreading Grandma Layla's ashes. Aunt Dani drove up to join us. It was me and dad, and mom and baby Noah too. Aunt Mia and aunt Tess didn’t come with us because Aunt Tess thought that flushing them down the toilet was a better idea.

No one will tell me exactly what happened the night mom got hurt and Uncle Noah died. I just know that nothing has been the same, and I lost two uncles that night. Mom said Uncle Cal will be able to come home soon, and I can’t wait to see him.

Mom and I have been taking care of his bar since he left. I get to go during the day before it opens and help her get things ready. There's still a lot she can’t do, but she’s getting stronger and better every day.

“You ready, ladybug?” Mom asked me. She let me hold the box with grandma’s ashes. She said it was what she would have wanted. I never got to know my grandma Layla, but mom said she would have loved me.

Mom doesn’t talk much about her mom, and she never talks about her dad. I asked Aunt Tess why one time, and she said she’d tell me when I was older. I really hate that. When people say, ‘When you’re older.’ I wondered if they ever do tell you or do expect you to forget.

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