Page 56 of Save Me Enemy

I get to the stockpile of weapons and ammunition and find a rope. With quick and sure movements I tie Corey spread eagle to the pile of his own death, and when he starts to scream in panic, I shove a bar of C4 into his mouth until he’s choking on it.

Behind me, I hear the faint hiss as the flame runs along the fuse, coming closer.

“It’s not the death I wanted,” I say calmly, sitting in front of him. “But since you’ve killed my mate, I refuse to live another day…”

The fuse is getting shorter with every word. The sound of Corey screaming is like music to my ears. This is a legendary way to die. In flames of glory, vengeance reaped. I will not suffer another minute of this life without my mate.

Strong hands grab me from behind.

“No! Let me die!” I scream, but they don't listen. “Let. Me. Die!”

One man grabs my shoulders and another grabs my kicking legs and they run out of the cave. This can't be happening! I need to die! I need to be with her! But the hands are merciless, the distance between me and any promise of mercy grows.

I watch the explosion start, watch Corey’s head explode from the C4, and we’re thrown bodily out of the cave by the force of the explosion.

An earthquake like this area has never felt shakes the land. The mountain in which the cave was in implodes.

Rocks fly everywhere, smoke and flame rising to kiss the sky.

Ryder and Cole throw their bodies over me to protect me from the fallout.

Saving my life.

Cursing me to a hollow, dead existence.

Chapter23

Cricket

Someone’s crying… Someone’s screaming in pain…

“Push! You must push!”

Is that Evelyn? Hands are stroking my face, tears wetting my cheeks that aren't mine.

“If you don’t push, Ruby, the baby will die!”

Ruby’s…in labor? I can't move, I can’t blink. I want to see it, I want to watch babies being born… I will my body to move but I have no control. Rachel is holding me, I see that now. Her face is pressed to mine while she sobs.

“Cricket…come back…you can’t be dead, you just can't!”

She’s crying. But I’m not dead…

“I see a head! Oh, Ruby, she’s got so much hair!” Evelyn cries, and Rachel sits up and my head flops to the side as if I truly am dead.

Fear grips me. I can’t move, my body isn’t my own. Am I truly dead? Have I lost Jackson forever?

I watch as Evelyn pulls a tiny blonde-haired baby kicking and screaming into this world. Then I’m so happy, I forget I’m dead. I want to jump for joy, to congratulate her, but my body remains as still as a corpse.

“The pain! Mommy! It’s not stopping!” Ruby screams.

Rachel gently sets me on the ground and stumbles on her hands and knees to Ruby. Evelyn steps aside, worry on her face as she cradles her granddaughter, and Rachel peers between Ruby’s legs with tears still falling down her face.

“There’s something else coming…” she says, voice so quiet I can barely hear her.

“What do you mean, ‘something’?” Ruby shrieks, and her fear turns to a blood-curdling scream.

My ghost friend appears by Rachel, hand on her shoulder, as she pulls a small white wolf pup from Rachel’s womb. All sounds stop as the tiny creature emerges. It whines once, twice, and goes still in Rachel’s hands.

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