Page 24 of Save Me

I choke on a cough as it racks through my body, the smoke making it hard to breathe. Arch laughs in response.

“Funny how some things just work out, isn’t it?” He smiles, but it doesn’t reach his eyes. “Here you were, so against the little game we were playing, but now you’re just laying here acting like the prize you were meant to be, waiting for me.”

A chorus of laughter sounds from above and I close my eyes, unable to respond as I choke on more smoke.

“Why so quiet, Evi?” he asks, his dark eyes flickering.

I feel the burn of pain before I register what’s happening, his cigar no longer in his mouth, his hand now pressed firmly against my thigh.

I open my mouth to scream as the pain wraps around me. The last thing I see is Arch’s face before everything fades to black.

CHAPTER 11

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I’m lost ina dream, loud voices quickly muted as the smell of leather and citrus floats through the air, sending a wave of comfort through me. I sigh as relief washes over me, happy to have a break from the nightmares plaguing my sleep and the pain that haunted me tonight.

Maybe I’m not sleeping, maybe I’ve died. I laugh at the thought, feeling weightless as I float from the ground.

“You’re not dying, I won’t let you.” The growl meets my ears and I look, finding myself in Jax’s arms. I don’t know how I got here, and I don’t care. I nuzzle into him, wanting to soak up everything, wanting to hold onto his presence even after I wake up. He feels just like I remember, and for a moment all I can think about is how empty life felt without him.

“I’ve missed you,” I say with a sob, wishing this wasn’t a dream.

Jax shushes me lovingly. “Easy, love, just try to stay still.”

I gaze up at him, at the blood dripping from his face.

“You’re bleeding,” I say blandly. “Why are you always bleeding?” I laugh, but it sounds strained. His green eyes meet mine and I feel at home lost in his gaze. His lips tilt up in a strained smile but his eyes remain laced with a level of darkness and panic I have never seen before.

“It’s not mine. Well, most of it isn’t.”

What a strange dream.

I shiver as a chill runs across my skin, and Jax holds me closer in response. I look up only to see the stars and moon glowing brightly against the blackened sky. I don’t question how we got out here, I just want this dream to last forever.

“It doesn’t hurt anymore,” I say softly, gazing at him before closing my eyes.

“Open your eyes, love,” Jax commands loudly in my ear.

I mutter something in response. I just want to rest, my body and mind are exhausted, and this dream is confusing me. No matter how hard I try I can’t figure out if I’m in a nightmare or if this is the best dream I’ve had in a while.

“Open your fucking eyes. Stay with me. Just stay with me.”

“I got here as fast as I could… Jesus Christ.”

CHAPTER 12

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Igrasp ontothe sound of their voices and the warmth I feel being carried in Jax’s arms, willing myself to stay in this dream just a little longer.

Tap. Tap. Tap.

My heart sinks as I regain consciousness, knowing exactly what I’ll open my eyes to, and I’m not prepared to be dragged away from the memory of Jax and Ryan so soon.

I shift my body beneath the weight of the blanket on top of me, trying to roll from my stomach onto my side, but I pause, inhaling sharply as pain jolts through me in response. My back is tight and sore, and my limbs are just as exhausted. As I start to come to, I remember the white-hot pain that laced my entire back as I hit the floor, landing on a bed of glass. Memories of Arch’s voice against my ear, the smoke clouding the air and filling my nose, and the burn of a cigar against my skin.

I take a few shallow breaths, my ribs protesting the expansion of my lungs, and keep my eyes tightly closed, trying to grasp onto my dream for as long as I can before it’s pulled from me completely and I’m left facing reality once again.

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