Page 189 of Drown My Sorrow

Mitch freezes. “Is she okay?”

My eyes fill with tears. I shake my head. “I don’t think so. We can’t leave.”

“You have to. You have to go now.”

Mitch glances back over his shoulder. The wind picks up, fierce and cold. Sand and my hair whips around me. I cry out, feeling like everything is wrong. It’s bad. We need to get off this beach.

I turn, glancing out at the ocean. The waves have picked up, too, now, showing their white caps.

I’m not getting in that.

On the horizon, black clouds hang low in the sky, threatening danger in front and the human threat behind. We’re trapped.

“If he gets you,” Gael murmurs, “he’s going to do whatever it takes to bring Kelly to his knees because there is no way that Kelly Raines is dead. He has been yours since he first saw you.”

I inhale sharply. He’s right. I can’t let Typhor get his hands on me or Gael. I need to protect Kelly.

“Okay,” I whisper.

“Go!” Mitch says sharply.

Gael isn’t looking at him, he’s looking at the ocean. “Help me drag this out.”

Mitch and Gael grab a side of the boat and rush it towards the waves. The boat lifts almost vertically as a wave crashes into it. They both jump almost impossibly high with it, trying to keep it down. It crashes into a trough and water promptly splashes inside.

My mouth is dry, and my knees are weak. All I can do is stand on the beach frozen, watching what I’m certain is my impending death.

This time, though, the roar in my mind isn’t as loud as the crashing thunder of the ocean.

I swallow hard, fighting the urge to vomit.

Gael holds out his hand. “Come on, Aspyn, it’s time to go.” My fear holds me rigid. I hear my father screaming at me to run. My sister’s crying. But Gael stares at me with a hand extended and so much love and belief. How can I possibly not try?

“Trust me.”

I reach out to take his hand.

Chapter forty-seven

Aspyn

AspynAged22

I scrub off the graffiti on my stall. It’s just a small thing, but last night was cold, and the pain really bothered my leg.

I spent most of the night awake, tossing and turning and trying to get comfortable.

It doesn’t matter.

But coming down to make some money and find my stall trashed hurts. Hurts me financially, but more, it’s like another blow to my soul.

It always hurts, but today it’s got a bitter edge.

I sit down on my ass in the gutter and put my head in my hands. I can’t stop the tears, though.

I miss them.

I miss them so much.

---