Page 34 of Second Shot

The room spins. I blink and time speeds up, then slows down, like a horrible movie playing violently in front ofme.

The paramedics work. They’ve got their paddles out, and when they press it against Sam’s bare chest, his body jerks. For a moment, there’shope.

I hold on to that moment, even when I see the small shake of the paramedic’shead.

A roar sounds in my ears, screaming that this isn’t happening. It’s just a nightmare. One I need to wake up from,now.

“Sir?” Someone is talking to me. The paramedic. A man in his early forties, and there’s sympathy in his eyes when he places his hand on my shoulder. He keeps talking, but I don’t hear his words. The only thing I hear is, “I’msorry.”

My back hits the wall and I sink to the floor, my legs giving out on me as I watch them place him on thestretcher.

I’m numb. Frozen. Can’t breathe. Can’t think. The only thing that jolts me out of my black hole of misery is the small, strangled cry from thedoor.

Brynne stands there, looking like she just crawled out of bed, still wearing pajama bottoms and an oversized sweatshirt. She doesn’t see me. Her gaze, wide and desperate, is focused on her brother’s lifelessbody.

She sways like she’s going to passout.

I push myself off the floor, ready to grab her, but she’s already staggering over the broken door towards hisbody.

“Sam?” She pushes past the paramedics, dropping on his body, and I see her flinch when she touches him. “No.”

The older of the two paramedics places a hand on her shoulder. “Miss-”

“Why aren’t you helping him?” Her eyes are wild now. “Helphim!”

“I’m sorry.He’s-”

“No.” She staggers away from him, swayingagain.

This time, I’m there. I clutch her elbows, holding hersteady.

She looks up at me, and I can tell it’s the first time she’s seen me. “Kane? Tell them to helphim.”

I give a small shake of my head, grief squeezing my chest so hard I feel like my heart is going toexplode.

“He’sgone.”

She tries to pull away, but I hold her, wrapping my arms around her small frame, and trembling when I feel rather than hear her sob against mychest.

“He…he called me.” Her hands ball into fists in my shirt. “I was just talking to him. He sounded…wrong.”

Fuck, Sam. You selfish piece ofshit.

He had to know she’d come. That she’d find him likethis.

I keep my hand on the back of her head, pressing it against my chest, so she doesn’t see when the paramedics place the white sheet over Sam’sface.

One of the paramedics is talking to me, something about making a statement to the police, something about thedrugs.

“Yeah, sure, whatever,” I mumble, holding Brynnetighter.

I feel her tense in myarms.

“You were with him.” It isn’t a question. She pulls back, and when she glances up at me, there’s accusation in her gaze. “This wasyou.”

I let my hands drop to my sides when she twists away from me, her eyes darting around the room, taking in the drugs that still litter the coffee table. The syringes and pills. Some black tarry substance, and a bag of weed. Fuck, I don’t even know what half the shit is. But I know it’sbad.

“Brynne,” I drag my fingers through my hair. “I’msorry-”

---