Page 45 of Knave

There was no stopping the tears now. No mending the shatter of his heart.

Mouse was dying because he couldn’t save her. He became a vampire for that very reason. She had given him his mortal life back the day she’d drank the drugs from his system, let him live on borrowed time. And all he wanted was to give herforever.

But he was a damned failure.

“I love you,” he whispered, closing his eyes. There was nothing left for him now. Not without her. “I love you. Please, please, please…”

And all he could think about in that moment was how she would die just like Ellie had.

“It’s raining.” Ellie turned to face him and cradled a large baby bump. “Maybe we shouldn’t go today.”

Ferris chuckled. “I know you don’t like going out in this type of weather, but it’s Oliver’s birthday party.”

Ellie crossed her arms. She wore a blue and white striped jumper, her hair neatly curled. “I have a bad feeling today.”

He paused, watching her chew her bottom lip, and pulled her closer. Her baby bump brushed against him. “If you really don’t want to go, we don’t have to. We can stream a movie or something.”

“No, I’m being silly.” She stretched up to give him a quick kiss. “We should go for Oliver, but afterward we can have a cozy night on the sofa.”

Ferris bent down, speaking to Ellie’s stomach. “How does that sound, Luna?”

“She says she likes the idea very much.” Ellie giggled.

Ferris held an umbrella over Ellie and rushed her to the car so she wouldn’t get soaked before hopping into the front seat. Rain was coming down hard as he drove them to Oliver’s, pelting the windscreen, making it nearly impossible to see. He eased off the accelerator, slowing the car.

“We should pull over until it lets up,” he said.

Ellie nodded in agreement. “I think there’s a place around the curve that—”

The squeal of breaks stopped Ellie mid-sentence. Ferris’s grip tightened on the wheel, drawing a sharp breath as he saw the inevitable too late, a car coming straight toward him. The other car slammed into theirs, jerking them sideways, the tires skidding over the side road. His head struck the side window, glass shattering. Then there was only silence, smoke, and the white of the airbag.

“Ellie,” Ferris rasped.

No response. The smoke faded a little as he turned to face her and a strangled cry tore from him. Ellie’s eyes were glazed with death, blood running down her forehead. More blood pooled between her legs. Their baby…

“Ellie!”

Fuck. No. No no no.

“You promised you’d never leave me!” he cried. “Ellie! Wake up!”

Wake up!

Wake up.

Wake.

Up.

“Ferris?” Mouse whispered.

Chapter Twenty

Mouse

“Ferris?” Mouse murmured, holding back a scream as pain roared through her. She tasted blood in her mouth,Ferris’s, and panic coursed inside her chest. Every single one of her nerve endings felt as if they were engulfed in flames. Her gaze locked on Ferris—he was above her, holding her,alive, his eyes red-rimmed and puffy, but he didn’t look hurt. “Where is that bastard at? I’m going to rip him apart,” she seethed, choking on a cough that only made the aching throb once more. Mouse didn’t know if she could stand, but it wasn’t like the days beneath the rubble. She could move her body, but everything was heavy.

“Mouse?” Ferris said with a choked sob. “You’re alive.”

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