Page 150 of Deliria

I stare out, seeing the most incredible view I think I’ve ever witnessed. We get to live. Me and Rafe. Finally, we get to live.

Rafferty

Isaw him flee. Saw her race after him.

And I tried to follow, I did. But my mother was there, blocking the way. Somehow she’d gotten Alexander’s gun and she was pointing it right at me, spouting obscenities, screaming about how it would have been better if I’d died in her womb. If I’d never been born at all.

For so many years I’d repeated those very same words, but now, now I don’t believe it. I was meant to live, meant to exist, if only to stop her, to stop them.

She pulls the trigger but either her aim is poor or she’s not as determined as she’s pretending to be. The bullet goes wide, skittling past my ear, through the air before embedding itself in the skull of one of Alexander’s men. I don’t give myself a second to contemplate his death, the fucker deserved it considering he was working for my brother.

I launch myself at her, and we roll on the floor, both of us now grappling for the revolver. She’s still screaming, still bellowing insults. Her spit flies through the air, landing on my face. I knock my elbow into her nose, beating her back until I can get the gun free.

I don’t have time for this. I don’t have time for any of this.

Scarlett is out there; Alexander is out there. She’s not strong enough to fight him on her own.

I wedge the thing under her chin, pulling the trigger with far more confidence than she ever had. Her eyes widen. There’s a millisecond, a moment where it feels like time freezes, where she seems to register it, the bullet, the action, me, her son, doing what should have been done a long time ago.

The back of her head explodes. Blood, brains, all of it splatters and her body slumps. As soon as it does I’m racing for the door, racing out into the darkness and to where I know my brother and Scarlett are.

I stare down,stare at the water. At the darkness, and the stark contrasting mass floating in it.

No. No. NO.

Something grips hold of me. For the first time in my life, I feel totally helpless.

The waves lap around the two bodies as I scramble over the razor-sharp rocks.

Scarlett.

SCARLETT.

I throw myself into the freezing depths. The shock of it almost makes my heart stop. But I keep my eyes on her, on her body, on how she isn’t moving, how she isn’t swimming, how she’s just lying there, face down, immobile.

“Scarlett,”

I scream her name, shout it so many times my voice goes hoarse and I’m swallowing water, gulping it down as I swim like a mad man.

She’s so far away.

I think the ocean is taking her out. That it’s dragging her out, dragging her far from me.

Scarlett, darling, wake up. Wake up.

Her body bobs with the waves and I want to convince myself that she’s moving but I know she’s too still. I can see it.

“Scarlett.”

My hands reach out, I grab her arm, and I pull her towards me, pull her safely into my arms.

“I’ve got you,” I murmur, rolling her over, lifting her head, seeing how pale she looks, how blue her lips are, “I’ve got you, just hang on.”

I swim back, pulling her with me. Alexander is still floating in the water and I leave him there, half hoping the sharks might just start ripping him in two.

When we get to the rocks, I drag her up, hauling her out. I’m too frantic now to be gentle.

“Scarlett,” I whisper, brushing the strands of hair from her face, “Scarlett, wake up, wake up,”

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