Page 83 of Cole: Bloodlines
Hands gripped his arm through the haze, and fingers touched his face.“Baby…”
Dane.Angel’s first instinct was to reach for him, to crawl into his protective arms… but out there, with Dane, the nightmare was alive—and it would finally, once and for all, break Angel. He wouldn’t heal, not this time.
“Angel, baby… wake up.”
Angel whimpered as gentle hands shook him.Don’t make me wake up—please don’t make me.Tears welled behind his eyelids, and he squeezed his eyes shut tighter, forcing the tears to slip down beneath his lashes. He could feel them running down his face and felt his husband’s tender touch as he wiped them away.
“Angel…”
His chin trembled as he clung to the haze, fighting desperately to stay there. But as Dane pulled him further from the comforting void, images began to seep back into his mind—gutted corpses of teenage kids hanging from branches, swaying in the icy breeze, promising that next time—when he opened his eyes—it would be his little brother… it would be Savannah.
“No…”The whimpering sob pushed up Angel’s throat when Dane continued to coax him back into the nightmare that awaited him. Why would he do that? Why wouldn’t he just let himsleep…and never wake up again?
He felt his body lift slightly as Dane’s arm slid beneath him, around him, cradling him against his chest. Lips touched his brow, face, and mouth.“You can wake up now, baby,”his husband whispered softly against his lips, a tremor of emotion in his voice.“The nightmare is over.”
Angel trembled against Dane’s body, fear gripping his heart. What if it was a lie? What if it was something else—and not his husband—tricking him, trying to draw him back into its horror show?
Another soft kiss pressed to his lips. He knew that kiss… knew it better than the sound of his own heartbeat. His chin trembled more as he slowly opened his eyes, hot tears streaming down his temples. He clung to Dane desperately, terrified that the nightmare was right there, ready to slash into his flesh with its relentless, jagged talons.
“Hey,” Dane whispered, his throat working as tears rolled down his handsome face. His thumb brushed Angel’s wet cheek, and he kissed him again.
Angel’s eyes flicked past his arm to the window, where pale light filtered through the glass. He started to shake; it was morning. Hours had gone by. Angel buried his face in Dane’s neck and sobbed, his fingers digging into his chest.
“Hey… baby.” Dane kissed his head. “It’s going to be okay, sweetheart,” he whispered against Angel’s hair.
Angel shook his head, his sobs growing more intense as his fingers dug deeper into Dane’s muscles.
“Baby…” Dane gently untangled him and pushed him forward. He swallowed hard, his dark eyes glassy with tears… but he wassmiling. “Look.”
“What…” Angel’s voice bubbled wetly with tears as he slowly looked past his husband—to the boy standing by the door. Angel trembled, a numbness spreading through his body. Was this real? Washereal? “Dane…” he whispered, shaking.
“It’s him,” Dane murmured, swallowing a sob. “It’s Maddy.”
Angel began to breathe harder. “Maddy…?” His face crumpled as sobs burst from his chest. “Maddy.” Angel scrambled off the bed on shaky legs, but Maddy was already right there, crying and hugging him. Angel clung to his little brother in a death grip, sobbing against his shoulder. Through a haze of tears, he saw Savannah standing beside Devlin, the two holding tightly to each other. “Abel…”
Turning around, Angel hurriedly crawled onto the bed, shaking Abel awake. The young man opened his eyes slowly, tears leaking out. “Angel… what…?”
Crying harder, Angel hugged him—which momentarily scared Abel.
“Angel, what’s wrong?” Abel choked. “What…” His words died away, and he went deathly still in Angel’s arms as he looked around the room. “Savannah…” he whispered as if speaking her name any louder would vanquish the vision before him.
“I’m here,” Savannah cried softly and rushed to him, wrapping her arms around his neck. “I’m here, I’m home.” The two held each other tightly, crying together.
Angel crawled off the bed and hugged Maddy again, trembling with sobs. “Are you okay?” he whispered brokenly. “Are you…”
Maddy hugged him tighter and sniffed, his voice shaky, “I’m okay. I am.” He pulled back and looked Angel in the eyes. “I really am.”
Angel stared at him, his perfect face swimming before him. The traumatized boy who had come back from the island—the boy Angel had been terrified wouldn’t return from this even if he made it home—was gone. Standing in front of him wasMaddy.
Maddy—who kicked Byrd’s ass.
Maddy—who proved he was a man when he extended a forgiving hand to Axel.
Maddy—who had endured years in the apartment without breaking.
Angel bit his lower lip as it trembled. “I was so scared that…”
The boy shook his head, tears shining in his eyes. “Don’t be scared,” he whispered. “They didn’t…” He swallowed. “I got away before…” His gaze shifted to Savannah as Abel held her tightly against him. “We both did.” He looked at Abel. “We’re both… okay.”
