Page 39 of Erik's Redemption
Why? Why had he left himself open to this kind of hurt when he knew better? Why had he let himself love so deeply and uninhibitedly?
He turned and leaned his back against the wall before dropping to the floor. When he lowered his head into his hands, he felt every bit of the pain as his world imploded around him.
CHAPTER 13
Tears fell down Hannah’s cheeks in a constant flow as she drove. She didn’t know where she was going, just that she needed to get away. No matter how often she scrubbed the tears away, no matter how many times she begged herself to stop, she couldn’t.
Erik hadkilledNico…the closest thing Hannah had ever had to a brother. To family.
A choked sob escaped her throat as memories of the day she’d learned about his death came back to her.
Hannah frowned at the sight of Becca’s name on the screen. Why was Nico’s girlfriend calling her? The woman never called. Sure, Hannah had spoken to her from time to time when she drove down to visit Nico, but they were relative strangers.
She hesitated, a dread she didn’t understand spidering through her belly. For a moment, she considered not answering. Then she shook her head. She was being silly.
One more ring and she lifted the cell to her ear. “Hey, Becca. Is everything okay?”
There was a small pause before Becca spoke. In that pause, all Hannah heard was heavy breathing. “Hannah…something happened last night.”
Hannah blinked, willing the memory away. The pain and grief that had followed.
In that moment, she’d broken. Thought she’d never be whole again. She’d thought that was the worst kind of pain she could experience, but this right now…it was so much worse. She was broken all over again, only this time, she didn’t know if she could ever put the pieces back together.
She swallowed, reminding herself to breathe. To fill her lungs as she pulled to the curb outside of Brigid’s shop.
Quickly, she rubbed her eyes, sucked in a few deep breaths as she looked at herself in the mirror. She looked exactly as she felt…like a mess. But this was Brigid, her best friend. She wouldn’t care what Hannah looked like.
On the sidewalk, her knees trembled and her head ached, but she forced herself forward. When she reached the shop, she pushed on the handle—but it didn’t give way.
What the hell? Why was the door locked?
She looked up and saw what she’d missed the first time…a closed sign. And inside the shop, all the lights were off.
When Brigid failed to answer her calls, Hannah had just assumed she was too busy working. It was only midmorning, after all. So why was the door locked? Brigid never closed her shop this early.
This couldn’t be happening. Not now. Desperation and devastation raced through her body, threatening to snap her bones. She pushed down on the handle again and again, as if she could somehow unlock the door by sheer will.
Sobs built in her chest, tears once again flowing down her cheeks.
“Hannah?”
She vaguely heard the sound of her name behind her. It was like white noise as she started banging on the glass, callingBrigid’s name. She needed her best friend! She was crying loudly now, the grief so intense she had no idea how to deal with it.
Erik hadkilledNico! Her only family wasgonebecause of the man she loved. How was she supposed to live with that knowledge?
Her sobs grew louder still.
Hands gripped her upper arms.
She spun, gasping.
Leo lifted his hands and stepped back. “Whoa! I only grabbed you because I was scared you were going to hurt yourself.”
Hurt herself? How could she possibly hurt any more than she already was?
She pressed a hand to her chest, as if that could somehow stem the pain, and when a blast of dizziness hit her, Leo stepped forward and grasped her arms again.
“Hey—Hannah. Talk to me. What’s going on?”
