Page 65 of You for Her (The Edge of Retaliation 2)
That’s kind of nice.
He needs me.
“Celia,” I murmur, my eyes rolling.
My head feels funny, almost like I’m really drunk and I want to go to sleep. Sleep. That would be nice, right now.
“Callie!”
I close my eyes, and I can see her face again. This time, it’s like she’s standing right in front of me. Her blue eyes lock onto mine, and I gasp, reaching my fingertips out, but no matter how close we are, I can’t seem to touch her.
“Celia?” I say, my voice cracking as I try to take a step towards her, but I can’t. She looks afraid, like she wants someone to help her, only nobody is there.
“Help,” she whispers, her voice soft and singsong like. Almost as if an angel is in the room. “Help me, Callie.”
“I’m trying to,” I cry out, trying to reach for her again, but my fingers just can’t seem to find her. “I’m trying to help you.”
“Help me.”
“Just turn around,” I cry to her as she gives me the same smile she gave me the night her life was so cruelly wiped out. That smile that tells me she’s sorry, that she wishes it could be different. “Turn around and go home. Tell your family what happened. They’ll help you. They can fix this! It’s not too late, Celia.”
“Help,” she croaks.
“I’m trying,” I scream, thrashing my head from side to side. “I’m trying to help you, Celia. Please, just listen to me. Please.”
“Callie,” she whispers, her voice fading off. “Callie!”
“Celia!” I yell wildly.
“Callie!”
My eyes pop open and someone is holding onto me, big arms wrapped around my body. I can feel the bumps and hear the sound of a truck moving, and I realize we’re not in the bushland anymore, we’re driving. I try to focus on what’s happening around me, but all I can hear is Tanner’s voice saying “Callie,” over and over again.
I’m finally able to focus, and I can see him looking down at me, his eyes concerned. I’m lying with my head on his lap, Jo sitting on the other side holding the other half of my body close. I glance over and see Tatum is driving, and Ethan is sitting in the front passenger seat, Garrett no doubt following behind in his truck.
How did we get into the truck? I remember nothing of it.
The pain in my shoulder is still intense, a low thud that is constant, radiating through my body without ease. I whine in pain and look up at Tanner, who is stroking the damp hair from my forehead.
“It hurts,” I croak.
“I know, baby. I know it does. We’re nearly at the hospital.”
The hospital?
What about the plan?
All this for nothing?
“What about Chase?” I whisper, closing my eyes and taking a deep breath through my nose as the pain makes me dizzy.
“Don’t worry about Chase,” Jo says, stroking my leg. “You just worry about staying with us, do you understand me?”
I reach a hand out, crying out in pain, and curl it around hers. She squeezes, and I hear a soft sob come from her. She’s scared. Of course she’s scared. She just watched her best friend get shot. I’d be a damned mess.
“I’m okay,” I manage, my voice tight. “I’m in pain but I’m okay. You have to get Chase out.”
“Your life is worth more,” Tanner says, his voice hard as he glances over at Tatum, who is saying nothing.
“No,” I whisper, looking up at him. “No, it isn’t. Please, you have to go and get him out. I need you to do that, please, Tanner. He doesn’t deserve to die because of me. Please, go and get him out.”
“I’m not leavin’ you,” Tanner murmurs, his eyes so full of emotion it cuts me to my core. “I won’t fuckin’ leave you.”
“This is important to me,” I whisper, moaning in pain and trying to shift away from it. “It’s important. Please.”
“I’ll stay with her,” Ethan says from the front. “Every second until you return. I’ll make sure she gets the medical care she needs.”
I can’t see his face, but my eyes burn with unshed tears at my friend, a friend I haven’t been kind enough to in the last week. A friend that has shown his loyalty to me, throughout everything. He hasn’t given up, not once, even when giving up would have been easier.
“Jo, please,” I beg my friend. “Do this, finish this. Get Chase out. Let’s close this door once and for all.”
Jo must look over to Tatum, because she asks, “Do we still have time?”
“Yes,” Tatum says, his voice more emotional than I would have guessed. This means something to him. Of course it does, it’s his family. Chase might have a lot of answering to do, and owe everyone a lot, but it’s still his brother. I’d do the same for Jo. Even if she screwed up, even if she made a huge mistake, I’d do the same.
