Page 101 of Dangerous Mission
Looking grim, he trots over to the staging tent.
“Who is?—”
Someone shouts, “Beast!”
Taking his attention off me, Beast holds up a fingerindicating for me to wait and turns to listen and greet one of the Federal agents.
Beast asks, “What do you need from us?”
“Nothing at this point. We’re going to move this guy to the morgue in Carollia.”
Before I realize what’s happening Aria’s scrambled out of my hold and darts around Beast. He makes a failed attempt to grab her arm, but she’s on the move.
I get to her just as she falls to her knees next to the body.
Dammit,I reach for her hand to stop her from pulling the sheet back, but another hand stops her. “Don’t,” a rough voice says.
Griffon Kane. Alive and well.
Thank god.
Her brother pulls her way. Dragging her to her feet.
Aria’s so stunned, she stares at Griff through a river of tears with her mouth hinged open.
Relief washes through me, making my knees shake and I rub my eyes to erase the blur. He’s alive.
Beast grabs my arm and pulls me back a few steps. “It’s the owner of the dive company. He was freediving. Shallow water blackout.”
Jesus. I glance at the sheet. He was a dick, but I don’t wish death on anyone that doesn’t deserve it. Only he was stupid enough to be freediving in this cave. Especially alone. No one freedives alone.
A shrill sound makes me whip my gaze to Aria.
Clutching her brother’s arm, she screams, “It was Adam? Oh my god.”
Griff tries to keep his hold on her, but she wiggles loose. Three of us watch in shocked horror as she flies back to thecorpse.
When the paramedic tries to urge her away, she shatters.
“No!” Her voice breaks. “I have a right to see him. I have a right to?—”
With hitching words and trembling hands, she pulls the sheet back before anyone can stop her.
Dead silence falls around us, only to be ripped to shreds by her angry voice. “No. He can’t be dead…”
Every sob from her tears part of me that I didn’t know could feel. But now I feel everything. All the goddamned pain.
“Aria.” I take a knee next to her. “Sweetheart…”
Lifeless eyes stare at the sky.Shit.She doesn’t need to see this. No one needs to.
My gut twists and it takes everything in me not to drag her away, but I force myself to be still. It’s done. She’s seen. Now the only thing to do is clean up the damage.
I wish I had words to comfort her, but I know that nothing penetrates that kind of scene. It glues itself into your brain and until you process it, there’s nothing anyone can say or do.
A keening cry comes from her throat. Then she slams both fists on the dead guy’s chest. “You bastard! You bastard. You stupid, rapist bastard!” And after that she unleashes a torrent of screamed words, tears, and punching hands.
Holy fuck.
