The Broken Parts Of Us (26 page)

“The grave site car park. MOVE YOUR TRUCK!” she shouts.

I hear a muffled noise, then nothing. I’ve only felt this scared once before, when Danny was letting me die at his feet. I’m so scared that my blood turns cold and my soul leaves my body for a few minutes.

I rush to my car, my mind static. I drive on auto pilot and I notice nothing around me; I’m numb.

I pull in to the grave site and see Derek’s car and River’s blonde hair peeking through his arms as he holds her close to him. I leap from the car.

“River?”

“I’m fine, Jasp,” she assures me, coming into my open arms. I feel my heartbeat pounding from my chest. She’s okay. She’s here, fine in my arms, I reassure myself.

“Where’s Kyra?” Derek asks, looking behind me into my car.

“At the studio. Shit, I didn’t even tell her I was leaving.”

Derek’s eyes flash with something I’ve never seen there before: fear. River’s body has gone solid still in my embrace. I watch Derek as he puts his phone to his ear. “Get River in your car, we can come back for hers.”

We rush to my car and follow Derek to the studio, River ringing Kyra’s cell and Amy’s. “Nothing,” she breathes.

Despair sets into my stomach, consuming the euphoria of the night and morning.  The helplessness is like a physical pain tearing my insides to shreds.

We pull up and jump from the car, Derek a few feet ahead of us. The bell chimes overhead as we open the front door; the music is still playing, but there’s no noise from movement. My heart stops when I see blood. So much blood.

My head fills with visions of myself bleeding out in River’s back yard, then the pale frame of Amy’s lifeless body fills my sight. Her eyes hold no light as they stare wide open at nothing. Eighteen years old and she’s gone. The gash across her throat seeps a river of red all around her.

Derek drops beside her to check her pulse, but it’s pointless.

“Get River out of here, Jasp. Now.”

 I will my legs to unlock from the stiff stance they hold me in, and my eyes find the tear-soaked face of River. Pain, so much pain written in her beautiful features. I reach my hand out and grasp hers, pulling her along with me as I hurry us from the studio.

I don’t see it, but I feel the impact when something hits me in the head.

I
watch out of the window as Jasper takes off. He looks pale and worried as he drives from the parking lot.

“Get some water, Amy. You’re doing great, you’re going to kill this audition.”

I smile over at her, but the smile slips when I see man coming up behind her with a purposeful pace. I feel like I fell asleep; this can’t be real. This isn’t happening. I try to convince myself as Amy’s eyes go wide, and then confusion, shock, and sorrow flits through them before she reaches up to the hand that’s just sliced her neck open. Red liquid life pours from her, staining her skin. I want to scream. I want to save her… I want to wake up.

Please, please let me wake up. A choked sob wrenches from my body as hers falls with a sickening thud. How can this be happening? How can she be dancing, beaming with life and light, and now a few minutes later, be lying in a crimson river?

I watch as he walks towards me: blonde messy hair, green eyes, chiselled features. He’s so handsome. I know I should run. I know I should try to escape, fight, scream, but all I can think about is this must be a dream, this must be a dream. He’ll get to me and I’ll wake, I’ll wake up, I’ll wake up.

I didn’t.

I
felt a shift in the air today. Something was different; it wasn’t just the fact my every wish and desire was fulfilled last night, it was something else. I dreamed of Mya last night; she was trying to tell me something. She was on the cliff top, pointing and shaking her head. I woke with a panic, but it was quickly washed away when Kyra’s small hand stroked my cheek.

“Bad dream,” she whispered as her scent filled my senses. We had come a long way. Her touch soon aroused me and we made love again, clearing the dream from my thoughts. 

I had to go into the precinct, so I could watch as they questioned him. I needed answers. When I got to his apartment and they were already bringing him out, I felt cheated. I wanted to kill him, but at the very least get the arrest. He sneered at me, but I felt nothing but relief that we had him. We finally had him.

I went to the office, but my thoughts were on Kyra. She had a dance practice at the studio, and Jasper was taking her. I just couldn’t remove the sinking feeling from the pit of my stomach, and then I received the news that Evan had been released, they couldn’t hold him—no evidence. He had a lawyer come in and have him out in the early hours of this morning. Then a letter arrived, changing everything I had believed for ten long painful years. Years that had taken a toll on my soul. Guilt wears on you. It never leaves me and this letter intensified that guilt.

Derek,

My brother will support me and protect me and my child.

Those were your sister’s last words before I seized her cell from her grasp that she was going to use to call you. Her balance was never the best and she fell backwards. The look on her face as her hand reached down to cradle my baby growing in her womb. Shock, fear, hurt.

                                                         You killed her.

Convincing her she didn’t need ME.

She belonged to ME.

That baby was made by ME.

You’ll learn my pain when you watch the ones you love die.

I’ll start with that delicious blonde you seem so fond of.

I immediately locate River through the GPS on her cell; she was going to the cemetery. She always went on a Saturday. Her phone was just a busy tone and I kept redialling while driving to her. I had to brake hard when a truck came barrelling out of the parking gate. The hairs on the back of my neck stood on end when I saw her petite frame standing with her hands on her hips and a glare on her face. I almost chuckled at her fierce pose. She was okay. I jumped from the car and ran to her; she didn’t seem surprised to see me and welcomed my embrace without question.

“What’s happening? That guy came right up to me and gave me this.

Always promising to protect, but you didn’t before and won’t again.

Jasper’s truck screeched to a stop and he looked ill as he grabbed River from me, holding her and breathing hard.

* * * * *

I have never felt true fear before. I’ve felt nervous, confused, heartbroken, soul crippling grief, but never true fear, even after being shot. I have never felt anything like the dark monster that consumes me in this moment. Blood, dark red and draining from a girl who had been bright, beautiful and talented; a daughter, sister, friend, is now lifeless and gone; a memory that will haunt the people who love her every day.

I can’t bear to see her like this. I look up at River, a woman I adored who had witnessed hell and pulled herself from it, and here she is, seeing true horror once again.

“Get River out of here, Jasp. Now.”

I pull my phone and ring for back up. I hear a muffled noise; reaching for my gun, I follow the sound to see River outside the studio main door. She’s on the ground. “Riv?”

I look around, my eyes darting to a pick-up truck different to the one at the cemetery.

“Go, Derek. He took Jasp.”

“I’m not leaving you.”

Sirens pierce the air.

 “The police are almost here. Go, Derek. Don’t let him take my family.” 

I rush to my car. My cell rings and I put the hands free on as I screech from the studio and speed to keep up with the truck.

“Follow me, Derek. You call me in and I see any sign of the cops, I drive us off the cliff.” The call ends.

I lose him in the traffic, but drive to the cliff top.

All my old feelings about this place are transformed now I see it knowing he killed my baby sister. She didn’t take her life. She was going to come to me.

My guts clench as I roll to a stop. Kyra and Jasper stand near the cliff’s edge. Evan holds a gun on them; old demons haunt Jasper’s features. He’s ghost white. Kyra cries, blood staining her lips. The fucker hit her.

I step out of the car cautiously.

“Gun. Throw it over.” 

I toss my gun at his feet. “This isn’t about them, let them go.”

His callous laugh sends shiver through me. “This all about them. You love them. I watched you a lot and you’re such a confident, self-involved prick you didn’t think I would be so close, watching everything you do. Who knew you had a thing for dick? That’s probably why you made her leave me, because you wanted me.”

I growl and step towards him.

“Uh, uh.” He waves the gun at them and a sob tears from Kyra. “So, eeny, meeny, miney, mo.”

I hear the shot crack the air like a thunder bolt. Life slows. I run at him, tackling to the ground. Kyra’s screams kill my soul as she calls out Jasper’s name.

This can’t be real.

I punch Evan hard, feeling his cheek crumble under my fist. His gun falls over the edge. I wrap my hands around his neck and squeeze. His eyes flare, and the veins pop as I tighten the grip. His knee comes up hard against my balls, forcing me to release my hold as he tackles and wrestles me. I land a few more blows. One to the temple, knocking him out. I search for my gun, crawling to retrieve it. I pick it up and stand.

“Derek!” Kyra screams. I turn and fire a round into his chest, the force staggering him backwards. He looks down at the red holes painting his shirt; his shocked face lifts to me.

I step forward and kick the son of a bitch over the ledge.

I
t was a year ago today since that awful day when Evan changed me. Dark people are everywhere, but it’s the light that overcomes it all that wins in the end.

“This is your uncle,” I tell Mya, looking down at the grave as she gurgles. My heart constricts as Derek’s hands come around my waist.

“You okay?” I hand the baby to River.

“It’s just so tragic,” I whisper to him, burrowing my face in his neck.

River lays the flowers and swipes her grief from her face. “I still miss him every day.” She smiles. “He was my brother.”

I look down at her brother’s grave, then next to it where Derek had a headstone placed for Mya. Jasper’s hand moves to my back, his kisses welcome as they touch my head.

The bullet scratched his shoulder that day, a flesh wound. When Derek got closure and vengeance for his sister, I felt lighter for him.

He rushed over, fear transforming his features, and dropped to his knees. “Oh God, Jasp. Where are you hit?” 

Derek followed my hand to the small bloody stain on his shoulder and broke into tears. “I thought he killed you. I can’t fucking breathe,” Derek choked out.

“Yes, you can. None of us are going anywhere. You fucking own my heart. I refuse to let it stop beating,” Jasper replied.