Still Surviving (31 page)

“Seth, take a breath, man.” Sawyer’s calm voice caged me in. I felt trapped. The four walls of this room couldn’t contain me. I’d tear it the fuck apart if I didn’t get out of here right now.

Tiffany gave Scott’s full name and address to the officer. The information singed onto my brain. “I need to take a minute.”

“You going to be okay?” Todd’s hard brown eyes pinned me to the wall. The question was filled with doubt.

“I need some air.” I leaned down and brushed my lips across Tiff’s lips. “I love you.” I had to tell her. I had to let her know one last time. She had to know that I was going to do this for her. I was going to snuff out that fear in her eyes, take its last breath, and bury it deep into the ground.

I
T WOULDN’T BE LONG
before Todd figured out that I had left and where I had gone. The cops had a name and would be here soon as well. My time with him would be limited. I shifted my car into neutral and turned off my headlights. The snow had leveled off to just flurries, making my ride here fast. The car rolled to a stop, I put it in Park and I pulled the keys from the ignition. I unlocked my glove box and took out the 9mm I’d used earlier today at the firing range with my brother. I released the used clip and checked the rounds. I had six and one in the chamber… that should be enough. I snapped the clip into place and opened the car door. Lifting my sweater, I shoved the gun into the waistband of my jeans in the small of my back.

The apartment was on the first floor and his lights shone through the front window. There was no fear, no hesitation, this fucker was dead the minute he walked into Magnolia tonight. Each step closer to his front door sealed my fate. The consequence of this choice was the last thing I was worried about.

The thing was, I saw it all… in my head. The scene. I could picture him throwing her across the table and when she fought, he fought back — taking her blood as his… Well, his blood was mine now.

Fortune was in my favor… as I approached, his front door swung open. He stood with a duffle bag in his hand and a smug ass look on his face as he took in my appearance.

“Leaving?” I asked. My tone was eerily quiet.

He didn’t answer. He stood tall in his doorway and rolled his shoulders. The fight feeding his hunger, the heat in my eyes adding to the fuel.

“You being here… is a fucking problem.” He dropped his bag and cracked his knuckles. The motion drew my eyes to the broken flesh on his hands. The muscles in my arms contracted, those cuts were from Tiff.

I spread my arms out wide, egging him on. “I’m fucking here though… so, tell me something?” I asked as I brought my arms to my side and rolled my hands into fists.

“What’s that, asshole?” He stepped forward and shut his apartment door.

Scott was bigger than me; he was fabricated with pills and powdered power. But I had something he didn’t… I had her.
She
was what was driving me right now. My love for Tiff was greater than any force, and right now, all I wanted… all I cared about was ending this man, this man who tried to take away her light, her love… her last breath. “What’s it feel like to know you’re going to die?”

He stepped closer… just an arm’s length away. I could almost taste this retribution.

His eyes narrowed just enough to show his cards, his fear — his cowardice. The silence hung in the air with our frozen breaths before he finally spoke. “I’ll give you this… she’s a lucky little slut. If you hadn’t called, I’d have fucked her so hard she wouldn’t have walked for a week. She wanted it… they always do, they always—“

He didn’t get to finish; his bait was taken. The skin of my fist tore across his face. He caught himself before he stumbled. His cheek was split open, and, once he gathered his balance, he charged me. Scott landed a powerful punch to my nose. There was a resounding crack, and the immediate taste of copper flooded my mouth. The sting made my eyes water, blurring my vision and giving him the opportunity to wrap his arms around my waist. The smell of alcohol was heavy on his breath as he tried to tackle me to the ground. I kept my balance and kneed him in the groin. He growled out in pain as he lost his footing and fell to his knees.

A dog started barking somewhere close by and another light came on. My time was growing short. The blood stuck to my fingers as I wiped it away from my mouth.

“This is where you belong… on your knees.” I pulled the gun from behind my back and pointed it directly at his forehead, pressing the barrel into the skin. I grabbed a fistful of his hair with my free hand. “If I had more time… I’d stretch this out… show you what it feels like to be broken down, to feel weak.” My throat started to constrict as I thought of her in that hospital bed, as I thought of her sprawled out on her stomach, knowing she would be violated, knowing she was going to die.

“Seth, Don’t!” Todd’s deep voice boomed. “Don’t do this, man. Let the cops handle him, throw his ass in jail.”

I released my grip in his hair and stepped back, my weapon still trained directly between his eyes. “I can’t let this go, he’ll get out too soon, and he should rot for what he’s done.” My hand started to shake and Scott noticed. His eyes never left the gun.

“Seth, listen to me. What’s Tiffany going to do with you in jail? You love her? Stay with her, don’t throw away your chance at a life with her over this asshole.” Sawyer’s voice was calm, like he was talking to someone about to jump off a ledge. I could hear him approaching me, his boots crunching in the snow. Each step was taken with a quiet ease. “Come on, brother, think about it. I get it, trust me, I get it more than you’ll ever know. But if you put a bullet in this piece of shit, it’s premeditated… that’s life… or worse, death row.”

“Did you see her?” I yelled. I cocked the gun, and Scott put his hands up. “
Did you fucking see her, Sawyer?
” The gun started to tremble as I fell apart.

“Seth, come on, please, man.” Todd pleaded. The sounds of sirens started to ebb closer.

Sawyer’s hand enclosed around my shoulder. “I did, and she was asking for you, she needs you now… she needs you in that fucking hospital room. She needs you to heal her wounds, to see her through this shit. Trust me, brother, those wounds on her face will get better, but she needs you to heal her from the inside out. If you do this… she’ll die with him.” I didn’t want him to be right… but my hand fell anyway. “Give me the gun.”

The red and blue lights reflected off the snow. They were getting close.

“You’re a pussy.” Scott’s eyes locked on mine. He didn’t have a second to breathe before I brought the butt of my gun across his face. He fell backward with the force of the blow, and I turned to walk away.

Tiffany was my best… my only fucking best and, right now, she was the only thing keeping this fucker alive, because living without her wasn’t an option.

“Seth!” Todd yelled in warning.

“Tell your bitch I said hi.”

His voice was too close, and as I turned, I felt a sharp pain across my stomach. That small quick squeeze of the trigger, it was instinct… it was self-preservation. Scott’s arrogant smirk fell as the bullet entered his body. His hands held tight over his right side just before his heavy frame fell to the frozen earth. The brash sound of my 9mm still coursing through my body.

“Hands behind your head! Drop your fucking weapon! One, Two…”

My gun landed on the ground, blood turning the snow a brilliant red under Scott’s body. The warmth of my own blood soaked through the heavy fabric of my sweater. My hands behind my head, I slowly turned. Sawyer and Todd were standing just like me.

“I-I’ve been stabbed.” I shouted.

CHAPTER THIRTY-FIVE

Tiffany

T
HE STEADY MURMUR OF
voices soaked through the fog that hung heavy above my body. I tried to do more than crack open my left eye, but it was to no avail. The light seared into my right eye as the incessant beep, beep, beep — a stark rhythm — continued to pang noisily in my head. My lips felt swollen and my tongue was like sandpaper. I moved my gaze to the right side of the room slightly so I could see where the voices were coming from. The sunlight was too bright and, just as I shifted, the weight on my stomach moved distracting me.

“Good morning.” Seth’s deep voice was coated in gravel and sleep. His lopsided smile was on display, but his eyes showed how tired he really was. His face was pale, and I noticed dark black and blue circles around his eyes.

“Seth?” My hand reached for his face. He obliged by letting his cheek rest in my palm. I swallowed and cleared my throat. “W-what happened to your face?”

He pulled his eyes from mine, staring off to where the voices had now quieted — his smile gone. My gaze followed his and I realized we had a room full of people. Lily and Elizabeth were both sitting in chairs by the large open window. Todd stood nearby, his eyes locked on Seth, his jaw a firm line.

“You’ve been in and out for two days since you first woke up. Do you remember much?” Lily asked, tears filling her eyes. My chest hurt with the memories. It was like déjà vu waking up here. With my eyes firmly shut, I could see everything again. A flash and I’d see his face, hear his voice… smell his breath against my neck.

“The l-last thing I remember was the pain. The sharp pressure through my head. He hit me with one of my machines, didn’t he?” I opened my eyes again, my left letting in just a bit more light this time. Seth sat up and took my hand in his.

“Yes. That's what the detectives thought.” His voice cracked. “I’m so sorry I was late.” His Adam’s apple moved in slow motion as he gulped down his unwarranted guilt.

“Please, you weren’t late. You were with me the whole time. Your voice… it was the last thing I heard before everything faded.” But that wasn’t the whole truth. My sister was there — she was there for me… with me, but I couldn’t talk about that now, not with everyone here.

A tear spilled over Seth’s cheek, and I gasped. “I thought I lost you, Tiff. I thought I fucking lost you.” He brought his head to my chest. My fingers moved easily through his hair.

“We’ll be back tonight, bro.” Todd nodded at the girls, and they gave me small, sad smiles.

“See you in a few, Tiff.” Lily blew me a kiss, and Lizzie waved goodbye. I tried to smile, but it hurt too much to spread my lips that far without them cracking.

The door to the hospital room shut with a loud click. “What happened Seth? Why does it look like you got hit by a freaking bus?” My voice a touch stronger than it was just a few minutes ago.

He lifted his head and sat up. The red rim around his eyes more apparent with his gaze trained on mine. He winced and grabbed his stomach making my panic level rise. “Would you believe me if I said I had gotten hit by a bus?” His tone was sarcastic as he smirked through his grimace.

“Will you help me sit up?” I wanted a better look at my surroundings. He was trying to hide something from me. He nodded and pushed the button on the side of the bed, and I moved slowly into a sitting position. I felt instant relief when I was able to see everything. The caged feeling of lying still, stuck in a hospital bed, gone. He held up a cup of water for me, and I drew deeply at the straw. The cold fluid coated my throat, my lips, and my tongue, curing that ever present thirst.

“Tell me what happened.” I whispered. “All of it, Seth. I need to know what’s real and what’s not… everything is a jumbled mess in my head. I need to know.” My lips began to tremble as I watched his eyes fill with tears again. Seeing a man who probably barely ever cries, break down into tiny little pieces in front of you — it was heart wrenching.

He placed the water cup on the bedside tray table. Seth’s eyes dusted across my body, his hand now tight in mine. “How do I tell you this shit, Tiff? How can I sit here and tell you how you were ruined, how you could have died, how you could have been—” He choked down the words. “How can I tell you about the night I almost lost the love of my fucking life?” He shook his head. “When I found you… when I saw you laying there on the floor… for a split second I knew that if you were gone… I’d be following you.”

“
Don’t say that
.” A sob wracked through my body. All of it came crashing back. Every hit, every word that Scott uttered had cut me open. Scott could have killed us both. Anger seeped into my veins. I wanted him to pay for everything he’d done. “It was Scott.”

Seth nodded, “I know, you told us the night it happened, remember? That was two days ago, Tiff. I’ve been so worried.”

I’d lost two days, but I was starting to remember.
“He threw me against the mirror. He was drunk. He-he shoved me down on my stomach…” My words fell from my lips in a rush. “I-I… fought… with everything, but he still won, he still tried to ra—“ I couldn’t say it.

“He didn’t. He didn’t take that from you, Tiff. He’ll never take that from anyone ever again.” Seth grit his teeth, the muscle visibly taut in his jaw as he scooted his chair closer to the bed. “It’s done.” He shifted his eyes down and then back up again, meeting mine with a fierce icy glare.