Page 241 of Boys Who Hunt
Cora huddles closer to hug both Bagel and me, squishing us both, and I pat her back to make her feel better. I know she’s scared. She doesn’t deserve any of this fear, but how do I take it away?
I can feel Bagel purring against my belly, but all I can think of is how many people have had to die for us to be safe. How many people got shot and wounded because of me?
Max.
My heart aches at the thought of him lying there in a pool of his own blood.
God, Max … please, let Max be okay.
Heath
Minutesago
When I finally make myway through the smoke in the hallways while carrying Silas, I find Max lying on the floor, blood staining his shirt.
“Max!” I scream, and I put Silas down so I can run to him.
I get on my knees and pick him up. “Max, please, stay with me!”
He groans. “Ugh, my shoulder hurts.”
Tears stain my eyes. “You’re alive.”
“Pffft, you think I’d die after only kissing you twice?” he jokes.
“Fuck, c’mere, you little twink.” I grab his face and smash my lips onto his. “Don’t you go dying on me now.”
“I won’t, promise,” he groans. “It’s just a gunshot wound to the shoulder blade. No big deal.”
He’s joking now, but I know he’s just hiding the pain from me.
“What happened?” I ask.
“Stefano shot me after I pulled the bomb off Ivy’s chest,” Max says.
“Where the fuck is she?” Silas growls. “I can’t find her, and I can’t see shit.”
“I told her to run,” Max says. “Cora is with her.”
“Fuck,” Silas grits, getting up. “We gotta go after her.”
“Stefano’s gone too,” Max says. “He ran after her. I saw it.”
“Okay, time to go.” I grab Max by the waist and throw him over my shoulder.
“Wait!” Max yelps, pointing at something on the floor near the kitchen door. “Her hearing aids.”
I bend over to grab them and shove them into his pockets.
“Jesus Christ, everything hurts.”
“Stop bitching, we gotta go save Ivy and Cora, remember?” I tell him as I help Silas out the door too.
I’m the only one left standing, and I’m not about to let my best friend and lover die on me.
But the moment I step outside and gaze across the yard, my car is nowhere to be found.
“Where the fuck is my car?” I yell.