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I’m screaming.
I fall to my knees and dive for Aunt Sara.
My eyes fixate on the gaping wound in Aunt Sara’s abdomen. The ragged edges of flesh pulse obscenely with each of her weakening heartbeats. The metallic stench of blood fills my nostrils, mixing sickeningly with the lingering aroma of home-cooked food. I can taste copper on my tongue, though I’m not sure if it’s from the air or my own bitten lip.
Another shot.
More screaming.
I’m pressed down, face-first in her blood, my cheek smashed against the floor.
“I told you to behave, Aria,” he whispers menacingly. “All you had to do was behave, and now look what you did. She’s bleeding out, Aria.”
“No!” I cry.
He lifts my head and slams it back down on the ground, right in her blood, again and again.
Dizziness washes through me.
This is it. This is how I’ll die.
With nothing left to do, I reach for her hand and squeeze.
Just as she squeezes back, darkness sweeps in.
41
QUINN
The echo of the argument still rings in my ears as I turn back to the now silent living room. My heart races, a drumbeat of panic thrumming through my veins. The others look as stunned as I feel, the anger that fueled our shouting match quickly replaced by a chilling realization.
She’s gone. I can feel it in my bones and in my soul.
“Where’s Aria?” Malachi’s voice is the first to cut through the silence. His usually calm tone is now edged with worry. The lines in his brow deepen, becoming more pronounced.
We glance around, but there’s no sign of her. My gut twists. Zane’s words echo in my mind. Get the fuck out. I never want to see you again.
“She couldn’t have gone far,” Dash says, though he doesn’t sound convinced. With wild eyes, he scans the living room and kitchen, but she isn’t there.
Panic slices through my veins.
“Aria!” I call out, my voice tinged with desperation. No answer. My eyes land on her belongings, neatly placed on the coffee table—her phone, keys, everything she’d need.
“Shit,” Zane mutters, rubbing his temples. “She left everything.”
“Fan out and stay vigilant,” Malachi commands with a calm yet firm tone. “She can’t have gotten far. We’ll find her, but we must think like her. Stay together and keep your senses sharp.”
We rush out of the house, the cold air biting at my exposed skin. The street is empty, covered in shadows cast by the streetlights just flickering on. My heart pounds louder, matching the rhythm of my footsteps.
“Aria!” I call again, but the night swallows my voice. I jog down the street, glancing down alleyways and behind parked cars.
Nothing.
“She’s gone,” Dash says breathlessly, catching up to me. “We need to call her.”
“She left her phone,” I remind him, frustration and fear gnawing at me.
“Try anyway,” Malachi says, his calm demeanor now strained. “Maybe she has one of those smartwatches on?” He’s reaching for straws here.
