AllFreeNovel
Share Us
A small chuckle rattles my chest.
My right knee buckles, causing me to wobble. I forgot about the bullet wounds in each calf, but now they ache and burn.
“Oh my God, your legs!” Etta exclaims. She shoves herself under my arm—a generous, but unnecessary offering—pushes past all the police on board and guides me to the booth. I slide in and hold a hiss behind my teeth. I reach for her, wanting to pull her against me, desperate for her comfort, her touch, but she evades my grip.
“Etta!” I growl.
“Just one second.” She races over to Cerbera’s still body, grabs the white sheet she used to hide the octopus, and scoops its tiny, almost lifeless body into her palms. She darts with her hands outstretched toward the stairs, where she disappears for a few seconds. I can’t stand havingher away from me. My heart can’t take it anymore. But she returns just as quickly and throws herself onto me.
“Did it swim?” I ask.
“It did,” she smiles, tucking her head between my jaw and shoulder, draping her body on my lap. “Just another day in the life of a blue ring octopus.”
I kiss her head, pull her close. “You were so brave, sweetheart.” She shudders and adjusts herself until she’s tucked in tight and safe. “Etta the Bull,” I say, remembering her mother’s nickname. She whimpers mournfully, happily.
At this moment, as the chaos settles, I decide none of this is worth it. I want to create a new life. One filled with animals and fossils and dreams and golden sunsets and smiles.
No more of this.
“Martin?” I call. He turns toward us. “I quit. It’s your turn now.”
He smiles. “I thought you’d say so.”
I hold Etta in my lap, stroking her hair, breathing in her skin, kissing her as much as I can. She smiles the entire time and then asks me, “You love me?” As if she needed to hear it again.
I press a kiss to her pretty lips. “I love you, Etta.” She sighs, sweet and pure. “You’remygolden hour.”
Ford is asleep, but Etta is desperate to see him with her own eyes. Dom waits in front of the hospital room for us. The lines on his forehead are more pronounced than I’ve ever seen them. When he spots us, he smiles weakly.
The surgery to remove the bullets from my legs has left me wheelchair bound, but I grip onto Dom’s hand and pull him down, wrapping my hands around his back. I can’t find the right words to apologize. I don’t think I ever will. Dom sags a little, but his palms on my spine still hold some strength. “You okay?” I ask, pulling back to grip his shoulders.
He nods and straightens. “Yes. It’s been hell. But he’s alright.” Then he moves so he can hug Etta, too. She clings to him, whispering apologies.
“Don’t apologize, please,” Dom asks. “We all knew the risks. How’s your head?”
Etta touches her fingers to the padding on her right eyebrow. “Fine. It was only ten stitches.”
“Only,” I mutter, grabbing her other hand. I made sure to be there with her as they stitched her wound close. I don’t ever plan on seeing her hurt again.
She shrugs and adjusts her hair. “It was a close call. They want to get a plastic surgeon to make the scarring as minimal as possible, but I think I’ll decline.”
Dom chuckles. “Sounds like something Ford would do.”
“Speaking of,” I interrupt. “Can we see him?”
“Yes. Come in.”
Dom opens the hospital door, and we file into the room. Ford is lying on his back, tubes attached to his arms, body wrapped in bandages. His skin has a yellow sheen, but I prefer that over the gray that consumed him as he was taken away. His black hair has been combed and his jaw is shaved clean. Dom has been tending to him while he’s been unconscious. It sends a shiver down my skin.
Etta and I move to stand on the other side of his bed, peering down at our friend that we almost lost. A beat or two passes as we listen to the monitors and the sound of his breathing.
Ford’s eyes flick open, shocking us all. “Boo!”
“Ford!” Etta exclaims, smacking him lightly on the arm. “Sorry!”
He winces and grits his teeth, then chuckles lightly. “I’m just messing around.” His focus lands on Etta’s injury. “So, he’s dead?”
“Yep.” Etta beams.
