Page 869 of Coal Hearts

I grinned.

Fine.

With insanity staining my thoughts, I pulled the pin out of the grenade and tossed it into the living room beyond.

A few men’s shouts, a quick feminine scream, followed by running.

Then BOOM.

The noise and dust and smoke and shake reminded me of the detonations in Victor’s castle. One of the massive paintings fell off the walls, smashing against an oversized bottle of wine.

The noise of glass shattering on travertine tiles added to all the other chaos as I limped toward the decimated living room.

I couldn’t see from the smoke.

My eyes stung from the dust.

My leg gave out again, and I tripped.

A man’s curse sounded beyond the rubble.

I went to fire.

A click of a weapon being loaded.

My head swam.

My vision hazed as I saw past this life to another. A fork in my path. A white bright light beckoning me to go.

Fucking finally.

The savage agony of losing Ily.

The endless loneliness.

The eternal darkness.

Over.

My fingers unlocked around the gun.

It dropped from my woozy grasp and bounced against the floor.

Spreading my arms wide, my blood-soaked cast heavy with murder, I waited for mine. I bared my teeth. “Do it.”

A crunch of shoes on broken glass.

I closed my eyes as the smoke cleared and waited for the final blow.

I shivered with nirvana.

I tumbled backward into all my grief.

And...something pummelled into me.

Something warm and solid and painful.

Staggering back, I dropped to my knees.