Total pages in book: 104
Estimated words: 100470 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 502(@200wpm)___ 402(@250wpm)___ 335(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 100470 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 502(@200wpm)___ 402(@250wpm)___ 335(@300wpm)
I step closer and hold in my sigh of relief. It’s Mya. I’d heard Owen mourning over her last night, but now I can confirm it with my own two blurry eyes. She was such an evil bitch. I don’t feel sorry about her death.
But, if she died, did Raegan die fighting her?
Another wave of nausea has me breaking out in a sweat. My mouth waters like I’m going to puke at any second.
Michael watches me with interest before turning his back to me. Then he yanks off the other blanket. The woman is drenched in blood. The coppery scent permeates the air, making me gag. For a split second, I see Raegan’s face.
But it’s not her.
It’s Stacey.
Did Raegan kill her too?
“The baby wasn’t coming out,” Michael explains in an emotionless voice. “We had to do a cesarean.”
It’s then I notice the tiny, naked form lying unmoving on the carnage that was her stomach. The baby. Blue and lifeless.
Jace loses it first. He starts gagging and puking. Michael remains still, watching me and waiting for my response.
“D-Did you kill the baby?” I choke out, horror dripping from my words.
Michael scoffs. “The baby didn’t survive the surgery. It got nicked by my hunting knife.”
It got nicked.
I close my eyes, squeezing them tight so tears won’t form.
Clearly entertained by my reaction, Michael says, “Grab it. I’ll grab my wife. Jace can deal with his cousin.”
He wants me to take the baby.
Fuck.
With a whine in my throat, I shake my head. “Please don’t make me.”
Michael storms over to me and snarls in my face. “Deal with it or I’ll add your pretty little sister to the pile. Your people have fucked with me enough. Do not test me.”
Shuddering at his threat, I turn away from him and make my way over to Stacey and the baby. Carefully, I pick up the cold baby and cradle it to my chest. Tears freely fall as I stare at the deceased child. A small incision no wider than an inch covers his upper chest where his heart is. Michael didn’t nick him, he stabbed him.
He accidentally stabbed his own baby trying to bring him into this world and now shows no remorse or emotion whatsoever.
Michael is a fucking psychopath.
I start to walk away with the baby but realize we’re caught on something. It takes a second to notice the umbilical cord is still attaching mother to child. More tears fall, wetting the small angel who never took his first breath.
Michael grunts before stomping over to me. He whips out his gnarly knife and then hacks through the cord. Once it’s free, he scoops Stacey up and flings her over one shoulder like a sack of potatoes.
He leads the way and I follow after him. I kiss the cold forehead of the baby before letting loose a choked sob. Michael grunts but doesn’t gripe at me. We walk for about fifteen minutes until we come to a small cove, the ground covered in damp fallen leaves. Jace and Michael both drop the bodies to the earth like they’re trash.
I crouch beside Stacey’s body and use my free hand to push away the leaves beside her. Then I lay the baby down, tucking him against her side. Michael waits while I cover his son with a mound of leaves. When I stand up and can still see a tiny foot poking out, I know I’ll never forget this awful moment.
My heart aches for both mother and child.
Hopefully, they’re in a better place.
Night descends on us as we all sit around the campfire, munching on more rabbit Tom and Seth killed. Kristen is awake and doing okay. My sister is another story. She hasn’t spoken a word, nor does she flinch or move away when Jace hugs her to him.
Owen and his wife Tee fuss over CJ. They’re both red-eyed and teary having lost their daughter. I can’t feel any sympathy for them. CJ is fucked up. His skin is pallid, he keeps throwing up, and twice he’s passed out. I hope he dies too. I’ll happily dump his corpse beside his cunt sister.
Logan, who finally made an appearance, and Michael have been in his tent, having heated words for hours now. I’m sure their visions of a happy little community cult have been erased. They fucked with the wrong family, that’s for sure.
The five younger kids left—Tom’s and Seth’s children—huddle together, whispering quietly. I’m thankful my little brothers no longer have to be near them.
If only I could get Destiny and Kristen out of here.
As we sit by the fire, my mind drifts to Ryder. He’s always been the tougher, stronger one. If he were here instead of me, he’d have already saved everyone on day two. Since it’s me, we’re still stuck here, helpless. I can’t even save myself.