Chapter 404
My eyes move around the room one last time, lingering on the crib, the tiny details I had so carefully put together, and I realize that I’ll have to change it. When she comes back, this room won’t work anymore. I’ll prepare something that fits a loved little girl and I will wait however long it takes.
I wipe at my face, forcing myself to move, to step away before I fall apart all over again, and I make my way back toward the living room, still brushing away the last of my tears when something shatters.
The sound is sudden, cutting through the silence before I can even process it, and a second later something shoots past me and slams into the wall behind. My body freezes as another one follows, this time hitting my shoulder, making me stumble back from the force.
I gasp, my eyes dropping in shock as blood begins to trickle down my arm. My heart starts racing, my thoughts scrambling to catch up with what’s happening, and that’s when I notice it. The broken widow.
Before I can even process what the hell is happening, everything explodes and chaos follows.
I scream as I drop to the ground on instinct, my hands covering my head while more rapid shots ring out. Glass shatters around me, wood splinters, pieces of my home breaking apart as the sound of gunfire fills the space.
It takes a second—just one—for it to truly register that someone is shooting at me.
Panic crashes through me as I try to move, to crawl somewhere safer, but the floor is covered in broken glass and every movement sends sharp pain through my hands and knees. I can’t think, can’t breathe, can’t focus on anything except the overwhelming certainty that I’m going to die here.
The thought is suffocating, wrapping around me as tightly as the fear itself.
“Seriously?” I grumble, so tempted to give heaven the middle finger.
Just a moment ago I was praying for a miracle and then this? The universe really has a fucked up sense of humor.
I’m angry, not sure if I’ll survive this, but just as suddenly as it started, it stops.
Silence falls, broken only by the sound of my ragged breathing, and somewhere outside, tires screech against the pavement.
I don’t move, I can’t move even if I wanted to because my body is locked in place, frozen by fear.
I force air into my lungs, trying to ease the heaviness there, but everything inside stops when I hear the sound of someone at the door, the handle rattling violently before a loud crash echoes through the house as it gives way.
Panic spikes all over again as I scramble, trying to get away, trying to find somewhere to hide, but it’s useless.
Before I can curse the universe and all her children, Strong hands grab me under my arms, pulling me up. I scream, fighting instinctively, my body reacting before my mind can catch up.
“Let me go! Let me go, you son of a bitch p>
“Stop it p>
I don’t. I continue fighting, determined to give the fucker hell. I’m not going down without a fight.
“Stop it, Sierra; it’s me.” He yells, his voice cutting through the panic and fear.
I finally stop as his voice registers in my head. The panic that was consuming me moments ago starts to ease as his familiar voice.
My movements falter, my body going still as recognition hits, his familiar voice changing everything.
Relief and fear collide inside me at the same time as I stare at him, his face tight with worry, his grip steady but careful as he holds me upright.
Slowly, I lift my head and my eyes finally meet with the grey ones that belong to Noah.