Chapter 73

Megra

The sound of the gunshot shatters the night. It’s loud—deafening. My heart seizes in my chest, and a scream claws at my throat, but I can’t let it out. I’m frozen, every nerve ending in my body on fire, my mind racing with images of Nathaniel hurt, bleeding, or worse—dead.

I can’t breathe. My hands tremble violently, and my pulse pounds in my ears, drowning out everything else. The world tilts under me, and I have to grip the arm of the couch to keep myself from collapsing. I hear Mia’s soft breaths, still steady and peaceful, unaware that her whole world might be falling apart. That’s the only thing that keeps me from losing my mind.

I force myself to move, stumbling towards the door. Every step feels like dragging my feet through thick mud, each one heavier than the last. My legs are weak, threatening to wobble beneath me, but I push on; I have to. I have to know the fate of the man I love. The fear, the dread, the horrifying thought that Nathaniel might be lying out there in