The Rival Don's Treasured Second Chance

crash is always louder t

unpowder, ozone,

rushing the space around me. My legs were trapped beneath the crump

oo

to clear my vision

" I whi

a mess of deployed airb

ing, pushing the white bag awa

ed to h

ice was panic-stric

screaming. "My

nconscious.

t. He stumbled out onto the asphalt. He was blee

ripped the door open, his strengt

was clinging to him, wailing

ny shot through my s

forcing air from my comp

looked back in

rough the shatt

y face. He saw the me

s arms. Then he looked at th

ante screamed at th

talking

ned hi

walked toward the ambulance that was just

" he yelled at the p

an

d him wa

ide the cabin, choking me. I coul

lef

mistress. He

sed m

to save you. That wa

ed me i

me before th

the cloying s

al fl

were casted, heavy and immobile.

IV. She smiled brightly

she said. "You are so luc

hroat dry as sa

te and turned on the T

eadline flashed: MOB BOSS SAVES

was cell phone foot

ke, looking rugged and heroically desperate. He l

d his life to pull his partner from the wreckage, proving

ion of the woman

s a

oor o

age on his forehead and a bouq

he vase on the

li

tark, and reeking

ad brought the flowers of death to a woman wh

ice of a man who believed he carried the weight of the worl

ed at the bandage on his forehead. A

r. My ribs felt like they were

ut," I

a rusty gate

fused. He reached into his jacket po

," he said. "The hazeln

a stray dog he was trying to

he hand that had dragged me into that car. The hand tha

ng my

eam of pain from my rib

nnected wi

expl

artery. The lilies scattered, broken and wet, mi

t!" I s

drop of water rolled down

e concern vanished.

ss app

s and loomed over the bed, bloc

ng ungratefu

ughed. It hurt. "Y

ous register. "I pay for this room. I pay for the doctors.

I could smell his cologne. It used to sme

are a girl from the Outskirts with a dead brother

, looking down at the mess

" he commanded

d and wa

n't lo

d at th

. He paid fo

wrong about

n't n

h absolutely noth

re dangerous than h