Love's Ashes, Archer's Regret

other fight, this one more serious. A boy had pushed her down a fli

h a rage she'd never seen before. She had cried, not from t

," she had sobbed

at his own arm was broken from when he'd dealt with

if he hurts me again?" she'

with a grim determination. Then he looked at her, his

had said. "No one

d, confused. "Why d

id simply. "You pulled me out of the

hat came next were a vow. "I swear, Frankie

ds. Now, lying in a hospital bed because he had chosen t

omething-was it guilt? But it

he had run to the window and

e hysterical. "Frankie hates me, and it's all my

of her dramatic p

!" she cried out to Francesca.

melia, no!" He lunged for her, pulling h

mbling. "Don't ever do that again

Frankie... she needs to forgive m

looked at Francesca. He dra

manded, his voice leaving

throbbed with a dull, persistent pain. She tried

r, I c

l. He stood over her, his shadow falling acro

she wh

g into her flesh, and tried to pull he

r side. She cried out, her legs giving way. She wo

is face inches from hers. "So arro

esh, stitched wound on her side. Blood was

oo consumed with his anger, wit

ordered again, his vo

out, her eyes flashing with

s death must have been fate's way of punis

low. Her breath caught in her throat. For a moment,

voice filled with a pain so deep it was al

truth!" he

rabbed the water pitcher from her

her, taking the blow for him. The plastic

her arm as if she were grievously wounded.

concern for Amelia and murderous rage for

he said to Amelia gently, then gla

, empty, and full of a chilling promise of retri

ving Francesca alone. She slid to the

e whispered to the empty

ust a few more days, an

e physical pain in her side nothing compared