The Breaking Light (Split City Book 1)
Page 24
She blinked, unfocused, as if not knowing where she was. Then her gaze settled on him, and she gave a soft smile, exhaling in happiness. “Hi.”
Dade grinned. He was ecstatic that she was alive. It seemed unreal. When he’d gotten to the refinery, he’d thought she’d been lost to him. He leaned down to press a quick kiss on her mouth. He couldn’t help himself and needed to taste her even for a second, to settle the terror inside him. “We’re getting out of this mess, love. But I need you to stay awake. Can you do that?”
Arden nodded her head as she closed her eyes. “Thank you for coming for me.”
He pressed another kiss on her lips. “Always.”
CHAPTER TWENTY-NINE
Arden held on to Dade tightly, grateful he didn’t let her fall. He carried her more than she moved on her own. She struggled to remain conscious, her breath leaving her in a hitching wheeze. It would be that much harder for him to maneuver the streets if she passed out again.
He pulled her into the shadows. Pressing her up against a wall, he made sure she was propped so that she wouldn’t slide down. Then he slotted his body in front of hers to act as a brace. He pulled aside her suit to check her wound.
“How bad?” Dade asked, his voice slightly winded and grim.
Her lips wouldn’t move to answer. She opened her mouth, but instead of speaking, she hitched another breath or two. Her torso was covered in blood. It was all she could see as he moved the fabric, baring her side: lots of tacky red. It soaked everything, making her cold and sticky. She focused on the warmth of his fingers as he pulled apart the material rather than on how much it hurt, closing her eyes against the sting. A shiver wracked her body, pulling her muscles. The bodysuit was made to regulate her core temp, but perhaps her body temperature had dropped too fast.
She knew she needed help desperately.
Dade poked at the wound, testing its depth.
Arden hissed. She wanted to knock his hand to the side but didn’t have the strength or coordination. Instead, she gritted her teeth.
“It looks like the phaser went through the fleshy part of your side.” He pressed against it. “It’s bleeding heavier—” His voice broke. Then he cleared it. “I’m going to wrap it until we can get you medical attention.”
Arden licked her lips and nodded, her head resting on the wall behind her, her eyes shut. Who they’d see for med help, she had no idea. They couldn’t go to either family, nor could they walk into a med center.
They were truly on their own.
She had to let Dade worry about the details. It hurt too much to think.
“Don’t ever put yourself in front of a phaser again,” Dade said. Anger seeped into his voice. It cut through her, focusing her wandering thoughts.
She swallowed several times before managing, “Okay.”
“Do you hear me?” he asked again.
Arden nodded, her head wobbling. It felt too light, like she might float away.
Dade pulled off his tunic and undershirt. He didn’t seem to react as the bitter chill hit his skin, though she could see goosebumps pebble up along his chest and torso. He focused intently as he ripped his undershirt into strips, his movements hampered by his taped fingers. Folding a square, he pulled apart her suit to place it on her wound. Then he wrapped the rest of the material around her waist.
She tried to help by moving off the wall, slipping a little.
He was alive. Arden still couldn’t believe it. It was enough to catch her heart for a moment, before she was able to calm it again. He stood in front of her even as she replayed seeing him fall off the side of the building. There was no way he could have survived on his own. She needed explanations—now.
It hurt to speak. Her throat was raw, and her mouth felt four sizes too big, her lips and face swollen. It took her several swallows to manage a few words. “I thought you were dead.”
His gaze flicked to hers, briefly. “I’m not.”
That didn’t answer her questions. Didn’t explain how he came to be standing in front of her. “How . . . What . . . ?” Arden cleared her throat and licked her lips while she searched for the question she wanted answered. “How are you alive?”
His fingers stilled against her side. He leaned forward to brush a soft kiss on her forehead and then an equally soft one on her lips. It was a faint approximation of the kiss she craved. She didn’t have the strength to press for more.
He looked down to continue his binding. “I was caught in a net.”
Arden blinked. “What?”
“A group—I have no idea who they are—saved me. They put out a net in anticipation of my fall, I guess. It was some kind of synth-fiber retractable thing.”
Arden frowned both at what he said and the fact that she had such a difficult time expressing her fear. He acted like his rescue had been of no consequence. That people saved Solizen all the time. But nothing was free. Everyone wanted something. Arden’s internal monitor was going haywire with concern. “Why would they do that?”
“You know why, because they want a favor.” He didn’t look too upset by that announcement.
And there it was. She narrowed her eyes. “What favor?”
“They didn’t say.” He sighed, looking up. “Listen, I wasn’t too concerned at that particular moment. I was happy they saved me and patched me up enough so that I could get to you.”
Arden didn’t know what to say. Even if she did, she wasn’t sure she could make the words work. Exhaustion took over now that her adrenaline was gone. Her eyes drooped. The only thing keeping her awake was the pain that pulsated through her body.
Dade seemed to understand her need for answers, though, because he said, “Hopefully whatever they ask for won’t go against my code of ethics. But honestly, they can force me to do whatever they want even if I didn’t owe them. They were powerful and well weaponized.”
Arden wheezed and coughed, wanting to protest his statement. Frustrated that he was in this position and she couldn’t even stand up on her own, let alone help him figure a way to fix it.
Dade continued to frown. His focus never left her side as he fussed with wrapping her wound. “They said they’d find me. Pretty sure they inserted a tracker in me while I was passed out.”
Arden whined. If he was tagged with a tracker, they needed to address that soon. This mysterious group would collect sometime, but it was better to meet on Arden and Dade’s terms instead of being surprised and ambushed.
“I know.” Dade tied off the material. Then he cupped her chin and pulled up her head so that their gazes connected. “We’ll worry about that later.” He nodded to her side. “This should hold till we get somewhere safer.”
Arden gave him a faint smile, knowing that it probably looked more like a grimace than reassuring agreement.
He pulled back on his tunic. “It’s you and me now.”
She knew what he meant. They’d both made their choices. There was no going back. Surprisingly, with her life currently spun out of control, Arden was happy.
He gave her another kiss, harder this time. His breath tickled against her mouth with the promise of something deeper. She felt safe, knowing that everything would work out. Maybe it would take a bit of effort and some bloodshed, but they’d get there.
Dade pulled away, rubbing his nose against hers.
“You and me,” she agreed. “Forever.” She realized what this commitment would cost her, and she was willing to pay the price.
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
It’s a blessing to be surrounded by many incredible people. I’m thankful to each and every one of you.
I wouldn’t be writing this without the hard work of my agent, Carlie Webber. She is smart, honest, and nothing short of amazing. I’m thankful and appreciative of all the time she dedicates to making my dreams come true. Thank you for taking this journey with me and always having my back.
I would like to send a big hug to my editor, Adrienne Procaccini, who saw the potential in my story and gave me the tool
s to make it into something infinitely better than I could have dreamed. Thank you for believing in me and Dade and Arden. The three of us will be forever grateful. And to all of the Skyscape team who have been wonderful, making each step of this process a joy.
To Amara Holstein who whip-cracked this book, thank you for your kind words and thoughtful insights. You made this book shine.
Hugs and kisses for my husband, Steven, the man behind the curtain. My life couldn’t run without you. Thank you for pitching in when I sometimes forget to cook dinner, or never batting an eye when I’m still in my pajamas when you get home. Your sacrifices made this happen. I’m so lucky to be married to my best friend.
I want to thank my kids, Seth and Rebekah, who take seriously their job of making sure I don’t become old, from keeping watch of my clothes and hairstyles to making sure that I know the current slang. It’s so much easier to write YA fiction with you in my corner.
Thank you to my mom, Beckie, who is the first person to read every word I write. I know the common advice is, “Don’t show your mom your work, she’ll just say it’s amazing.” Well, those people haven’t met my mom. She has zero problems telling me, “It’s not there yet, keep working.” She is my toughest critic and the one whom I can’t live without. Moms know what they’re talking about. I always listen to my mom, even when I don’t like what she has to say.
To my cheerleader, Anissa Maxwell, thank you for being honest, thoughtful, and constant. I’m so lucky to have you as a friend. I’m glad we’re on this writing journey together.
Finally, to all my other family and friends who have read drafts of my work or listened to me moan about the hardships of publishing, thank you for believing in me. Your support means a great deal.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Heather Hansen was born in California, the oldest of five children. She always knew she wanted to be a writer, and she wrote her first book, a murder mystery in the style of Agatha Christie, in seventh grade. Unfortunately, she never could figure out who the murderer was, so the book went on for hundreds of pages, introducing new characters only to kill them off in the most gruesome ways her twelve-year-old imagination could invent. Her teacher was equally impressed and horrified.
Heather has a degree in English from California State University Fullerton and has traveled the world with her husband, a retired Marine. Her favorite place they’ve lived is Okinawa, Japan, where she had her choice of ramen, Japanese curry, and sushi every day. Along with their two teens and three dogs, they now live in Las Vegas, where she spends her time writing all day and eating Nutella with a spoon. The Breaking Light is her first novel.
Table of Contents
Title Page
Copyright Page
Dedication
CONTENTS
CHAPTER ONE
CHAPTER TWO
CHAPTER THREE
CHAPTER FOUR
CHAPTER FIVE
CHAPTER SIX
CHAPTER SEVEN
CHAPTER EIGHT
CHAPTER NINE
CHAPTER TEN
CHAPTER ELEVEN
CHAPTER TWELVE
CHAPTER THIRTEEN
CHAPTER FOURTEEN
CHAPTER FIFTEEN
CHAPTER SIXTEEN
CHAPTER SEVENTEEN
CHAPTER EIGHTEEN
CHAPTER NINETEEN
CHAPTER TWENTY
CHAPTER TWENTY-ONE
CHAPTER TWENTY-TWO
CHAPTER TWENTY-THREE
CHAPTER TWENTY-FOUR
CHAPTER TWENTY-FIVE
CHAPTER TWENTY-SIX
CHAPTER TWENTY-SEVEN
CHAPTER TWENTY-EIGHT
CHAPTER TWENTY-NINE
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
ABOUT THE AUTHOR