Saint Sloan (Saint Sloan #1)(66)

He shrugged. “You willing to take that chance?”

Sloan didn’t have to answer. Headlights speeding down the road got her attention. Boyd’s as well. They were coming straight for him and Aaron. Sloan ran and pulled Aaron out of the way before the car hit Boyd and threw him back against the wooden fence.

Sloan recognized that car. It was hers.

Ray jumped out and ran to Sloan and Aaron. “You okay? I knew something was up at prom so I followed you.”

He’d been in the car behind them. Who knew?

“Fine. Don’t let him up. He has a gun,” Aaron ordered. Sloan got behind his back and began untying him. The rope wasn’t the easiest thing to undo, but Sloan loosened it enough for Aaron to help her untie it.

Ray didn’t flinch before running toward Boyd, who lay motionless against the fence in a lump. When he got a few feet from him, Boyd rose up, pointed the gun, and shot. Ray’s head snapped back, and he fell to the ground.

“No!” Sloan screamed. She scrambled from Aaron’s side over to Ray. Aaron yelled at her to stop, but she didn’t listen. Ray couldn’t be dead. He couldn’t be.

When she reached him, he was unconscious. Looking at him closer, she saw the bullet had only grazed his forehead. “Thank you, God. Thank you, God.” She whispered the prayer, nearly out of breath. He would be fine. He’d be fine. He had to be.

Her happiness didn’t last long, as Boyd grabbed her arm and yanked her toward the wooden fence. Blood poured from a gash on his head, and he limped from being hit by her car. She wished Ray had hit him harder. “See. You killed Ray. Aaron’s going to die. How many people have to die to protect you, Sloan? Huh!” He pushed her hard into the fence. Her back rammed into the post, nearly taking her breath away.

Boyd hovered over her. “Goodbye, Sloan Tell God ‘hi’ for me.”

Boyd yanked her up, and her feet dangled off the ground. This was it. He was going to throw her over the fence and into the river below. She yelled a silent prayer to God in her mind as she shut her eyes and expected to feel Boyd toss her like a ragdoll.

Instead, Sloan felt a thud, and she fell hard on the fence, losing her breath again. As she gasped for air, she saw Boyd go over the cliff. Aaron followed.

Everything else felt like it happened in slow motion.

Aaron clung to the cliff and tried to pull himself up. He’d been the thud. He’d rammed Boyd and knocked him over the cliff.

“Hold on!” she yelled. She crawled under the fence and grabbed Aaron’s hand. “I’ll pull you up.” She pulled as hard as she could, and he pushed up with his other hand. “Come on!” She strained.

From the corner of her eye, she saw Ray still unconscious. It would have been nice for him to be able to help her.

“God, give me strength. God, give me strength.” She repeated the prayer over and over.

Aaron grunted as he pushed up and got his stomach on the grass. Sloan could have wept. He’d done it. He was safe.

She laughed, happy it was over. Finally, this time.

Aaron dug his fingers into the ground to pull the rest of him up. When he did, he slid backward off the cliff. Sloan grabbed his hand to keep him from sliding further and peered over the side.

Smiley, bloody Boyd had Aaron’s leg in his hands. “Told you someone would fall, didn’t I, Sloan?”

Aaron’s eyes met hers. He knew. Just like that, he knew time was up. “I love you,” he said quickly. “Tell Ray…”

“Kick him!” Sloan ordered. This was not how it was going to end!

Aaron slid farther down, his fingertips barely gripping the grass. “Tell Ray…”

With a sneer on his lips, Boyd let go of the rock he’d been holding onto and put all of his weight on Aaron’s leg. Aaron yelled as his hands gave way. They slid from Sloan’s grasp, and she scooted to catch his wrist again. She wasn’t going to let him go over the cliff.

Before she could grab his hand, Aaron gave her one last smile and moved his hand out of the way.

Peering over the cliff, she saw Boyd and Aaron fall. They disappeared into the dark water.

Sloan waited.

She watched.

She yelled Aaron’s name.

And she prayed.

Neither Aaron nor Boyd came up.





EPILOGUE


Later…

THE DARK CLOUDS COVERED THE SKY as he tied the last lure of the day. This was it. He was finally catching a fish. The weatherman said it would rain and rain hard this afternoon. Probably even flood. This close to the river, he couldn’t chance it. As bad as he hated it, this was the end. This mini-vacation had been very much needed. He couldn’t take his wife’s accusations that he’d caused Boyd’s accident. And he couldn’t stand the fact that Boyd was in a wheelchair. Sure, he was glad the boy wasn’t dead, but he hated that his life had led to this.

This fishing trip, this business trip had been much needed. Much needed and much enjoyed. He only had a little guilt for leaving the wife and Boyd, but only a little.

And the best part of all. No cell service.

Mr. Lawrence grabbed his tackle box, bucket for the fish, and his pole. He headed down the river to his favorite fishing spot, the one with the best view of the Falls.

He hadn’t cast the first line when he saw something on the side of the bank. It looked like a body.