“I appreciate the ride, Michael. I hate that I had to ask. I should have waited until Jenn was working to take my car to the garage. It’s just that noise was getting worse and I didn’t want to get stranded somewhere on the road, especially if Rose was with me.”

“It’s okay. It won’t take long to get you to the garage,” I tell her—forcing myself to talk. It’s still hard for me to talk to anyone other than Hayden.

“Still, I appreciate it. I don’t mean to be trouble.”

“I didn’t know you had a daughter,” I answer, mostly to change the subject.

“Yeah, she’s my world. Her dad took a header off the face of the earth, and it’s just been the two of us.”

“A header?”

“Yeah he fell off the edge. Haven’t heard from him since the day she was born. Hope I never do at this point. I don’t have the best taste in men,” she adds, looking out the window. I don’t really know what to say to that shit, I’m not exactly “Dear Abby,” or whatever. So I don’t say anything. D.D. reaches over and turns on the radio turning on some country shit that would make my dog howl—if I had a dog. I don’t. I have to wonder if Hayden would like a dog. We haven’t really talked about life, but she seems to like it here in Wyoming. It’s away from her past and mine. It’s a peaceful town, I think it would be great for Connor. A boy needs a dog, too.

“Do you know if Hayden is allergic to dogs?” I ask D.D. Hell, maybe Hayden’s talent for just blurting things out is starting to rub off on me.

“Dogs? No. At least not that I know of. Are you thinking of buying a dog?”

“Not sure, but kids should have a dog to grow up with. One to protect them.”

“The garage is up ahead on the right,” she says and then nods her head. “And yeah, I get it. Be careful what you get though. I got Rose a miniature pincher once and that damn thing bit her above the eye. My poor baby has a scar there now.”

I pull into the garage, frowning. I shoot D.D. a look like she’s fucking insane. Do I look like the kind of man that would have a miniature anything? Again, I remain silent. The sooner she gets out the sooner I can get back to Hayden. I know Devil will watch her closely, but I’ll just feel better if I’m there.

“Here you go. Are you sure you’re okay here?” I ask, not wanting to leave her stranded, but wanting to leave.

“Yeah, I called ahead, the car is done. Thanks again,” she says already turning around. She slams the door before I can respond. She’s fucking strange. I have to wonder what went down with her and Devil. I’ll have to ask him later.

It doesn’t take me long to get back to the shop and I pull around to the back of the building. A chill goes through, me as I get out and I smell strawberries in the air. One word pops in my head: Run. I don’t know why, maybe it’s a throwback from my military days, but I’ve always had a sixth sense when it came to danger. It is one of the things that made me good as the strong-arm of the Devil’s Blaze. Those alarm bells are going off like crazy right now. I get out of the truck and the scent of strawberries is so strong it nearly brings me to my knees.

Am I going insane or is Annabelle really with me? I look behind me, thinking that any minute the reason I’m feeling like this will appear. Nothing happens, however. I’m about to write it off as just being paranoid. I make it about three steps away from the truck, heading inside when I feel it.

A whizzing sound loud enough I can hear it and it’s followed by a stinging sensation on the back of my neck. It isn’t painful, it’s more unexpected and forceful. I bring my hand up to touch the spot and feel something soft touch my fingers. I pull on it. I look at the object in my hand confused. A dart. I sniff at the sharpened point and there’s a foul odor clinging to it. I immediately feel like I’ve had way too much to drink. In fact, the world starts spinning. The cracked concrete I’m standing on appears to be floating—getting closer and closer to me. I shake my head trying to fight off the effects. I’m slow and my brain isn’t working properly, but I know I’ve been drugged. I have to fight it. I need to get inside to warn Devil to protect Hayden. I have to make sure Hayden is safe. That’s the one thought that keeps running through my mind.

I try to call out her name, because at this point I’m sure I’m not going to make it to the door, before I go down. I fall to my knees. No fucking sound will come out of my mouth. I try again, but my tongue feels heavy—my whole body does—and it’s hard to get anything to function. I’m literally crawling on the ground, pulling myself by hands that are only working by sheer determination and panic that something will happen to Hayden.

“Hay…den…” I finally get the word out, but it’s way too quiet. There’s no way she can hear me. I look up at the security camera above the door. The image blurs and no matter how much I blink I can’t seem to focus. The only thing I know for sure is the red light isn’t on.

Someone has turned it off.

Motherfucker I have to get out of this…I have to! I groan out in pain as a large steel-toed boot connects with my ribs. I’m so fucking out of it, I can’t even make my body move with the hit. Another is delivered and another. I lose count four...maybe five, connect. Fuck. It could even be more. I’m pushed over on my back and my body is even too fucking useless to fight that.

This is how it ends. This is it.

That’s the one thought that rings over and over in my head. After years of wanting nothing more than to die, it’s fucking ironic that I’m dying now, just when I finally want to live. Visions of Hayden and Connor flash through my mind. I hadn’t realized it, but I had been planning a life with them. I had been looking forward to the future for the first time in…forever. I had been happy in a way I never had been, even when Annabelle was alive. Maybe I should feel guilt for that. But…I can’t. Hayden is everything I always wanted in life and never knew existed. My heart hurts as the knowledge that I won’t be here for her, to protect her…to take care of Connor…to love them, begins to settle deep inside of me. The knowledge brings pain that lances through me with the force of a blade that is red hot and forged with the fires of Hell itself.

“You made that entirely too easy,” a dark voice says above me. I look up, squinting my eyes to try and see who it is—actually surprised it’s not Blade. I can barely make out a face. I don’t think I know him. I want to ask who it is, but I can’t. Everything slowly fades to black. I accept that I’m probably never waking up. I finally manage to get one word out.

“Hayden.”