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When the last of the flames had finally been put out, there was little left that rese ashes In a way it represented how the world around me now felt--blackened, devastated, in ruins As I surveyed the expressions of those who had beco the sahts as they walked past o inside to look for the bodies?" the younger asked

The older grunted "Son, that wasn’t no hot water heater blowing up It was an explosion caused by a bomb That, coupled with the teonna find shit They’ll be lucky if they even have a pile of ashes to put in an urn"

My hand flew to my mouth to muffle both my scream and the bile that rose in aze over to etic "I’m sorry, ma’am I shouldn’t have said that where you could hear"

I didn’t respond I couldn’t respond After all, what does one say in this situation? My in to wrap itself around the idea that Deacon was alive inside the clubhouse less than half an hour ago Noas gone, reduced to nothingness In the end, my protector couldn’t save himself The one place where he felt safe had somehow been breached I didn’t have to wonder who had done this Sigel had finally co blow to the Raiders by taking out its president and sergeant at arms

After the fire chief spoke to the crowd in a low tone, I watched as Rev wrapped his ar to console her But I could hear her anguished wails fro a hand on his mother’s back Despite Mac and Boone’s efforts, Kiround Just when I thought she had passed out, she began to pound her fists into the ground "NOOOOO!" she screamed

As the other members of the Raiders consoled one another, I’d never felt h I could have reached out to therief truly was You could be in a room full of people yet still be all alone in your own private hell Cradling Walter to my chest, I turned and walked into the empty roadhouse, which was silent as a tomb

I momentarily paused in front of the chair where Deacon had been sitting I ranback pressed against it If I closed my eyes, I could al in the air Craning my ear, I tried desperately to hear his voice in the void

With nothing but e me, I ed across the floor Taking htstand, I actually had the presence ofin too back--if I even could I’d picked up the pieces of a shattered life once before Even though it had er, I wasn’t resilient I didn’t know if I could co down on the bed, I wrapped ly of him Walter burrowed tohtmare of rief and sorrow Where you never had to have those you love snatched away from you

And finally I slipped away

I was out of breath MyDark woods with sinister-looking trees envelopedfroes fro across the sky Myme a bouquet of bloodred roses at one ofas he pressed the car keys into er sixteen-year-old hands Deacon’s intense dark eyes, a sheen of sweat across his tattooed chest, and his hips flexing at he pumped in and out of lass when I ran through the me with an emotional pain that didn’t seem to touch me physically I reached the end of the woods only to find rew closer and closer, and without a choice, I leaped off the cliff As I began to free fall--

With a piercing screaht a shaky hand to my forehead and swept back the sweat-soaked strands of hair Clutching ain As I became aware of where I was and why I was there, I realized there was no respite I had just exchanged one nightentle knock came at the door "Alexandra?" Rev’s concerned voice questioned