The Colt & The Cobra - THE SPECTER SERIES [book six]

Chapter FORTY FOUR

No.. This is not just any cemetery, you immediately recognise the familiar upstate graveyard in which your husband is buried.. You have visited this place too many times over the years to ever forget it.. 

Even overgrown and covered in bramble bushes, slimy moss and creepy crawlies, you would know his tombstone.. Pushing up to your hands and knees you crawl forward through the soft dewy grass.. 

Why is it so unkempt? 

You would never allow Charles' final resting place to become such a mess.. You can hardly stand the disrespect.. 

"No, no, no.. This is wrong! Who let this happen?!" When you begin to tear away at the brush that strangles Charlie's memorial stone, the bronzed nameplate is revealed and your confusion doubles.. 

No.. It just doesn't make sense! 

'Here lies.. Oliver Angel Reid.. 
Son. Husband. Hero.' 

"No.. No, Ollie!" Your shoulders shudder as snivelling sobs blubber uselessly from your mouth.. "Please, no.."

"This will be the death of you, my daughter.. Let him go, Mikkalia.." You jump in fright as a heavy hand claps over your shoulder from behind.. From your broken kneel you peer up to see your father's disregarding scowl.. He offers you a silver dagger, razor sharp and shiny.. His cold, unsympathetic eyes blinking down at you with nothing behind them.. No light.. No love.. His monotone, flat and unfeeling.. "He is poison, Mi Amour.. Let him go.."

"You said the same thing about Charlie and you were wrong! He is not poison, you are! Everyone dies because of you! All of this is your fault! Go to hell!" You snatch up the knife and shove your father away with a shout, turning back to the grave to see the nameplate now reads something entirely different.. 

'Here lies.. Angelo De'lucca 
Sinner. Son. Father.' 

Your head spins, your senses smashed to pieces.. 

"Dayymn, Mick.. You really are going crazy these days, huh?" You swear from out of nowhere you can hear Rocco say in a know it all, smart ass way.. "Isn't this what you wanted all along?" 

"Shut up!" You lift your gaze to see your cousin, propped atop the tombstone, sucking on his stupid vape-pen and filling the air with mist.. "I didn't want this.. No.. I--" 

You choke, words catching in your throat because to say them would be a lie.. You did want this.. 

You had wanted this.. 

But not anymore.. It does nothing to bring back what you have lost.. Really, it only adds to the grief.. Another death to burden your conscience..

Rocco smiles down at you.. "Be careful what you wish for, Bambina.."

"No, Papa!" Your fingers dig into the soil as you heave forward, fighting to .. "Oh god.. I killed him! I killed him!" You begin to dig.. Your nails chip and cake with mud, your fingers jar and your hands ache as you dig like a deranged dog looking for a bone.. "Papa! Forgive me! God, forgive me! What have I done?!" 

“You can't save him, Mick.. Nobody can.." Rocco's voice fades in and out of your ears.. "Stop digging.. Just give up.."

And he's right.. 
There's nothing you can do.. It's all too much..

Exhaustion throbs through your arms as you concede to the defeat, melting into the muddy pit.. Sinking deeper into the sludge, it begins to writhe and worm all around you.. Moving in sickening slithering motions, the heaping dirt swallows you and becomes heavy, as sharp scales scrape at you and a snake pit swallows you whole.. 

A gruff, threatening whisper in your ear sends an icy chill through your blood.. The sickening herbaceous and artificial fruity fog gags you.. "I'm supposed to do this fast, Mikki.. But I can't think of a better way to say goodbye.. Can you?" 

"No! Dax stop! No, get off meeeeee!" You try to screech, consuming mouthfuls of dirt, struggling and fighting with all your might to dig out of this dank hole.. 

"Don't fight me.." He snarls.. "This'll only hurt as much as you make it, baby.."

No, no, no!! 
This is all a horribly vivid nightmare.. It must be.. 
It can't be real.. 

Oh god, but then why does it feel so real.. 

Tearing your wrists free of the binding snakes, you plunge the dagger into the side of Dax's throat, once.. Twice.. Three times.. Letting the blood flow from his jugular, cascading like a crimson waterfall.. 

As you push up to your feet, inexplicably finding yourself on a rocky cliff side.. You follow him, watching dumb-struck when Dax begins to stagger backwards, his eyes bugging out as his mouth opens and closes wordlessly, blood dribbling from his lips.. He tries to speak, stuttering.. "M--Mi---Mik.."

You reach out with trembling fingertips, the fear in his gaze flashing as you give him one final push.. Then he slips over the edge.. Gone.. Vanished.. 

Dead.. 

The rushing sound of ocean waves crashing against the rock face soothes your racing heart, soon becoming a soft, feline pur.. Looking down to your side you see a cougar, brindle and beige with the bluest eyes, lapping hungrily at the sanguine Rose that now dangles limply in your hand where the blade had once been, blood dripping to the ground.. 

"Oh.. Nice Kitty.. Good Kitty.." You sigh, sinking to your knees before crumpling into a heap and curling into a ball.. No more.. 

You can't take any more..

Sure enough, soft, white snow begins to fall, dusting you in a chilly powder.. The cougar lays down beside you, the warmth of the big cat radiating as it snuggles close against you.. You lay there for what feels like hours, the frost settling on your skin.. 

When you finally open your eyes, the mountain lion is gone.. But the smile that greets you in its place is salvation.. "Everything's gonna be alright.. I got you, Sugar.." Colt drawls a devoted promise, holding out a vibrant yellow buttercup, his sky blue eyes like mirrors to a soul so pure.. He opens his mouth to comfort you with words you want to hear so desperately again.. 

…. 

"Wake up, Mikki!"

"AGGHH!" You fly out of bed in a freak out, gasping for breath and soaked in sweat.. The bright morning light searing your retinas making it difficult to focus on the sour expression of your intruder.. "Lemon?! Are you crazy?! What the fuck are you doing here?!"