blood leaking from a hole in her chest. She’d jumped in front of him. She’d been shot. She’d taken the bullet meant for him.
She turned her head to where Clarence Dreschel stood, the gun still pointed at them. “You’re the abomination,” she said, and then the sound of two more gunshots exploded, causing Mason to yell out, falling, his ears ringing. He watched the old man hit the wall behind him, screaming as one hand came over his groin, blood soaking his khaki colored pants, spreading rapidly, and the other clamped over his neck, more blood spurting through his fingers. He slid down to the floor, his screams fading to gasping, gurgled whimpers, curling in on himself, the gun he’d dropped skating far across the floor.
Mason tried desperately to orient himself, his head whipping back and forth. Georgia had taken the gun from his waistband as they collided, and then she’d shot the man who’d shot her. Her tormenter. One of many. A pool of blood spread out around the old man’s dying body, soaking into the floorboards of Lilith House as his pitiful cries grew weaker, so faint they could hardly be heard.
Georgia fell backward, the gun in her hand clattering to the floor. He bent over her body, pressing on her wound. “Georgie,” he breathed. “Georgie. You’re going to be okay.”
She smiled up at him. “I’m okay now.” Her smile twisted and her face grew paler.
“We’ve gotta get you help. I’m going to carry you—”
“Mason,” she grabbed his shirt, pulling him closer. “It’s okay. This is right. It’s how it was meant to be.”
“What?” He moved to stand so that he could pick her up, carry her to his car, drive her to a doctor in town. “No, Georgia. No.”
But she shook her head. “There’s no one to treat me. They’ll let me die. I’d rather die here with you. Stay with me, Mason. Please.”
“You’re not going to die. No way—”
“Mason, I told on her.”
He pressed harder on her wound. “Told on who? It doesn’t matter. We have to get you out of here.”
“Kandace. I heard them talking and I told the guild her plan. They didn’t drink the poison. It’s my fault. I was jealous.” Her voice cracked and a tear rolled down her cheek. “I thought . . . she’d come back and take you . . . away from me. You. Cam. You were . . . all I had. All I’ve ever had.”
Oh God. Oh, Georgia. He swallowed. “It doesn’t matter, Georgie.”
She shook her head and it appeared that the small movement pained her, her expression turning into a grimace. “It does matter, Mason. It does. All this time . . . I hated them for what they did to me but I . . . hated myself more. The fire . . . all those girls . . . it wouldn’t have happened if not for me. I did all . . . of that. Me, Mason. It was my fault. And in the end, you were taken away anyway. And I was left with him.” She tilted her head minutely toward where Dreschel lay unmoving. “But maybe I deserved it.”
“Oh, Georgia, no. You were just a young girl. You were confused, hurting. You had no way to know what they’d do, or how it would all end up. None of us did. I’ve always loved you, Georgie. I always will. There’s nothing you could ever do to lose me.”
Her lips tipped into a smile and she brought her hand to his face. He leaned into it as she gazed at him, seeming to really see him for the very first time, though they’d known each other all their lives. “Oh, Mason. Always living in someone else’s shadow. I did that to you, didn’t I? I’m so sorry. You deserve more. You always did.”
“We all did, Georgie. Don’t leave me. Let’s find out—” He choked on his words as her hand fell from his face and her body went limp in his arms.
CHAPTER FIFTY
Scarlett stopped, letting go of Haddie’s hand and reaching out to grab Millie’s arm. The girl was a few steps ahead of her and she came to a halt, turning. Scarlett put a finger up, indicating they should take a minute, bending over and placing her hands on her knees for a moment as she caught her breath. Even in the dim light of the moonlit forest, and despite that her shoes were soaking wet from having waded in the