Free The Arrangement 19 (The Ferro Family) by H. M. Ward

CHAPTER 1
    T ime stops as clouds of smoke drift toward us in slow motion. Ashes flutter through the air, landing on my shoulders like blackened snowflakes. We instinctively throw our helmets to the ground, shedding dead weight for what's to come. My heart pounds in my chest because I know what’s going to happen. Sean is going to run back inside. There’s no way he’s going to leave knowing his mother is still inside the mansion.
    Before he has the chance, my feet are moving, gaining traction quickly. My arms swing by my sides, elbows tucked tightly against my ribs, as I summon every last bit of speed I can muster. I move away from Sean, racing toward the side lawn that will wrap around to the room where Constance takes her breakfast. She had to be in that glass room. As the bomb went off, I heard the glass shatter, an explosion of wind chimes hitting cement. There’s no way she’s alive, but for Sean’s sake, I hope she is.
    “Avery! Stop!”
    Sean’s voice rings out behind me, but I can’t stop. I don’t answer. My feet move, pounding the grass faster and faster. I hit a patch that’s too slick. My foot slips to the side and before I can correct it, I hit the ground, tackled from behind. I slide on the damp grass and stop abruptly.
    “Stop! Just, stop.”
    Sean rolls me over, and I want to cry, seeing his beautiful face contorted with fear. Terror seeps into those sexy blue eyes. His dark lashes flutter as he holds me down, pressing my body to the ground beneath him. He sucks in air, trying to catch his breath.
    In that moment, I’m aware of little things--the way a bead of sweat rolls off his temple and falls, hitting my skin like a grenade. His breath is warm and perfect, coming in fast puffs as his chest expands against me. His hands are rough, and there’s a gash on his palm that covers his fingers in dark red blood. He doesn’t seem to notice the wound.
    Sean places his hands against my face, holding me still. His lips part as if he wants to speak, but nothing comes out. He’s looking at me as if I were his soul and he was about to lose it. His hands slip over my cheeks, shaking before taking a deep breath and pressing his forehead against mine.
    “Avery, I can’t lose you. Don’t--” His voice is too light, too high. The sound cuts off. Sean blinks, and it’s easy to see how glassy his eyes have become. My lip quivers as I throw my arms around him.
    “I can’t lose you either. You can’t run inside. Sean, if something happened to you. This is my fault. I--”
    But he doesn’t let me finish. He lowers his head and presses a soft kiss to my lips. When he pulls away, the trembling has subsided. The steady feel of his hands returns and I know he’s taking all the emotion swirling within and banishing it so he can get through this moment. He’s in survival mode, and I know he has to do it, but every time he goes back to that place within himself he risks never returning.
    I can't fathom a life without emotion, without feeling. No matter how hard I try to disconnect my feelings from my body, I can’t. They come rushing to the surface at the worst times.
    Like now.
    I pull Sean into a tight hug and kiss his face. Sweat clings to his grimy skin as the dust cloud settles over the lawn. I pull back and look at him.
    “Promise you’ll come back. Promise me.” I swallow hard, waiting for a response.
    Sean’s sapphire eyes lock on mine. Deep within those pure blue orbs, promises mingle with pain. Darkness lies in wait, ready to reclaim him. He can’t fight it anymore. It’s time to choose between saving Sean from his demons and becoming a monster to save his family. I know his choice.
    He pushes off the ground, his expression pure steel, and I can no longer read him. His voice is deep and dangerous. He points toward the other end of the driveway.
    “There’s a car in the gardener’s shed down by the road. I can see it from here. They overlooked it. Take the car to Trystan’s and stay with him