Page 128 of Camera Stays On

I started but stopped short, remembering Bea’s snare and then the scythe sticking out of Gavin’s chest. One wrong step and I was dead.

“Bastard,” I hissed and started after him slower, minding each step I took. It was hard in the dark with the rain coming down, but soon I came upon another clearing, and as I studied it, Sawyer let out a howl and launched himself at my back. The impact knocked the wind out of me, and before I could catch my breath, he wrapped his hands around my neck from behind and squeezed. I fell to the ground on my hands and knees and fought to get him off me, batting and thrashing side to side.

“How do you like it? Bitch nearly took me out with a fucking wedding dress.” He cackled as he continued to hold me tight. I stood up on my knees and stretched my body backward, crushing him with my full weight, managing to get him to let go of me. I crawled away, gasping for air. My lungs burned, and my eyes ached. Sawyer stood and reached over with his foot, pushing my ass, causing me to fall on my face.

“See, unlike you, I don’t give two fucks if Ma sees. She always liked me more anyway. She’ll come to bat for her baby boy ’til the day she fucking dies. I just wanted to get you closer this way so I don’t have much distance to carry your ass.”

“Closer where?” I asked, still fighting to breathe. Sawyer’s grip on me was way stronger than anything Andi could have done to him. He continued kicking me, mocking me every time I tried to get up, until finally I rolled over and lay there. I needed a solid second to breathe or else I’d die just from exhaustion.

Sawyer crouched down and brought his hand to my jaw, pinching it tightly. He turned my head and pointed. “Right over there are two large graves. Made them a few days ago. I’m going to kill you soon, Ash, and bury you so no one will ever know what happened to you.” He leaned in, his lips touching my ear, and whispered. “And then I’m going to live in that big house ’til the end of my days with Purdy sucking my cock every night and making me dinner. I’m going to keep her pregnant until her body can’t take it anymore. All the while, knowing my kids’ Uncle Ash is buried where they play hide-and-seek.”

While he spoke, I slowly inched into my pocket and removed the pocketknife. Careful not to let my arm flex as I did so. I opened it and let him keep talking.

“Maybe on the anniversary every year, I’ll take her out here and fuck her on top of your grave. Can you imagine it? Her on all fours while I force my cock into her ass so hard she squeals like a little stuck pig.”

At pig I swung around, the knife puncturing his side. He screamed and collapsed back, pulling out the knife in the process and dropping it to the ground. I hurried over and snatched it up before he could.

“Fuck!” he shouted as he tried to swipe at me while still clutching the wound with his other hand. I went over to where he’d pointed, holding tight to the knife. My stomach dropped—there were two graves. What had been his plan? Keeping one eye on him, I examined the grave. He’d said it was meant for me, but I think in the end, he’d be the one resting here.

“You’re fucking dead,” he snarled and got up. Raising his suit jacket, he revealed a white dress shirt now stained red. “Now what am I supposed to wear? How am I going to explain this to little Junior when he asks about my wedding clothes? Do I tell him dear ol’ Uncle Ash stabbed his dad shortly before he got his shit rocked into oblivion?”

“You’re really holding on to this stupid dream, aren’t you?” I shook my head. “Sawyer, I’ll just say it. This is all so fucking pathetic. All of this could have been avoided if you’d just let a girl say no to you once in a while.”

“No one says no to me!” he snapped, then winced, grabbing his side. As he moved closer, I walked back, away from the grave. We circled each other, and I watched as he inadvertently went toward it.

“Purdy doesn’t know what she’s doing. She’s a good girl, and in time, once you’ve been gone a while, she’ll see this was all for the best.” He kept closing his eyes and pausing with every other step. There was no way he thought he was going to win now. His breathing had become ragged, and while my lungs were still ablaze, there wasn’t a hole in my side, making it worse.

“Purdy, Purdy, Purdy. What a beautiful girl she is. I always said she was mine from now until forever, and I’d kill anyone who touches her. And I’ve never been one to be called a liar, Ash.” He stood up tall and, taking a deep breath, walked toward me. I raised the knife and he snarled. “You’re gonna regret that.”

Before he could take another step, there was a loud thump! It mixed with a loud squelch that I instantly recognized. The first time I’d heard it was more than ten years ago. My gaze traveled up his head as Sawyer’s eyes widened. A single line of blood dripped between his eyes, and his gaze followed it. He fell to the right, and behind him stood Andi. And stuck inside his skull, was an axe. Andi placed a foot on his back, and kicked. Sawyer fell into the grave, and then there was silence.

I stared at Andi for a long moment, unsure if what I’d seen really happened.

It was finally over.

We walked to the grave, meeting in the middle, and stared down. His body had contorted from the fall, the axe still lodged in his head. Face up, eyes open wide, the life behind them gone.

Finally.

I reached for her hand and she squeezed, then looked up at me with a smile.

“We agreed, ’til death.”

Chapter 60

Andi

SIRENS ROARED IN the distance, and Asher and I looked at each other as they grew louder.

“Bea got to town,” he said with a sigh of relief.

“Perfect timing,” I added. And together, we started back toward the house.

As we grew closer, the storm finally started to wind down and eventually stopped altogether. We’d just reached the house when the first fire truck came, followed by another, and then a third. Police cars sped past them, parking on the lawn, and two separate ambulances followed. The lights were blinding and the sirens deafening, but the relief was more than worth it. I collapsed against Asher, and a sob came from my throat. What a pair we must be. We hadn’t eaten or slept in what felt like days. My wedding dress was ripped and torn and covered in blood and guts. Asher’s suit wasn’t much better. Both of us looked like hell, and yet, the sight before us felt like heaven.

“Shh, Andi, it’s okay,” he whispered, comforting me and kissing my hair.

The police opened their doors and pointed their guns at us. “Freeze! Put your hands up!”