The Harder You Fall (Rixon Raiders 3)

“Mom.” The pain in Asher’s voice made my legs buckle, the sheer force of his agony hitting me like a tsunami. Felicity caught me as father and son walked beside Mrs. Bennet’s lifeless body.

“We need to move out,” one of the EMTs said, motioning for everyone to give them room.

Jason came over to us and I grabbed his hand. “What did he say?”

The small shake of his head told me everything I needed to know, and a fresh wave of tears rushed to the surface.

“Asher,” I yelled, my voice cutting the air like a knife. He slowed down, moving aside to let the medics load his mom inside the ambulance. His eyes found mine, but it wasn’t my Asher staring back at me.

“Oh God,” I choked out, hardly able to breathe through the tears.

“She’ll be okay,” Felicity said, unable to disguise the quiver in her voice. “They’ll save her.”

“I should go with him, he needs me.” I tried to break free, but Jason hooked his arm around my waist, tucking me into his body.

“Let him be,” he whispered. “Right now, he needs to be with his family.”

“Miss Hernandez?” A deep voice said, and I peeked out the comfort of Jason’s big body to find an officer staring at me with sympathy. “I’m going to need you to come with me.”

“Go with you?” Flick stepped in front of me, shielding me. “Go where?”

“We’d like Miss Hernandez to come down to the station and answer a few questions.”

“She can give you her statement here. She’s in no state to go anywhere right now.”

“It’s okay,” I said, untangling myself from my friends.

“Mya, you don’t have to do this. Not right this second.”

My gaze flicked to where the ambulance was backing out of the Bennets’ driveway, a strange numbness seeping through me.

“Miss Hernandez, this way please.” The officer took my arm, leading me toward the cop car.

“Jason,” I heard Flick hiss, “do something.”

“Hang tight, Mya, we’ll figure all this out,” Jason called after me.

But it was too late.

The damage was done.

Mrs. Bennet was leaving the scene in an ambulance and I was leaving in a police cruiser.

And my past… my past had finally caught up with me.

“Thank God you’re okay.” Felicity ignored the officer at the desk and slung her arms around me.

“Hey,” I croaked. “Thanks for waiting.”

“Are you kidding me? They led you away like you’re somehow responsible for all this. It’s not right.”

I hugged her again, feeling a rush of emotion. “How is he?” My voice was cracked, my throat raw from all the tears. From reliving what had happened at the Bennets’.

“Mrs. Bennet is still in surgery; they don’t know anything yet.”

My eyes shuttered as I sucked in a harsh breath. “But how is he?”

Flick pressed her lips together, shaking her head a little. “He’s… broken. Jase and Cam are with him right now.”