How a Dying Woman Rewrote Her Epilogue

Carrying Elodie in his arms, Jarrod slipped out through the side door.

Cold sweat beaded on his brow. His usually sharp, upturned eyes were rimmed red, and once inside the car, he clutched her tightly, as though terrified she might slip away at any moment. He pressed his chin to the crown of her head, his hand trembling as he stroked her back over and over, barely conscious of the words he kept whispering: "It'll be okay... They'll fix this... I'm sorry, this is my fault..."

Andrea barely dared to breathe. The moment Jarrod choked out the name of a hospital, she floored the accelerator.

Elodie had no idea why the pain was so intense this time.

It hurt so much she wanted to curl up and disappear.

Jarrod's voice, raw and frantic, was the only thing she could hear.

She tried to speak, but no words came out.

All she could do was clamp her teeth on her lower lip, eyes squeezed shut.

"Hurry!" Jarrod's voice was hoarse, almost unrecognizable. Seeing Elodie biting her lip until it bled, he could only urge Andrea forward, then quickly pressed his own hand to Elodie's mouth, freeing her torn lip and guiding her to bite him instead.

Dazed, Elodie forced her eyes open. Jarrod's head was bowed low, his normally cold and impassive gaze now shattered by an anguish that was almost suffocating. Even his lashes were wet, and a tear slipped down, landing at the corner of her eye.

It burned. It made her heart tremble.

A bitter, stinging ache.

was imagining

like Jarrod would never cry... would

it was the pain, or perhaps it was all the feelings she'd kept buried suddenly rising to the surface. Out

didn't flinch, didn't

enough that she could feel the wild, frantic pounding of his

She released his hand, closed

them again

Elodie in his arms, nearly colliding

his face changed. He rushed over. "This way—

were coming undone—but he still managed, mechanically, to say, "She has cancer. She's in pain. What can

reputation-one of those rare men born to power, ruthless and calculated, a legend in their world. Yet here he was, completely

met Jarrod's gaze. "Leave her to

Jarrod out of his

at Elias for

quietly, almost bitterly, he

about Elodie's

messed up so badly? How

Jarrod as they settled Elodie onto a