Annabel nodded. “They said you crashed in the ambulance on the way here. You went into emergency surgery as soon as you got here. The doctor said you were lucky to be alive.”

Slowly, I began to remember the bright light and seeing Preacher Man. I didn’t like thinking how close I had come to leaving Annabel and my brothers and Mama Beth.

“It wasn’t my time,” I murmured.

“What?”

Realizing I had said Preacher Man’s words, I shook my head. “It’s nothing.”

“Deacon and Bishop have taken turns staying the nights with me.”

“Nights?”

“You’ve been unconscious for five days. Well, most of them you were kept in a medically induced coma to let your burns heal.”

“Holy shit.”

Annabel laughed. “The doctor said you would come around when you were ready. Of course, that didn’t mean that your mother and I didn’t worry to death about when that might be. But thankfully, there’s no lasting internal damage. You might have some scarring from your burns.”

My mind went back to Mendoza and his sadistic use of a blowtorch. Then a sobering thought hit me. “What happened with Mendoza after he shot me?”

“The ATF took him in. I’ve been assured he won’t get out of prison.”

“He won’t,” I said adamantly.

Annabel’s expression became unreadable at my words and tone. Gazing down at the blanket, she hesitated before asking, “Does that mean you’ll have him taken care of in prison?”

I reached forward to grab her hand. “He won’t be coming out alive, you can rest assured of that. But before it’s done, he’ll suffer.”

A tremor ran through Annabel’s body. “I suppose the thought of you having him tortured should disgust me, but it doesn’t. I think of what he did to me and then what he did to you. . . He deserves everything he gets.”

Squeezing her hand, I said, “That’s an old lady talking right there.” She shook her head, but then smiled in spite of herself. As I stared into her eyes, I thought of what she had gone through to save me. “You were so strong and so brave. I’m so very proud of you, Annabel. Proud and honored to call you my future wife.”

Tears once again shimmered in her eyes. “It was my love for you that gave me the strength.” She bent down again to kiss me. I brought my hand up to tangle through the strands of her long auburn hair. When she pulled away, she smiled. “I’d better call your mother and Deacon. They’ll want to see you.”

“They can wait. Why don’t you lie down with me for a while? I want to feel you close to me.”

She narrowed her green eyes at me. “Nathaniel Malloy, I certainly hope you’re not trying to get fresh with me just a few minutes after regaining consciousness. I’m sure the doctor will be in here any moment.”

I laughed. “No, Annabel Percy, I merely want to hold the woman I love close to me since there was a brief moment when I didn’t think I would ever get the chance again.”

Annabel’s expression softened. “We have to be careful, though.”

Sliding my body over in the bed caused more pain than I had anticipated. At my sharp intake of breath, Annabel started to move away from the bed. “Oh no, you don’t,” I muttered through gritted teeth.

Gently, she eased up onto the mattress and stayed practically hanging off the edge to ensure that she didn’t hurt me. I took her hand in mine and brought it to my cheek, enjoying the softness of her skin and the warmth of her touch.

Somehow two broken people had found their other half that completed them and made them whole. The worst of circumstances had brought us together, but some of the greatest loves in the world were born of tragedy.

As I kissed her palm, I thanked God that I had gotten a second chance to love and be loved by this woman—this Annabel Lee.

TWENTY-SEVEN

ANNABEL

Sunlight streamed through the heavily tree-lined woods, warming even the shadowy parts. With the hem of my dress clutched in my hand, I carefully made my way through the uneven terrain. I dodged tree limbs and shrubs that might nick my dress. After all, I didn’t want to do anything to ruin my appearance, considering it was my wedding day.

I’m sure it seemed a little unorthodox to be tromping through the woods on the most important day of my life, but at the same time, there was no other way to reach the wedding venue. Rev’s near death at Mendoza’s hands illustrated to us both how precarious life can be, and made it seem a little ridiculous to wait to get married.

So a month to the day after Rev had come home from the hospital, we were becoming man and wife. Because we were on a tight schedule, most of the venues were booked up. In the end, the most obvious choice was right before our eyes . . . or at least a mile into the woods. Our ceremony would take place on the banks of tohi a-ma.

When I stumbled over an exposed tree root, Deacon’s arm shot out to catch me. “Easy there, sister. I don’t want you face-planting before we can get you to the altar,” he said, his voice laced with amusement. Behind us, Bishop snickered.

“Thanks. I’ll keep that in mind,” I replied with a smile.

Deacon and Bishop were not only escorting me to the service; they were also giving me away. Although my father had come through for me when I needed him, he would have never consented to me being married anywhere but in a church, outfitted in a twenty-thousand-dollar Vera Wang dress, with tons of reporters following the ceremony, making him look like father of the year. I didn’t want anything to ruin my day, so I planned on calling my parents from my honeymoon to tell them I had eloped.