Hands whose strength had left them, clutched at weakly at Breanne’s arm. She shoved down the horror she felt at being so close to death. She barely knew Josh. She didn’t even know his last name and yet here he was dying in front of her.

“I’m-I’m sorry.” His teeth chattered between bluish lips. “My blood is getting all over your wedding dress.”

“Shhh. I don’t care about the dress.” She shifted around until she cradled his head in her lap. “Why? Why did you do it?”

“It was . . . the right thing to do.” Josh grimaced and shrunk back as if to escape the pain. “Now everyone . . . gets what they want.”

“What do you mean?”

Fingers drifted upward to pluck at a loose strand of her hair and tucked it behind her ear. “You’re . . . so lovely . . . like a lily in winter.”

Breanne cupped her hands around his. “Tell me how this gets me what I want.”

Josh stared at the blood streaming from his hands to hers on the back of rivulets of rainwater. “Don’t worry, I think . . . I think the rain will wash the blood away.”