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Her body goes slack and I can't bear to see the pain in her eyes, the pain that I just caused.
I focus my gaze on Travine. “What do you want? Tell me and I'll make it happen.”
He smiles and skims down Lou-Lou's stomach with his free hand and I all but choke on my disgust. “I want to be mayor.”
“Done.”
“I want every pe
“Done.” I pin him with a stare. “I'll have it wired to you by morning. And if you don't believe me, let her go and put the gun up to my head instead.” I take a step forward. “This has nothing to do with her, everything you want I can give you.”
“That's where you're wrong.” I can hear Lou-Lou's stomach lurch when he lifts her shirt, exposing her abdomen.
His fingers dance across her skin, toying with her. “I'm still not done making you pay.”
“So make me pay, not her.” I take another step forward but he bares his teeth and sneers, “Either I make you pay this way...or I kill her. Either way you will suffer before the end of the night. Choose your poison.”
He knows I can't let her die.
When I don't answer him, Lou-Lou whispers, “Let him kill me, Ricardo. Please, I'd rather die.”
“There you go again, Lucia
He flicks open the button on Lou-Lou's jeans and I become lightheaded.
Before this moment, I would have considered myself a strong man...stronger than most. But I don't think I'll be able to survive him doing this to her.
I can't survive hearing her pleas for him to kill her...
I can't survive being powerless to stop it.
Despite what he's about to do to her, his finger is still on the trigger of the gun pointed at her head. Giving me no room and no way to stop this.
Lou-Lou squeezes her eyes shut. “I wish I was free. I wish I was—”
“Stop making those fucking wishes!” His hand grips her throat and I stop breathing entirely. “What happened when I caught you making wishes in the field out back, Lucia
The tears falling down her face feel like a thousand knives stabbing me all at once. “Because wishes don't come true for girls like me.”
“That's right, they don't.”
Her eyes co
My own eyes sting with tears...because for the very first time in my life—I consider setting her free in the way she's pleading for right now.
I consider letting her go be with our baby.
I consider letting my angel be with the other angels...where no one can ever hurt her again.
I swallow my tears and stuff them back down when his hand ventures lower and she cries out my name.
There aren't enough tears in the world to cry for a girl who's suffered the way she has.
Because those tears will never wash the shame away.
But she's not alone, my Lou-Lou won't go through it alone this time.
“Lou-Lou,” I whisper. “Please baby look at me.”
When she doesn't open her eyes, I try again. “It's me. It's your Ricky. Please look at me.”
She finally does and I hold her gaze. “It's me touching you right now. Not him. It's me, Lou-Lou.”
She takes a deep breath and nods, her eyes never leaving mine.
The sick fuck continues, whispering shit into her ear that I'm more than thankful not to focus on.
Because in this moment, it's just Lou-Lou and me.
And we're someplace he can’t ever hurt her again.
Someplace only we know.
When I see her eyes flash and that beautiful strength shines through again, I know what's about to happen and I'm so fucking ready for it.
She moans and grinds into him.
I see the sick lust brewing in his eyes right before he closes them and orders her to continue.
But what that fucker doesn't realize is...this moment will be his last.
Because him getting lost in his sick urges is the ultimate distraction for him.
And the ultimate gamble for me...but I take full advantage of it...and so does Lou-Lou.
Because we have nothing to lose at this moment and everything to gain.
I watch as Lou-Lou reaches behind her to undo his belt...and pulls out a gun from her waistband instead.
Then she shoots the fucker right in the dick...causing him to tilt his gun up slightly...and giving me the perfect leeway I need to shoot him in the head multiple times.
I had intricate plans that involved torturing him and making him suffer before ending his miserable existence for good, but none of that matters now as I watch his body drop.
Because he's finally gone for good.
The whole thing took less than 5 seconds to happen, making it one of the quickest kills of my life.
And hands down the most satisfying.
A scream breaks out from somewhere behind me and my stomach coils. I momentarily forgot about Alyssa and Jackson.
Everything happens in slow motion as I watch Marlene pull the trigger of her gun.
The gun that's pointed at me now.
Alyssa screams and Jackson yells my name as he snatches Alyssa away from Marlene's hold.
Lou-Lou attempts to jump in front of me...but I turn and throw my body on top of hers, protecting her instead as we fall to the ground.
“No,” Lou-Lou cries, but I shut her up with a kiss.
Because this is the way I'm spending my last second on earth.
Kissing her like there's no tomorrow.
Kissing her like I did yesterday, like I always have, ever since our very first kiss.
Kissing her like she's my everything...because she is.
I kiss Lou-Lou the way a girl like her deserves to be kissed.
With every ounce of love I have for her as it seeps out of me.
I can feel someone's presence looming right above us. “Who knew your lunatic maid would end up being a better marksman than you?”
I break away from the kiss and stare up at Jackson. “I beg your pardon, asshole?”
“You're okay?” Lou-Lou whispers, grabbing my face.
I nod and brush my thumbs over her tear stained cheeks. “Are you?”
Those doe eyes of hers sear me and my heart pounds like a jackhammer as she wraps her arms around my neck. “He didn't touch me, I was with my Ricky.”
A weight the size of a boulder in my chest dislodges and I sit up and lift her into my arms.
She hugs me so tight I have to actually focus on Jackson's next statement. “When you turned to throw yourself over Lou-Lou, the bullet literally just missed you.” We all stare at him wide-eyed and he holds up a finger. “But that's not the best part.”
A huge grin stretches across his face and he points to Marlene's lifeless body which is surrounded by a pool of blood. “The best part was when that bullet ended up ricocheting off the metal cage and right back into Marlene where it belonged.”
“How's that for karma?” Alyssa says as we stand up.
Jackson squeezes my shoulder before he pulls me into a hug. “The reason you've never lost a fight in that cage is because you're meant to stick around, brother.”
Lou-Lou gives me a look but Alyssa wraps her arms around her. “Are you okay?”
“I should be asking you that,” Lou-Lou says frantically, looking Alyssa over. “How are you? How's the baby? Should we go to the hospital?”
“No,” Alyssa says. “I'm fine. That bitch didn't hurt me, she was too busy ogling Jackson while asking him about his bank account and telling him how much better off he would be without me and the baby.”