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“Luther,” Luca yells from behind me. “Drop it.”
His voice is heaven to my ears. Fucking bliss… Until the shots ring out. My father fires.
Once.
Twice.
I turn to see Luca shove Pe
One minute he’s there; the next he’s gone. The only thing left behind is the blood splatter plastered against the wall.
He was hit.
Fucking shot.
Adrenaline consumes me. Anger and fear collide, clearing some of the fog from my head.
“Luther,” Chris calls from outside. “You okay?”
My father grins. “Perfect. Couldn’t be better.”
I charge him, stumbling over my feet to drop my shoulder and send him flying. I reel with the onslaught of vertigo and struggle to remain upright as he collapses to the floor, the gun remaining tight in his hand.
“It’s too late. I got him.” He laughs as he pushes onto his elbows. “Pe
“Don’t go near him.” I swing around to face her, my vision taking seconds to catch up. “Get the fuck away.”
“Luther, I’m sorry.” She creeps from the hall, the kid nowhere in sight. “I’m so sorry. I tried to stab him with the sedative but he stopped me. He was too quick.” She rambles, one word tumbling over the other. “I didn’t know what to do. I thought maybe I could—”
“Just check him.”
Luther crawls to his feet as I latch onto the recliner for stability. If I could get my head to stop spi
If the world didn’t keep tilting on its axis, I’d kill him with my bare hands.
“There’s blood.” Her voice trembles. “It’s coming from his head.”
I can already hear the answer etched into her tone.
Whatever she’s looking at is fucked up.
Then she crouches, descending out of my view.
“Pe
“His pulse… I-I’m checking his pulse” She remains in hiding, the sentence held hostage for pained heartbeats. “I can’t find it… He’s… I think he’s dead.”
“Fuck.” I raise my hands to my head, trying to keep all the crazy inside. “Fuck.”
I messed up.
I killed him, and Anissa will be next.
“Get his weapon.” My father reclaims a harsh grip on my wrist. “Then unlock the door and hand it to Chris.”
“Don’t do it.” I yank my arm back and stumble. “Don’t fucking do it, Pe
“She does what she’s told,” Luther seethes in my ear. “Otherwise she knows the consequences.”
“What’s to stop her shooting you?”
“She could try.” He digs his fingers into the material of my suit. “But she’d be dead before she had time to aim. And then I’d kill all her friends just to spite her.”
“I’ve got the gun.” She stands, the weapon clutched in both hands, blood staining her fingertips.
“Keep it. Protect yourself. Don’t give it to Chris.” I should make a run for her. Tackle the pistol from her grip. Take charge of the situation.
“Don’t even think about it.” Luther jabs me in the shoulder with his gun. “You’re predictable. Always have been.”
“Too bad you’ve already admitted you won’t kill me, old man.”
“No, but I have no problem hurting you. It’ll toughen you up.”
I stagger to face him, my vision pixelated. “What do you hope to achieve? What the fuck are you going to do?”
I need to delay him.
If I slow things down, maybe I can draw this out until Hunt and Deck arrive. It’s a fucking pussy’s plan, but I can’t get my brain to work out another option. I can’t think.
“Tell Pe
Pe
“Tell her to stop,” I repeat. “Do it.”
Luther smiles at me. Chris does the same from the other side of the glass.
I can’t let them get their hands on another gun.
“Pe
“Shut your mouth.” Luther slams the butt of the gun against my cheek, co
Like a bitch, I fall to my knees, my ears ringing as Pe
“No.”
Fuck. No.
I battle to get back up. I plant my hands and sway as she raises the gun, barrel first, her aim in the right direction, but her orders are clear.
I’m done for.
Anissa clouds my mind. All I can see is her and the torture she will endure. I can’t let that happen.
I stumble to my feet as Chris reaches for the barrel.
“Don’t fucking do it, Pe
“Cole,” my father cautions.
I don’t listen.
I don’t stop. Not until the pop, pop shocks me still, her arm jolting with each pull of the trigger.
Chris turns white, all color seeping through the bullet wounds in his chest as he falls backward.
Pe
“I’ll fucking kill you,” my father snarls.
I swing back to him, dazed, confused, but certain he will retaliate. “Get down,” I yell at Pe
“I’ve got her.” Luca lumbers to his feet from behind the sofa, his face strewn with blood.
“Luca?” He’s alive.
He looks like he should be dead. But he’s fucking alive.
Luther changes the focus of his aim, resetting his sights on Luca who shoves the sofa toward us, then rushes for Pe
Pop. Pop.
The burst of noise from my father’s gun assails me.
I hurry to get in front of the weapon, my steps faltering as Luca collides into Pe
“Move,” my father roars at me. “I’ll fucking shoot you.”
Luca scrambles behind the kitchen island, dragging Decker’s sister with him.
“Do it. This will be your last chance.” I raise my arms wide and smile when I realize I have the strength to hold them there. The shit poisoning my veins is wearing off. “It’s over, Dad. Your new protégé failed to inject me properly. Your dog is dead. And you fucked up when you thought you took Luca out.”
“You forget I’m the only one with a weapon, son.”
There’s a scrape of sound behind me. A shuffle of noise. Then I hear her. The most welcome reprieve and the greatest punishment all at once as Anissa says, “I’m sorry, motherfucker, but you’re mistaken.”