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“No!” She screams and Royce presses the barrel against her temple.
“Royce,” I bite out, balling both hands into fists. “Donotdo this.”
He cocks the trigger slowly, and her eyes widen as everything around me goes quiet. Like a movie that’s been slowed to a crawl, my heart beats once, then again, thudding hard against my ribs, and reverberating through my ears.
I flick my eyes to hers, beautiful green filled with panic and fear, and when a shot rings out, I scream. “Noooo!”
She jerks and freezes, as blood splashes across her face, and a flash of cold shoots through me and everything stops—my breathing, my heart, the world around me—then slowly, Royce falls backward, and hits the sand.
Realizing its him who’s been shot and not Ellie, everything starts to move again, and I look around, wondering who shot him. When I see who’s holding a gun, I’m stunned.
Jenica stands about twenty feet away, and she’s got a blank look on her face and her hands are clutching the gun as if she can’t let go. But then Jake runs up behind her, and wraps his hand around the barrel, and she looks up at him and lets go.
I look back at Ellie, who stands there with blood running down her face, and she too, is wearing the same expression.
I race over and grab her head with both hands, searching her eyes frantically. “Ellie, baby, talk to me.”
She doesn’t move or blink. Doesn’t do or say anything. “Ellie,” I say more urgently. “Say something.”
Slowly, her eyes float to mine and it takes a moment, but when she realizes it’s me, they start to fill with tears. She’s really banged up and she has blood all over her face, and I can’t tell which is hers, and which is Royce’s.
I take my shirt off and wipe her face gingerly, then pull her to my chest. “Cruz?” She grips my upper back with both hands as if she’s only just realized it’s me holding her.
“It’s me.” Relief washes over me as I kiss the top of her head and feel her short, labored breath against my skin. “I got you, baby. You’re safe.”
“I bit him,” she says through chattering teeth as her tiny body shakes uncontrollably.
“You what?” I pull back.
“R...Royce,” she stutters. She’s shaking and her lips areturning blue. It’s cooler than normal, but not freezing, which means she could be going into shock.
“I bit him,” she says again. “When he…his neck…”
There’s blood on her teeth and lips. Shit, it could be his, but it could also be hers. It’s probably both, which means her blood and teeth marks are on his body.
I look at Royce, wondering how we should handle this, but my thoughts are cut short by his lifeless eyes. There is nothing to handle because he’s dead.
We need to get rid of the body. If he is discovered, Elmhurst will get involved. It’s par for the course down here. When trouble brews, and one of those rich brats is involved, Elmhurst authorities sweep in and clean it up. And if they get involved, it’s game over. They will do everything they can until they find out who killed him, and I can’t let that happen.
I think fast, trying to figure out what to do, when a wave crashes onto shore, and rolls up to Royce’s body.
“Ellie…” I search her eyes, knowing what I need to do. The tide is coming in. In a few minutes, this part of the beach will be covered in water, and the ocean will take care of it. I just need to get him closer to the water. “Baby, I need to take care of this. Do you understand me?”
She grabs both arms, digging her nails into my skin frantically. “Don’t leave me.”
“I’m not leaving you. But I have to take care of this, right now. There’s no time.”
“Cruz.”
“Ellie…” I grip both sides of her head. “Listen to me. Your DNA and teeth marks are on his body. We have to get rid of the body. If they find him, it will lead back to you and then Jenica.”
She nods like she understands but doesn’t say anything. “Ellery, look at me.”
Her eyes flick up, but they’re vacant. That fucker is lucky he’sdead because I could kill him for what he’s done. And Cal… I hadn’t a fucking clue what he had to do with any of this, but what he was after is clear.
I look over my shoulder, and seeing he’s still unconscious, turn back around. “I have to take care of this, Ellie. I have to protect you.”
She closes her eyes and nods, and when I call for Jake he looks to Jenica, whispers something in her ear, then races over.
