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“Luna is unharmed and will be returned to you in exchange for Ren, as promised,” Rebecca speaks.
“My daughter didn’t leave here unharmed and for that, you will pay.” Xander raises his gun higher, pointing directly at Rebecca’s head. She gulps, her eyes go wide with fear, and I can see her hands shaking from over here. Her son, William, still looking smug as ever. He has no idea who he is dealing with.
I enjoy seeing her frightened, but I also don’t want Xander to kill her. I should be the one doing that and no one else.
“I’m sure we can figure someone out that would satisfy you,” Dimitri says, voice quivering in fear. “We just got some new young girls in, only fifteen and untouched. You can have one as a retribution.”
Xander takes a threatening step toward them. “I want Luna and Ren coming back home with us unharmed, and I want her dead for what she did to my daughter. Agree to my terms or we start shooting.”
While Rebecca looks like she’s about to throw up, Dimitri simply smiles before he says, “You are outnumbered.” His words barely leave his mouth before Xander’s men start piling in behind us.
“Are you sure about that?” Now it’s Xander’s turn to smile.
Dimitri rubs his chin with his free hand, like he is seriously thinking about the offer. Then he looks up at Rebecca mouthing the word Sorry. Shock takes over Rebecca’s face as she shakes her head profusely. She opens her mouth to say something, but it’s too late. Dimitri lifts his gun to her head and pulls the trigger.
One moment, her eyes plead with him not to kill her, the next they go blank. Her lifeless body crumbles to the floor like a doll. And just like that, she’s finally gone.
William stands in shock, starting at his mother’s dead body like he can’t believe she is gone. His shock quickly turns to anger. Anger directed not at Dimitri, but me. His unhinged gaze finds mine as he lifts his gun toward me. Unlucky for him, I’m faster. I raise my gun and before he has the chance to pull his trigger, I fire my gun.
The bullet hits him in the center of his chest. Blood quickly pulsing out of his wound, soaking his white shirt crimson. He falls onto his knees, still trying to lift his gun higher, but the strength has already left his body. He falls forward, landing on the ground, only a few feet from his mother.
At least I got to kill one of them.
“Go get the girl,” Dimitri orders his men, completely unphased with what just happened. “And lower your guns. We’re all civil here.”
Dimitri’s guys lower their guns right away but Rebecca’s men stand frozen in shock, staring at their fallen leaders, like lost puppies.
“I said lower your fucking guns,” Dimitri snarls, drawing them out of their frightened trance.
Two of the men disappear through the exit. The afternoon sunlight filtering in lets us know that the exit leads to the outside. A few tense moments later, they return with Luna walking in between them. As soon as she sees us, she runs to us, falling into our father’s arms. He engulfs her into a bear hug, shielding her from the death inside this room.
“Are we even now?” Dimitri asks.
“For now,” Xander responds.
Dimitri nods. His shoulders sag slightly, as if he is relieved not to be on Xander’s bad side anymore. And he should be. Xander is not somebody you want to mess with.
Dimitri and his men leave the room while we make our way back through the tunnel. Dad never lets go of Luna, keeping her by his side as we arrive back at New Haven.
My mind is still reeling, trying to let it sink in that Rebecca and William are dead. Even though it wasn’t by my hand, she is finally gone. This is what I’ve been working toward for so long, and now that it has happened, I can’t quite process that it’s over.
Quinton walks in front of me as we step out into the now setting sun. Outside, we find the street empty. My father still doesn’t let go of Luna, holding her close by his side, as we walk back toward the gate.
I squint against the sun, my eyes not fully adjusting to the bright light yet. I bring my hand up, holding it above my brow to shield me from the sun. That’s when I see him perched up on the guard house with a rifle in front of him. A gun that’s pointed straight at the person next to me. Quinton.
It feels like everything happens at the same time. The gun going off, me throwing myself against my best friend, the pain radiating through my chest, and then finally me hitting the ground.
21
SCARLET
Ican’t wait for the cars to pull to a stop before I’m out the door, running down the stairs. I hope everybody knows me well enough to know I couldn’t possibly wait a second longer.
All I got was a single text from Quinton:Everybody safe. Ren injured but OK.
What the hell is that supposed to mean? Any number of things could’ve happened. Ren doesn’t need to hurt any worse than he already does. When is this ever going to end?
The door to one of the SUVs opens slowly, and the sight of Luna’s tear-stained face pulls a grateful sob out of my chest. She looks my way after climbing out and offers a shaky smile that lasts roughly two seconds before she spots Sophie dashing toward her. Seeing her mom is what breaks her, and the two of them weep in each other’s arms while Roman wraps them both in a hug.
