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I scream, but it sounds like a distant echo. Justin jerks back into me, and I watch in horror as he crumbles to the ground.
“No!” I fall to my knees, my ears ringing. “No! No!”
He’s bleeding from his shoulder and chest. “It’s okay. You’re going to be okay.” I press my hand to his wound.
“I’m sorry. I caused this.” He coughs. “I shouldn’t have let you go.”
“No, it’s not your fault. You’re going to be okay.” There’s so much blood. Hands grip my waist, pulling me away. “No! You can’t leave him!” He has a family. A wife. A baby on the way.
“Time to go, love.”
“Let me go! You can’t leave him!” I kick and scream. He tugs me to his chest and presses the gun against my ribcage. “Fucking walk.” He drags me from the living room to the kitchen. I try to grab the doorframe, my nails scraping along the wood without finding purchase. Vince opens the back door, and I sob as he takes the steps two at a time. “Vince, please.”
“You did this. You just had to be—”
“Take one more step, and I will blow your fucking head off.” I release a shuttered sob at Tate’s voice. Vince stops and twists us around, tugging me against his chest. “Let her go, asshole.”
“You again. I knew I should’ve found a way to kill you after that bomb didn’t.”
“I plan on killing you now.”
Vince squeezes my arm, pulling me closer. “We both know you won’t put her at risk. You’re going to let me walk away.” Tate raises his gun, and Vince adjusts me more firmly in front of him. “You should have gotten the hint a long time ago.”
Tate’s eyes flash to mine. It’s quick, a second at most, but I read his message: get ready to move.
“What do you think’s gonna happen here,Paul?” Vince’s body becomes still, his shoulders straightening. “You wanna tell her who you really are? Or should I?”
Vince steps back, dragging me with him. “Back up.”
“Let her go.”
Vince’s manic laugh sends a shudder down my spine.
“Tate, please,” I say, suddenly remembering Justin. He’s bleeding out. If someone doesn’t help him, he’s going to die. “Just go,” I beg. Tate has no idea just how unhinged this guy is.
“Ain’t leaving without you, babe—”
“Stop calling her that!” Vince hisses. “She doesn’t belong to you.”
“She’s all mine, Paul. Every inch of her. Especially that pretty little pussy of hers.”
My nerves hackle. My eyes widen as I gawk at Tate. He doesn’t look my way. What the fuck is he doing? Trying to get us both killed?
“Stop talking about her like that. Get out of here.” Vince continues to move backward, dragging me with him. “This place is rigged. One wrong move—” Reaching behind him, he flips the latch for the gate.
“Whatever you say, Paul. What would Daddy think? His loser, reject son obsessing over and kidnapping someone. God only knows what else. Bet he’s done with you—”
“I don’t care about my father. He doesn’t know anything!”
“He knows you’re a psychopath. The clingy little brat who can’t get a woman on his ow—”
“Shut up.”
“Or should we talk about your mommy issues? She didn’t even say goodbye when she left you, did she?”
“Shut up!” Vince twitches and slightly lowers his gun, slipping up. Two shots ring out, and Vince jerks back and stumbles, the impact from the bullets taking me down with him. He slams against the gate, his grip on me loosening, then crumbles to the ground.
Tate lunges toward me, but I fight past him. “Babe, it’s okay. I got you—”
