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Kai nodded and Deck pointed to himself and then right. Kai nodded. Oh, my God, they were going to take them out.
“No. Kai.” My heart was pumping wildly and I shook so bad, I was afraid the gun was going to accidentally go off.
“No choice here, baby.” Before I could say anything else, Kai nodded once to Deck and they both rolled into the corridor.
I stepped forward, my breath locked in my chest as I heard gunshots from both directions. Deck and Kai were out of my line of sight.
I heard groans and bodies hitting the floor, but I couldn’t see anything. Georgie was peeking around the corner and shooting. I moved forward, but my dad blocked me with his body.
“No.”
“Dad, I can shoot.” I couldn’t, but I had to do something.
“No,” he repeated, his voice firm. “You need to do what Kai—”
A man staggered into the alcove, blood covering the front of his shirt from a knife plunged into his chest.
“London!” I heard Kai shout.
There were a few more gunshots, but everything was in slow motion as the man raised his gun and pointed it at me.
“Deck!” Kai yelled.
I raised my gun, too.
It happened within milliseconds. My dad dove for the guy at the same time as both guns went off. The man fell backward, my dad on top of him.
Neither moved.
“Dad!”
I scrambled for him, dropping the gun and falling to my knees beside him.
“Dad. Dad.” I tried to roll him over from lying on top of the other guy. “Dad,” I sobbed.
Suddenly, I was being pulled to my feet and arms wrapped around me. “Baby, give Deck a second to help him.”
It was then I noticed Deck on his knees beside my father, Georgie standing against the wall her hand to her mouth.
Deck had my dad on his back and there was blood all over his chest. “Kai, let me see him. Let me go.” I shoved at his arms and he finally released me.
I fell to my knees beside Deck who was putting pressure on my dad’s chest, but there was so much blood. I didn’t know if it was just my dad’s or the other guy’s, but when I saw my dad’s face, I knew.
“No. God, no. Dad. No. Please.” Oh, God, I was so close to getting him back. After all this time, we had a chance, but it was being ripped away.
“London,” he managed and then spurted blood, coughing.
Tears blurred my vision as I watched my dad struggle to breathe. He looked past me and I sensed Kai behind me then his hand was on my shoulder.
“I owe you. For… finding… her. Hiding her from… them.” He coughed again and I used my sleeve to wipe his mouth. “For protecting… her when I didn’t.”
And then Kai did something I never thought he’d do. He crouched, put his hand on my dad’s shoulder and squeezed. Then my dad was looking back at me and I took his hand and held it in mine.
“Dad. We can get you out. Just hold on.” But I knew that wasn’t true.
He half-smiled. “No. Don’t… need to hold on… anymore. Just waiting to see you…again. Love….” His eyes glazed over and blood dripped from the corner of his mouth.
“No, Dad. No,” I choked out. “Oh, God, Dad.” I collapsed onto his neck. “Dad.”
I had no idea how long I cried, but it was probably only seconds before I heard Deck.
“We need out. Now,” Deck ordered.
Hands peeled me away from my dad and I knew it was Kai.
“Dad—”
“Baby, we have to go.”
I knew that logically, but everything inside me wanted to stay with my dad. “I… Kai… we didn’t get time.”
He wiped the tears with his thumb. “Baby, your dad was dying of cancer. He had months left. Maybe not even. He knew that. He was holding on to see you again.”
I swallowed. “Cancer?”
He nodded.
Kai gently urged me further away from my dad, the pain crushing and debilitating.
“He was a good man.” Kai kissed the top of my head. “I liked him.”
Georgie threw her arms around me. “Sugar, I’m so sor—”
Deck settled his hands on her shoulders then drew her back. “Not now, rainbow. Let’s go.”
Then we were running for the stairwell. Deck cleared it first and then we took one flight of stairs up before Deck held up his hand and we stopped.
“Vic, we’re in position.”
Kai handed me my gun. “Baby, here and now. Okay?”
Tears kept sliding down my cheeks, but I nodded. As my shaking hand curled around the hard metal, I heard the gunshots down the hall.
“Vic. He’s coming to help us,” Kai said.
I was still thinking about my dad, his face, the way his empty eyes stared up at me. God, he’d been dying. And now he was gone and….Kai’s hands cupped my head so I was forced to look at him. “I know you’re not good. But I need you to focus.”
