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It was that perseverance that made me weak to her.
Fourteen. Thirteen. Twelve.
I hated myself for caring too much. For breaking my rules. For falling in love and making her a target. It was my fault she was in this position. It was my fault that she had gotten into the crosshairs of my father. I wouldn’t let her die for me, though. I wouldn’t let her go down for this. If anyone deserved to die, it was me. If anyone needed to die, it should be me.
Not her.
Not the only shred of beauty that had ever come into my world.
Ten. Nine. Eight.
Time was running out. It was now or never. With a guttural roar, I picked my foot up and bashed it into the face of the only other man coming for me. I watched his teeth splatter against the grass. I heard him moaning in pain as his body jumped and writhed. I hated my father for using her like this. For using her as bait against me. I knew she’d be a risk. I knew she’d be a weakness. And I’d pursued it anyway. Selfishness drove me to her.
But love would bring us back together.
Seven. Six. Five.
“Not so fast.”
I charged my father, ready to knock him into the pool. Until he pulled a gun out of the holster on his hip. I panted for air. Heaved for it, really. And as the men on the ground that were still alive groaned out in misery, my eyes fell to his gun.
Four. Three. Two.
Time seemed to stand still. My father approached me, moving away from the edge of the pool. I couldn’t take my eyes away from him. I felt him press the barrel of the gun against my chest. My heart hammered against my sternum. His smile faded, and something akin to sorrow replaced it.
Which was impossible. Because my father didn’t understand what it was like to feel sorry for anything.
“You can do whatever you want with me. Just let me get her first,” I said.
Dad cocked his head. “You really do love her, don’t you?”
I refused to answer him and I heard that telltale tick.
“It would do you well to answer me,” he said.
I swallowed hard. “Yes. I do.”
He snickered. “And here I thought my son was just a one-pump-and-done kind of man.”
My nose twitched. “Let me get her out of that pool, and you can have me. Whatever you want to do, I’ll let you do it. Just let me get her.”
He sighed. “You know I can’t do that, son.”
“I’m not your son.”
“DNA would say differently.”
“Experience wouldn't.”
His finger twitched against the trigger. “You know, I really am sorry about all this.”
I scoffed. “Yeah. I’m sure you are.”
My eyes flickered over his shoulder. Down into the pool. Where I saw Dani’s immobile form sitting against the bottom of the pool. I didn’t see any bubbles. The water was starting to still. And as the clouds moved away from the moon, the glow of the night illuminated my father’s disgusting face.
One.
“Dad, please.”
