To tell her I love her.
But I can’t do that.
She’s not safe until I neutralize Decker.
She shifts, her gaze wild.
Again, I warn her to be quiet, and she presses her lips together.
I position myself on the other side of the trap door and wait, my gun trained on the opening.
Jessica made my job easy by getting him into that cellar.
My smart, beautiful girl.
The love of my life.
The only love of my life.
I stay focused and waiting.
For her.
Russ comes up the stairs with his arms full of canned goods, supplies, and duct tape.
The moment his head comes into view, I put the gun to the base of his skull. His hands rise on instinct, and all the items fall, tumbling across the floor and down the stairs back into the cellar.
“You hurt her.” My voice is deadly as I nudge the firearm against his head. “You fucking touched her.”
Decker tries to look over his shoulder.
I smack him with the butt of my gun. “Don’t fucking move.”
“I’m sorry, man. It was an accident. I didn’t mean to take her. I didn’t mean to hurt her, I swear.” He starts babbling.
I block out his words as the anger rages through me.
I want him dead.
I almost lost her.
The only thing that’s ever mattered to me and he tried to take her.
My vision blurs as the haze of anger blocks out everything but making him pay.
My finger twitches on the trigger.
“Charlie.” Jessica’s quiet, trembling voice pulls me back from the brink of that cold, desolate place where my fury stays hidden.
I don’t answer.
“Charlie, please.” She tries again.
I push the gun into his skull and glance at her.
Her expression is soft. “Don’t do it. He’s not worth it.”
“He hurt you.” My voice shakes.
