Page 203 of Only Be Mine

“Drop it,” he said quietly. “And I won’t kill you.”

I kept mine trained on him.

“Drop yours first.”

He gave me a small, almost amused look.

“You’ve never fired one,” he said. “Have you?”

I didn’t answer.

“This isn’t about you,” he continued conversationally. “It’s about her.”

My grip tightened.

“You touch her…”

“You’re already gone,” he said.

And he pulled the trigger.

The impact knocked the air from my lungs.

Heat exploded through my stomach.

The gun fell from my hands.

I hit the floor.

The pain was blinding for a moment, then strangely distant, like my body was already retreating.

I saw a phone on the side table.

If I could just…

I crawled, each movement left a smear of red behind me.

My fingers wrapped around the receiver.

Pressed nine.

Trevor kicked it away.

The receiver clattered across the hardwood.

He stood over me.

Disappointed.

“You should have let her go,” he said.

Blood filled my mouth.

I tried to say her name.

“Cate…”

He crouched beside me.