Page 298 of Knot What I Expected

“I said stop them!”

“And I said fuck you.”

His gun moves from my temple. Toward Matteo. Everything inside me stops.

“No.”

Across the clearing, Wreck has reached my son. Nando tries to hold on to him. Wreck’s paw moves.

Once.

It’s fast and brutal. Nando’s body hits the ground in two pieces.

I see it. And I know I should feel something.

Horror.

Grief.

Anything.

But I don’t. Not now.

Maybe later.

Right now, Wreck has Matteo. My baby throws his arms around the enormous Bear’s neck. Wreck drops onto all fours.

“Get him out of here!” I scream.

The Bear turns.

Ethan raises the gun.

“NO!”

Time slows.

I see the barrel. See where he’s aiming.

At Matteo.

My baby.

I move. There is no thought. No fear.

Nothing except the knowledge that if that bullet is going toward my child, it is going through me first.

I step in front of it.

But someone beats me there.

Monster.

BANG.

Rowan jerks.

No.