Page 95 of Carte

“You know there’s no way in hell I’m gonna do that,” I said looking around, trying to figure out a way out of this situation.

Cassie smirked, “Yes, you are. You as well as me know damn well, you have no other choice.”

“If I do that, you’re just going to hurt Harley, and I can’t let you do that.”

“I won’t hurt Harley,” she said softly. “I’m going to kill her. I have to. That’s the only way that he’ll love me.”

“Warden,” Harley called them.

As my eyes came to hers, a wall of sorrow hit me, “I love you.”

Her words spoke of finality. Of end before we even had a beginning.

“I love you too, Dynamo. But this is not the end.”

Cassie shook Harley by her hair like she was a ragdoll, making her face confront in pain, “see, even she knows there’s only one way out of this.”

“Trevor,” I said, not looking away from Harley.

Her eyes widened then, “She’s my sister, Warden.”

Her voice was full of pleas. Harley was scared that we would hurt her sister. A sister she didn’t even know about until just now. A sister that wanted to kill her.

Just then, Jude screamed, leaned down, and charged towards Cassie and harley, “You can’t hurt her. I need her.”

Reid reached out and grabbed him by the collar, hauling him into one of the stalls.

Trevor shifted and took aim.

Harley’s lip quivered, and she mouthed, “I love you.”

Cassie turned her head, a laugh just starting to burst out of her, her focus on Jude’s failed attempt at getting to her.

The third shot rang through the bathroom, and Cassie's fist slipped from Harley.

I rushed over and took her into my arms before her body even had a chance to sway in the opposite direction.

“You shot me,” Cassie screamed. “You fucking shot me.”

“Calm down, bitch,” Trevor muttered as he turned her to her belly, and zip tied her wrists. “It’s just a flesh wound. The docs will stitch your leg right up before you head over to prison.”

“Carter,” Harley pushed her face into my chest.

My heart felt like it was trying to beat right through my sternum to get to the woman that owned it.

“It’s okay,” I kissed the top of her head. “It’s all over now.”

“Someone call 9-1-1,” Reid yelled then. He was standing in the stall, holding an unconscious Jude in his arms.

His eyes came to mine, “She shot him in his shoulder, probably nicked the vein or an artery.” Jude’s eyes were closed, her face turned white. “He’s barely breathing, and his pulse is getting weak. We need to get him to the hospital now.”

Harley looked up then. Her eyes went to the stall.

“No,” she whimpered and took a step to go to Jude.

“Don’t,” I said, and pulled her back into my body. “You can’t help him. Not now.”

Chapter Twenty Seven