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My body goes into autopilot. I can’t think about anything other than getting to her and making sure she’s okay. I pick up my pace, running faster than I’ve ever run before.
People rush out of the deli as smoke escapes the hood of the SUV.
“Did anyone call 911?” I shout over the chatter of the witnesses to the accident. After pushing through the horde of people on the street and sidewalk, I bend down to help her up and feel a bit of relief when I realize she’s conscious.
“Baby.” I steady her and force her to look into my eyes. “Are you okay?”
She breathes out and nods. Bending over, she picks up her purse and phone from the pavement. “It happened so fast. I saw it come toward me, so I ran. Then I tripped and fell, but I managed to get back to my feet before it could hit me. Holy shit. It’s—”
She slurs some of her words as shock takes over.
“Are you hurt?” I examine her body, looking for blood.
“No, no, I’m fine. I think,” she says, looking down at the road rash on her palms. It pisses me off that she’s going to have to suffer from this now too.
“Is it on fire?” a woman asks as sizzling sounds come from the Escalade. It sideswiped at least four cars before crashing into a pole.
“It’s gonna explode!” someone shouts when smoke billows out.
Everleigh and I walk closer to see who’s driving. Two men surround the door and try to open it. It looks like the airbags have deployed, but the whole front is bashed in. A screeching sound echoes out as the door is forcefully pulled open.
They help a woman step out, but she pushes them away as she stumbles to her feet. Her face is bloody from the shattered glass. Though her red hair is messy, I get a flash of recognition.
It’s her—the woman who attacked Everleigh.
“You fuckin’ bitch,” she screams in a high-pitched tone. Her eyes are just as crazed as before. “You skank! You deserve to be dead because you’re the reason my husband is no longer alive!”
That’s all the confirmation I need to know that this is Natasha, Eric’s wife. We were right all along.
I move Everleigh behind me, trying to block her from this psychopath.
“You deserve to feel the same pain I felt the night I learned he was gone,” she yells. With the large crowd surrounding us, it becomes more of a showdown than anything.
Someone tries to grab Natasha’s arm, but she yanks it away. “Don’t fuckin’ touch me!”
“You deserve to be in jail,” I hiss.
“And that slut deserves to be dead!”
Gasps are heard all around.
“You’re insane, Natasha!” Everleigh shouts. “I didn’t know he was married!” Everleigh’s body trembles against me.
“Yes, you did,” she seethes. “You’re a goddamn liar!”
“I’m not lying. It was a fling, and it would've never happened had he told me he had a wife,” Everleigh tells her, but there’s no way she’ll ever convince Natasha otherwise.
It all happens so quickly. Natasha reaches behind her and pulls a gun from the back of her pants. The crowd gasps, then disperses. I swallow hard, guarding Everleigh with my body. If she wants to shoot her, she’ll have to go through me first, but I’m not about to let that happen.
“Natasha…” I say, holding out my hands. “Put the gun down.”
“Move out of the fuckin’ way,” she says between gritted teeth. “This is between me and that whore.”
“You don’t wanna do this. Set it down before you hurt someone.”
Natasha moves forward until she’s standing three feet away. I reach behind me, holding Everleigh in place.
“Get out of the goddamn way,” she says at the top of her lungs, her voice echoing off the downtown buildings.
