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“Rain!” I yell as she runs down the hallway.
“You don’t fucking know me,” she hisses over her shoulder, still stumbling forward in her heels and designer dress. “You’ll never know me. I’m nobody’s property.”
She gets out on the lawn, by which time Liberato has joined me in running after her.
“Rain, don’t,” I scream, now panicking. “The guards!”
Liberato curses softly as he speaks into his phone, rattling off orders in Spanish.
That’s when the shot rings out, deafening in the middle of the night with only music from the salon disrupting the deathly silence that follows.
“Fucking hell,” Liberato mutters, facing me with a horrified expression.
But I don’t wait for the shock to kick in. I spring forward, my mind only on Rain and her safety as I rush into the cool night. I hear more screaming and soft gasps mixing with moans of pain as I get out. There’s a body on the ground, and it’s wearing a blood red dress.
It’s her.
It has to be.
My knees buckle at the sight and I rush forward, landing next to her and cradling her in my arms. Everything is forgotten. Blood is seeping into my clothes and Rain is crying. At this moment, I’ll forgive her for anything. Thing is, I don’t know if I’ll be able to forgive myself.
Because as she faces me, Rain whispers, “You promised you wouldn’t let anybody hurt me.”
Chapter 13
RAIN
The bullet hits me at lightning speed. Pain explodes in my shoulder and a scream rips itself from my lips as I stumble to the ground. My ankle twists unnaturally and I wince from the pain as I go down.
The night sky above me is inky black and covered in stars. My body trembles for precious seconds until Heath reaches me. His face is blurry before me and I cry as he pulls me into his embrace, muttering things I’m not even aware of as he holds me close.
“What happened?” I whisper, shaking.
“One guard shot you,” he mutters in response. “They’re taught to shoot at anything unusual. But I think the bullet just grazed you. The doctor will be here soon.”
I nod and let my eyes flutter closed again as I wait for the pain to subside. Tears stream down my cheeks and I fight the urge to sob out loud. My escape attempt didn’t work. I don’t know whether I’m relieved or disappointed. It was doomed from the start, anyway. I should’ve known Heath would never let me get away.
He’s even worse than Xavier in that regard.
Neither of us mentions our argument and the way I tried to run away from him. The doctor arrives and confirms my arm was only grazed while my ankle seems to be sprained. Just then, Liberato drags over a guard who’s shaking wildly as he falls to his knees on the wet grass.
“He’s the one that shot her,” Liberato mutters. “But please, Heath, he’s new.”
I risk a look at the man who did this to me. He’s younger than me, he looks barely eighteen, and he’s shaking like a leaf. But that doesn’t seem to phase Heath in the slightest.
I risk a look at the man who did this to me. He’s younger than me, he looks barely eighteen, and he’s shaking like a leaf. But that doesn’t seem to phase Heath in the slightest. She’s running away and is accidentally shot by one guard.
“Don’t hurt him, Heath,” I whisper weakly, but my captor isn’t paying attention to me any longer, distracted by the boy.
Silently, Heath clicks the trigger off on his gun and points it at the boy’s head while I beg him to stop.
“Heath,” L hisses.
“No, I don’t want to hear it.”
He looks like a savage as he pushes his hair back, his dark eyes focused on the boy standing in front of him and trembling with fear.
“I let the last guy who hurt her go, but that’s not happening this time,” Heath hisses, though I can see his resolve is weakening as he stares at the weeping culprit. “Any last words?”
“Please,” the boy sputters to life. “I didn’t know it was her. She’s just a toy. Don’t kill me just because of a woman, I-“
He doesn’t get to finish his sentence. Heath’s gunshot rings out in the silent night and the boy’s body crumples to the ground. I hear my own piercing scream echoing in my ears and I feel Heath drop to his knees next to me, gently touching my shoulder.
When his fingers come away wet with my blood, his expressions darkens. Barking orders at his men, he takes me in his arms and takes special care to carry me into the house. Once there, he doesn’t head to my bedroom, though.
Instead, Heath carries me to his room.
His room is a mix of navy with dark wood. Glorious views of the ocean await me from his window, and he has his private hot tub. I accept all this with my head spinning as he sets me down on his bed, being as careful as if I was a porcelain doll.
