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“I never lie. I don’t need to. Deception is for pussies.”
She laughed. “I don’t think you’re as bad as you’d like for people to believe.”
“I’m worse,” I replied. “You have no idea.” Another pop and a second tie broke free. I wiggled my fingers and flexed my wrist.
She walked over toward me, something hidden in her palm. “This isn’t going to hurt,” she said. “It’ll just help you sleep.”
“I don’t need to sleep,” I protested. My hands were now free, but I wasn’t sure that I could move my arms yet.
“Well, I do need some rest. I’ll figure out what to do with you tomorrow.”
“How do you see this ending?” I asked, and I rolled up to where I could sit straight up. I left my hands behind my back, like I was still bound.
“Sadly, I see it ending with your death. It’s the only way.”
Suddenly, the back door flew open and a man stumbled into the room. Megan spun around to face him, and I finally brought my hands to the front of my body. He clutched at his chest, where an oozing wound poured blood down his shirt. Blood poured over his fingers and down his arms as he stood there in the doorway, gurgling. Blood pooled from his lips and flew out of his mouth in one big spray. Megan lifted her hand to wipe her own face. That was disgusting.
“Well, this is most unfortunate,” Megan said, her voice cool. “I guess Will is here.” The man fell to the floor with a jarring thud. “Don’t worry,” she said. “He was expendable. And not very smart.” She made a tisking sound with her mouth.
Then Will was there. He stood in the doorway. He wore a black hoodie and a black stocking cap, and he stood braced in the doorway as he lifted the gun toward Megan.
Megan sat down in a chair and crossed her legs. “So nice of you to join us,” she said, her voice droll. “We were just getting to know one another.” She kicked a chair across the room toward him. “Please join us.”
Instead, Will walked sideways toward me, his gun still aimed at Megan. “Are you all right?” he asked me.
“I’m fine.” And I was. It could have been a lot worse. I could have been like the guy who’d just stumbled through the doorway. Will stood next to me, blocking me from Megan’s vision. He kicked his leg in my direction. It was almost imperceptible, but I did see it. I reached out, lifted the edge of his pant leg, and I retrieved the Glock 42 that rested there in an ankle holster. I palmed it in my grip and waited.
“I missed you,” Will said. Then he smiled at me. It was a devastatingly handsome smile, the kind that would make a normal woman swoon. But I was not a normal woman. I didn’t swoon. “One day, after we get married, do you think you could stop getting into scrapes long enough to pop out some babies?” he asked absently.
This time, it was me who snorted. “I’d make a terrible mother.”
“I think you’d be an amazing mother.” He stared hard into my eyes.
“You might not think so in a few minutes,” I warned.
His eyes narrowed but he didn’t reply. I got to my feet, his gun held in my hand.
“I need for you to trust me,” I said to him. “I’m a perfect shot, okay? I never miss.”
Megan jumped to her feet. “Wait just a minute.”
“Don’t worry, Megan. You’re safe.” I placated her. I looked at Will. “I know we never had time to go to the range together, but you have to trust me.”
“What?” he asked.
“I’m sorry, Will,” I said. I lifted his gun, braced myself, and then I shot him. He looked down at his hip, where the bullet had grazed him. It was freely bleeding, just like I’d known it would.
“What?” He looked down, pressing his hand against the flow of blood. “Why?” he asked, his eyes glazing over with pain as his brow furrowed.
“It had to be done.” I bit back the cry that was lodged in my throat and blinked back my tears. “I had no other choice.”
He looked down again. “You shot me.”
It wasn’t me who tried to stanch the flow of blood. It was her. The syringe that Megan had been holding clattered to the floor. And I saw it. I watched as she changed. I saw the look on her face when she ran straight to him. “Will!” she cried. “You’ve been shot!”
Will stared down into the eyes of the woman he’d once loved so fiercely. “Marley?” he asked.
“Yes, Will. It’s me. What happened? Where are we?” She looked around, confused.
