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Allen Sanders.Jayla’s grandfather.
Grabbing hold of Meyah, I dragged her across the gearshift and handbrake causing her to cry out. But there wasn’t time, we needed to get out. I took a deep breath and peeked up through the windows of the truck just in time to see Allen turn his gun on Kev and scream.
“Don’t fucking move!”
Kev’s hands went up. “Hey man, no harm.”
I knew Kev was armed, being an ex-police officer he never went anywhere without his holster that sat at his lower back. The problem was, I knew Allen would shoot him the moment he reached for it.
Kev inched closer to us as Allen watched him. The man’s hands were shaking and there was sweat forming on his brow. “You two girls, come out, or I shoot him!” he ordered. I looked down at Meyah who was huddled on the ground, tears streaming down her face.“Now.”
I quickly scooped her up in my arms and grabbed her chin, forcing her to look at me. Her eyes were wide with fear, a fear I knew only too well. “Whatever happens, you do not move from behind me, and you do not look over my shoulder. Stay behind me. If I tell you to run, you head straight for the space in the fence and into the clubhouse. Then you hide.”
Her body shook, her teeth chattering as she forced a very slow nod, telling me she’d heard me and she understood. I took her hand and turned my back, slowly walked around the truck and into view. Meyah stayed behind me, her clammy hand clutched in mine and her forehead pressed against my back.
Kev met us in front of Leo’s truck, his hands still in the air.
“You people really d-do care about your k-kids, huh?” Allen stammered. I knew he was trying to taunt us, but the way his voice shook showed me more. It showed me he was a desperate man.
“Why are you doing this?” I pleaded, strategically stepping closer to Kev so that our bodies were touching.
Allen shuddered and his finger twitched against the trigger causing my heart to stop momentarily until he had himself back under control. “Jayla was meant to bring me m-money. After we p-proved she was Edward’s, she would have got part of t-the inheritance he left. Over o-one hundred thousand dollars.”
With part of my body hidden by Kev, I slowly lifted my arm, sliding it up underneath his T-shirt to his lower back where I could feel the leather of his holster.
“Man,” Kev sighed, trying to distract the crazy man. “What do you need the money for? Maybe we can help?”
“It’s Edward’s fault,” Allen snapped, making me jump for a second. I squeezed Meyah’s hand reassuringly when she whimpered. “He started me gambling and let m-me get into a debt he k-knew I couldn’t pay back. T-They won’t leave me alone now. I n-need to pay it.”
His voice was almost filled with heartache. Nevertheless this was the same man who had blackmailed Edward Dean even after knowing he had impregnated his fifteen-year-old daughter. He should have gone straight to the cops, but instead, he booted Hayley out and took advantage of her situation.
As if he realized what was going on, his body straightened and he focused in on me. “Hand over the girl b-behind you.”
Meyah clutched my shirt.
“She has nothing to do with this,” I protested, pushing my shoulders back as my fingers continued to unclip Kev’s gun.
“She has now. I bet you lot would pay a shit load to get her back?” A dark smirk played at the corner of his mouth. “Now g-give her here.”
With the gun finally secured in my palm, all I needed was a good shot.
“You’re not taking her,” I told him, my voice unwavering.
He lifted his top lip, sneering at me, hate and desperation flowing off him in waves. “Give her to me, bitch.”
The cold metal chilled the palm of my hand as I waited for the perfect moment.
“You’ll have to go through me first.” I took pleasure in the way his eyes widened, obviously surprised. Good. He should be wary. He should be nervous. He should be scared. He underestimated what I would do to protect her, and if that meant taking his life, I’d do it and dance on his grave afterward.
Kev stepped in, feeling the tension rising as I refused to back down or cower to this man.
“Hey man, come on. How much money do you need? There’s no need to take her. We just don’t want anyone to get hurt. I can get you the money,” Kev offered, taking a step forward and drawing Allen’s attention.
I took a deep breath. It was now or never. His attention wasn’t on me, which would give me the chance to draw and shoot. I was quick, and a damn fucking good shot, but no matter how fast I was, he could still have time to pull that trigger as he went down, and who knew where those bullets would fly.
“Meyah,” I inhaled, speaking softly to the young girl who should have never been put in this position. I wasn’t about to let anything happen to her. “Run.”
Thank God, she didn’t waste a second, turning her body, her shoes slipping on the gravel behind me as she dug her toes in and pushed off. I pulled my hand from behind Kev’s back and on a deep exhale I pulled the trigger, over and over and over.
By the time Allen realized what was going on, my bullets were already hitting their target, throwing him backward with each jolt to his body. The gun slipped from his fingers, as he stumbled, no longer able to find the strength to squeeze the trigger. Kev and I both watched on as he fell to the ground, blood beginning to seep from the holes in his chest and stomach.
My heart started to race, my breathing becoming erratic.
I was struggling to pull in a breath, the pressure on my chest too much to handle.
Then everything went black.
