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“I don’t know, I don’t know, I don’t know!”
I catch movement out of the corner of my eye, and when I shoot a quick glance to the right, I almost let out an audible groan as dread rolls over me.
Is she fucking kidding me?
Phoenix is crouched behind the wall in the hallway when she’s supposed to be far away from here.
I return my attention to Cory. “Come on. Remember our talk at the skate park? You said you wanted to pursue art. I saw those sketches you left my girlfriend. That was you, wasn’t it?”
Cory nods.
“This isn’t you, Cory. You’re strung out right now but once you get clean, you can start a whole new life. You can turn your art into something great.”
“Enough!” He squeezes his eyes shut and shakes the gun at me. “You’re lying. It’s just like Damon said the night he died: You just want me to put down my gun so you can arrest me. I won’t have a future after this. It’s too late now.”
“It’s not too late. As long as you don’t pull that trigger, it’s not too late.”
“You have to die.”
“No!” Phoenix jumps out from behind the wall and dives in front of me, shoving my gun into my hand.
The sound of a gunshot blasts through the air, but it misses me. I fall onto my back as I aim for Cory’s arm, and shoot.
He drops his gun, and I scramble to snatch it away from him.
“James.”
My head jerks up at the sound of Phoenix’s voice.
I rush over to her, lying on the floor in a growing puddle of blood. “Fuck, baby. You’re shot.”
“I couldn’t leave you.” She glances down at her arm, and her eyes go wide.
I search for the bullet wound and spot it on her left arm below her shoulder. “It’s gonna be all right. I’ve gotta get you to the hospital.”
Leo, Dad, and Phil burst through the front door, their eyes roaming over the bloody scene in front of them. Phil rushes over to Cory while Dad calls for an ambulance.
Leo drops to his knees beside me. “What the fuck happened?”
“We have to get her out of here now.” I lock eyes with my brother. “I need you.”
I rip off my shirt, the buttons flying and scattering around us. I tie it in a knot around Phoenix’s arm, and she cries out.
“It has to be tight, sweetheart. I’m so sorry.” I scoop her up into my arms and jerk my chin toward the door. “Leo, you’re going to stay with her in the back seat. Keep her awake and keep pressure on her arm.”
Leo jogs out ahead of me and swings open my car door. “You sure you don’t want me to drive? This way you can stay with her.”
“No.”
I’ll get us to the hospital in time.
I have to.
“Come on, Nixie. Keep those eyes open.” Leo cradles Phoenix’s lifeless body in the back seat. “Fuck, she’s losing a lot of blood.”
I glance in the rearview mirror. “Leo, keep her awake.”
“I’m trying.”
