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“Take me.” A gasp sounds from behind me, but I do my best to ignore it. “You can use me for whatever you want. Keep me locked in a cage if you have to and tell everyone I died, but let them go.”
“Knox, don’t do this,” Laney pleads.
“How do I know they won’t say anything?”
I shrug, defeated. “Because who are people going to believe? Two girls who have been known to get in to trouble lately, or an established businessman? You cover your tracks like a fucking professional. Are you really afraid of them bringing you down?” He seems to be genuinely considering the idea, so I go in for the kill. “Their deaths will only create more problems for you. This way, you win.”
It takes a very slow minute, but as he nods at one of his guys, I exhale in relief and turn to face Delaney. Her face is soaked with tears, and no matter how many I wipe away, more only replace them.
“Please, don’t.”
I press a kiss to her forehead. “I have to, baby. I have to.” Another kiss to her lips. “I want you to go, and I want you to be brilliant. You were always meant for amazing things, Bambi. Go become a doctor and cure cancer, or solve world hunger. You’re going to be so great, I know it.”
She shakes her head. “I can’t leave you here.”
“You can, and you will. It’s the only way.”
“I don’t want to. I love you.”
Hearing her say those words, even after all I’ve done, is like music to my ears, but fuck does it sting. “I—”
The radio Cal has sounds with some sort of alarm, cutting me off. “Hey boss, we got company out here.”
My eyes widen. No. No! Fuck! Within seconds, Cal pulls his gun back out and points it at Delaney and me. I shield her with my body, but if he shoots, it could go right through me and hit her.
“What the fuck did you do?” he rages.
I raise my hands in surrender. “Nothing. I swear. I didn’t tell a soul.”
His lip curls into a snarl, and he turns to the two men with him. “Go handle that, now!” The goons run off for the entrance while Cal stays completely focused on me. “You think I’m fucking stupid, boy? Do you not know who you’re up against? I’ve killed a hundred little fuckers like you—cocky bastards who think they stand a chance against me.”
“Whoever is out there, they’re not here because of me.”
Nothing I say can get through to him again, that much is clear. “Delaney, get out from behind Knox. Let me see that pretty face.”
“Don’t,” I mutter under my breath, and she listens.
“Delaney!” Cal yells, cocking the gun and putting it at Tessa’s head. “Fucking now!” She tries to stay strong, but I can see she’s breaking as she steps into view. “That’s better. Step away from your boyfriend. I don’t want him trying anything heroic.”
The further she gets from me, the more my chest tightens. Cal is clearly getting enjoyment out of this drama because he watches me with a devilish smirk. The sick piece of shit is probably getting off on this, watching his own nieces fear for their lives. He’s a soulless prick—devoid of any real emotions.
“You almost had me fooled,” he says, shaking his head. “What was that? Just a distraction until your backup arrived?”
“Cal, I promise you. I had nothing to do with whatever is going on outside. My plan can still work.” I try taking a subtle step toward Delaney, but he points his gun at me—a silent order not to move. I raise my hands. “Just let the girls go. You can still get away with all this.”
“No, he can’t.” Jackson appears out of fucking nowhere on the other side of Delaney, holding a gun pointed straight at Cal. “Dominic Callahan, put the gun down!” It’s then that we both notice the badge hanging around his neck. He’s a cop?
Cal throws his head back laughing, with his gun still pointed at me. Good. Better than the alternative. “I should have known you were a fucking pig.”
“It’s over, Cal. Just put the gun down, and I won’t be forced to shoot you.”
Focusing all his attention on me, Cal narrows his eyes. “This is all your fault. I help you, and this is how you repay me?” He grunts. “I should kill you. Take you out with me just for the hell of it.” His expression changes to one that sends a chill down my spine. “But given how much you fought to protect her, I think it’ll be more painful if I take her instead.”
“Don’t!”
It all happens in slow motion. Cal turns his gun toward Delaney, and I immediately start rushing her way as he pulls the
trigger. The second his gun fires, Jackson empties his entire clip, but my only focus is to save Laney. The impact of the bullet in my chest is almost a relief, knowing I made it, but the pain is excruciating, and I fall heavily at her feet, unable to control my own momentum.
