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“Yes, he is,” she spoke over me, her voice shaky and filled with devastation. This couldn’t be true. Ivey would’ve told them when he called. Right? I glanced back at Noelle who had her mouth open and eyes wide. She wasn’t of use to me whatsoever.
“How can you be so sure? How—”
“Because Byron showed me a video. He shot and killed Lock because of me, and I’m so sorry. Please tell Brad how sorry I am. I don’t—”
“Now hold up, Phoebe. He couldn’t have killed him, I just…” I grew silent not knowing what to say to get her to calm down. She was hysterical. Talking all kinds of crazy.
“Listen, babe, let me call Ivey. I’m sure he can—
“No!” she exclaimed excitedly. “You can’t please. I can’t afford to lose you two and neither could Brad. I won’t have your death on my conscience too. That’s why I agreed to meet him. I have to do this in order to keep you guys safe from him.”
“What! No, Phoebe, you can’t.”
Unable to focus anymore, I pulled over quickly so I could concentrate on the call.
“Listen to me, I can prove Lock’s fine. Let me just call—”
“I said no, don’t. I don’t want anyone else getting hurt. Not after Homer…those police officers…oh God, Ana, this has to end. I have to find Byron. He’s gonna pay for what he’s done.”
Before I could say anything else, she was gone, she had disconnected the call.
“Fuck!” I blurted, peeled back into traffic and hauled ass the rest of the way to Lock’s place. When I got there, my heart was in my throat. Noelle gasped next to me just as in shock as I was. She then picked up her phone and begin messing with it. She held the phone up and I thought she was recording until I saw Ivey’s face on her screen.
The sight before me made my heart break and tears to spring to my eyes. Lock’s home, his sanctuary, was barely standing. Flames consumed the house, bursting from windows, lighting the darkness with its destruction. Fire trucks and police cars littered the street. Firefighters were actively fighting the fire, trying to save the houses on either side of Lock. Lock’s house didn’t look as if it would be saved.
Good God…
I picked up my phone and call Phoebe again, but the call went straight to voicemail. I tried again, thinking that maybe she was trying to call me at the same time I was calling her. Wishful thinking, I know, but I tried to be optimistic, I really did. But there wasn’t a use for optimism here. The call went right to voicemail, again, indicating that she had turned off her phone.
Noelle ended the call and turned to me, her eyes red, face streaked with tears.
“Lock was shot,” she said shakily.
I gasped, brought my hand to my belly then chest, unable to breathe.
“What?”
Noelle nodded and grabbed my hand. She took a deep breath of her own and let it out slowly, fighting for control as she gave me the rest.
“He’s okay. He was wearing a vest. He has some bruising and is very sore but otherwise, he’s going to be fine.”
I let out the breath I was holding, relief flooding my veins.
“Oh, thank god.”
I smiled waiting for Noelle to smile in relief with me, but she seemed to get sadder.
“What else is it?”
“Brady.” She inhaled deeply. “It looks like he stepped in the way of the bullet and got hit first. The bullet went through him and hit Lock. Brady’s in surgery and they don’t know if he’s going to make it.”
“Oh no!” My hands covered my mouth as tears fell from my eyes.
Brady was such a sweetheart. No, heisa sweetheart. I would not speak his death into existence. Brady didn’t work my case very much, but after everything settled, he and I met and hit it off. He’s actually closer to my age and we were a little closer than the other guys. Sol was still my dude, but Brady had my heart. To learn that he was fighting for his life broke that heart. I closed my eyes, held Noelle’s hand tight and prayed for him. I prayed that this night wouldn’t end in disaster. That everyone would be safe and sound except the person responsible for this whole mess. Byron Schindler.
He’s going to burn in hell and I’m going to be the one to send him there if it’s the last thing I do.
“Babe?”
