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Praying it works.
“They figured out I had it. One of their guys made contact the morning of the op. Told me if I didn’t hand it over and make sure they left with the money and both girls, I was dead. Once I explained there were already copies and it wouldn’t be that easy to silence me, we struck a deal we could both walk away from.”
My eyes stay locked on Carys’s, but she’s panicking. Her eyes are glazed and unfocused, and I can see from here her breathing is shallow and rapid.
I see it but can’t stop it.
Fuck.
“Carys.” Her green eyes snap to mine, centering on me.
“Don’t talk to her. Do you want to wear her brains, Sinclair? I got nothing to lose, so don’t make me pull this trigger.”
Her body shakes as she tries to breathe through her fear.
“I still don’t get it. Why Linc?” My brain is scrambling for a way to disarm him without him killing her, but the risks are too high.
“He got to Saylor.” His wild eyes bounce around the room, probably finalizing his exit strategy. “I needed both girls to leave with the group, not with our team. They couldn’t be saved. That was part of the deal. And there was no way Linc was letting her go. It was his life or mine.” The gun moves, pushing harder against Carys’s pale skin, and I know I’ll never forget the terror in her eyes. “Kinda like now. I’m not gonna die today, Sinclair. So you can ignore your savior complex. Me and baby momma are gonna walk out of here, and you’re gonna let us.”
“No,” Carys cries out, and Axe presses his forearm to the front of her neck. “Cooper...” she sobs.
“We’re gonna back through this door, and you’re gonna let me, or she’s gonna die. I got nothing left to lose, Sinclair. You better believe if her life is my only bargaining chip, I’m gonna play it.”
Carys’s cell phone rings in the pocket of her leggings.
It’s not much, but it’s enough.
I take the shot.
Red blooms directly between his eyes, and I dive for Carys, hoping to God his finger doesn’t squeeze the trigger as we go down.
Oh, God.”My phone vibrates once from the pocket of my leggings.
Then the obnoxious ringtone Chloe programmed for herself pierces the silence. Everything happens within a split-second after that. But it feels like slow-motion.
A powerful boom discharges.
A flash hits me from the other side of the room.
I’m knocked down, and my head crashes into the corner of my bed before I hit the ground. “Cooper,” I cry. “Oh, God. Coop...”
“I’ve got you, baby. Don’t look.” He cradles my body to his, covering me. “Are you okay?”
“I don’t... I’m not...” Words are hard to form as my vision begins to narrow. “My head hurts.”
He pulls his hand away, and blood covers his fingers. “Oh shit, Carys. Don’t close your eyes.”
“Are you okay?” I whisper. Terrified.
“I’m fine, baby, and so are you,” his voice cracks.
But I don’t think he’s right because my heavy lids refuse to stay open. “Love you, Coop.”
“Don’t go to sleep, baby. Please don’t leave me.”
He sounds so far away.
* * *
