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“You say it now, but we both know you wouldn’t have. You wouldn’t have wanted to know. Look at me, Tanner. I mean, really fucking look at me.”
I did, and that’s when it dawned on me. Her eyes were my eyes. She had my lips and our noses matched.How didn’t I see it before?“I see it, Rylee. I see you. Put the gun down, little sister, and let me help you. I want to help you,” I begged, as I tried to reach out to whatever shred of humanity was left inside her.
“Did you not hear me? I’m beyond help.” She let out with a defeated sigh. There are only two ways this can end tonight and you get to choose. You or them. Who do I end, Tanner?”
“You’re bluffing, Rylee. You might hold that gun, but you won’t shoot me. You won’t hurt anyone.”
“You have no fucking idea how fucked up and broken I am, Tanner. Shall I show you?” Rylee’s dark eyes suddenly looked distant, as if she’d detached herself from the situation.
“No!” I screamed, unsure what she had planned. She turned, in what felt like slow motion, pointing the gun at Rob’s head, firing without hesitation, his eyes wide as his body hit the floor.
Frankie screamed, burying her head into my back as bile bubbled in my throat and my ears rang from the gunshot. It was at that moment I knew I had no choice.
“Fine, Rylee. You win. Seven drinks to save my family.” I reached for a shot, lifting it in a silent salute. “There’s no question. I choose to save them, always. I can get sober again. A few drinks won’t end all the hard work I’ve done over the last year. It won’t bring back all the demons I’ve released. God, this much booze wouldn’t have even touched the sides, once upon a time. Bring it on, Rylee. Seven drinks for seven people I love. It’s a no-brainer, but what then? You put the gun down and hand yourself over to Thomas, and that’s the end of it? Why does that feel too easy?”
“Clever, brother. Maybe you aren’t just a pretty face. I’m sure Mum would be so proud.” A sick smile twisted her lips as she pointed the gun back towards my chest. “Did I say drinks? I forgot to mention that they have an extra special kick. I think the one in your hand might have a little ketamine mixed in. I remembered how much you loved that. Watching your body flopping around the floor like a dying fish was a particular highlight of mine. Now, didn’t the doctor mention taking more might kill you? Interesting. Now, what else did I mix in there?” She paused as my heart hammered, knowing that while she wasn’t putting a bullet in my head, she was doing everything she could to end my life.
“Rohypnol, coke, heroin, MDMA, LSD, and speed. But you can handle your booze and drugs, can’t you, brother?” she laughed out with a wink. “I wonder what will happen when we mix it all together in your sober, clean body? Can I let you in on a secret? I’m dying to see.” She twitched the gun upward, so the barrel pointed at my face. “Drink, Tanner, before I get trigger-happy.”
Before I could even feel what was happening and stop her, Frankie released my hand, stepping around me, standing between me and the gun. “You will not hurt him.” Grabbing her top, I tried to pull her back behind me, crying out her name, but she stood firm, her body shielding me. “I will protect him with my life because he’s my brother. Blood or not, he’s ours.” Her chest heaved, fists curling at her sides as she fired her words at Rylee. Rylee’s eyes flicked to my little sister; the sun we all orbited around in our Cosmic God’s universe, and she pulled the trigger. Frankie screamed, hitting the floor, and time stopped. My heart hammered in my head, my chest tightening with fear as Rylee raised the gun and pressed the cold steel of the barrel against my temple.
Glancing down, trying not to ignite Rylee’s rage any further, I saw Frankie. Facedown, blood pooling under her. I couldn’t tell where it was coming from or even if her chest was moving.
“One down, Tanner. I guess you can leave one of those drinks now, but unless you want me to go find the twins or that bitch, Emmy, next, I suggest you start drinking.”
I lifted a drink to my lips, slamming it back, watching the look of satisfaction cover her face.
“And so it ends, big brother. So it ends.”
Emmy
Thomasheldouthishand to stop Matt and me from walking, pulling his wrist to his mouth, barking instructions. It was loud backstage, with so many people trying to make tonight work. He pressed his fingers to his ear, trying to listen to the earpiece he had in.
“No, I’m fine. What do you mean, shot? Who told you someone had shot me? Don’t tell me you left Tanner and Frankie to see if I was okay?” Listening to one half of Thomas’ conversation, nerves crawled over my skin, fear filling me. “What the fuck am I paying you for? Get back there… in fact, forget it. You’re all sacked. Tell me where you left them.”
Thomas stared at me, and his emotionless ‘work’ face told me something was very wrong. “I have to go, Emmy. I’m worried about Tanner and Frankie. Stay with Matt.”
“Like hell, I will. We’re both coming with you.” Thomas knew me well enough by now to know there was no point wasting time arguing with me.
“Fine, but I mean it. Stay out of the way.” He pulled me behind him before taking his gun from his holster as Matt followed behind us.
“Okay, but what’s going on?” I questioned, as we hurried towards the back of the venue.
“Someone told Tanner’s security that I’d been shot and there was an armed fan making trouble backstage. The idiots left him and Frankie with just an unarmed Rob to come and check on me. I seriously can’t believe they’d be that stupid or fall for such shit.”
Panic gripped my throat, sending fear cascading through my body, drowning out every other thought in my head apart fromare they okay?
Suddenly, Noah appeared next to us, breathless.
“Boss. God, I’m so sorry. I thought they’d be safe. She told us you’d been shot. That there was blood. What was I supposed to do?”
“You’re fucking job,” Thomas roared at him. He closed his eyes and took a breath before they popped open, wide and focused.
“You saidshe. Who isshe?”
“Some woman. Small, brown chin-length hair, really quiet voice. She had a tray of shots. Come to think of it, isn’t he sober?”
“Show me, Noah. Show me where you left them. I swear to God, you’re supposed to be one of the best snipers in the world, but you have no fucking common sense. He was drugged last time someone gave him a drink and you probably just let that someone into the room with onlyuseless Rob to protect half of one of the most famous bands in the world. Why didn’t you just offer them a couple of loaded guns to help them finish them off?”
