AllFreeNovel
Share Us
Did I just say that? How was that me—how did I sound so in control?
Kitty holds her neck where there’s a bleeding wound and she scuttles over to her mom’s side. Then, her eyes grow steadily wider as the Glock goes off again and again until it’s done. Until he can’t come back. Ever.
Dead.
At last.
As I stagger into the wall, letting it prop me up, I warble, “It’s over, Mommy. He can’t hurt us anymore.”
And that’s when my brain takes over.
Everything fades.
Black spots dominate my vision and I’m okay with that because I’m safe. I took out the danger. He can never hurt me again and I can finally let go.
23
CINDY/BELLE
“Belle? Isabelle?”
The next time I blink my eyes open, I’m looking straight into Patricia’s and Kitty’s worried faces.
“You fainted. Drink this,” someone orders—a guy. When he appears next to them, my heart skips.Cade.Then I blink because that isnotCade.
What the hell is going on here?
I turn my head and recognize Patricia’s couch—I’m lying on it. Then, after I blink a couple times, I realize it’s Lucas who is staring at me. Much like the last time I saw him, he doesn’t look happy.
“Lucas,” Patricia tuts. “Get out of her face.” When he doesn’t move, she snaps, “Give her some room, son!”
Struggling to sit up, I stare straight into Patricia’s eyes. “My dad?”
“He can’t hurt you. You took care of him,” Patricia assures me then helps me to sit up fully. “We’re so proud of you, honey.”
Kitty hands me a glass of what I guess is whiskey by the smell, and I shoot it back, not even feeling the burn and ignoring the numbness of my tongue.
“Where is… he?” I gulp. “A-Are the cops on their way?”
When his cell rings, Lucas steps out of the room. It makes it easier to breathe without him looming over me. Kitty sits beside me and grabs my hand.
“Thanks for saving our lives, sis.” She winks. Her neck is bandaged. Otherwise, I’d think I’m dreaming. “You were fucking awesome. Bang, bang, bang. Like something fromKill Bill. Never seen anything as cool in my life.”
Cool?God, I feel faint. “We need, I mean, the bodies. The cops…”
Kitty snorts. “My family’s in the mob, babe. Don’t you worry about that.”
Squeezing my fingers, Patricia nods. “You just relax. We Frasiers have everything taken care of.”
When Lucas comes back into the room, he informs us, “Cade is being released. I’m going to pick him up.” He points at me with his bandaged hand as he slips into his coat. “Make sure she doesn’t leave in the interim.”
When he opens the door to leave, the smell of bleach hits me like a punch to the face.
Róisín shuffles past him into the room, ignoring her brother entirely. “That piece of shit was totally not FBI.” Róisín’s riffling through what I’m assuming is the dead bodyguard’s wallet, pulling out the ID and scanning it with a sniff. She peers at me. “Hey, Belle. Great job, babe. Kitty said you were like something from a movie.”
Kitty beams at me but I just feel— “Oh, my God, I’m going to be sick.” I surge onto quivering legs, wailing, “I’m a murderer.”
“Me too, babe.” Kitty brandishes her bicep. “Took ‘em out like Vinny taught me when I was a kid.”
