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Every single hair on my body was standing up—not because of the guns or what that guy just said but because of Ashton.
A whole different look came over Ashton, like instead of a snake shedding their skin, I was seeing him pull his skin on for the first time. His eyes went into the glittering look that was dark and ominous, and I knew, without a doubt, that these men were going to die. Ashton would be the one to kill them, and it would probably happen in two seconds. But those guys, they didn’t know that. Their whole demeanor was off, too confident and smarmy.
“You work for Worthing?” Ashton’s tone was low and cold. Deadly.
Another chill went through my entire body. Head to toes. I fought against letting it slither up and down my spine, like a snake.
Suddenly, I was pulled back against someone’s chest. Something metal and cold being pressed against my head. “Put your guns dow—”
Whoever spoke, he didn’t finish.
As soon as he started, Ashton turned my way. It happened in slow motion.
My heart paused.
Our eyes locked, and I knew, I knew what I needed to do.
Decision made, and he knew, somehow he just knew what I was planning, and then I did it. I let my body drop to the ground.
Bang!
And then,
Bang! Bang! Bang!
Pop, pop, pop!
Smoke filled the room, along with other smells that I’d never forget, of bodies sweating, defecating, blood, tears, piss.
Thud.
Thud.
Thud.
People were screaming.
Someone was shouting, and then hands touched my shoulders and I flung my arm up, intending to fight at whoever was going to try to take me.
It was Ashton. His eyes looked feral.
I gasped on a sob, but I couldn’t move. Ashton swept me up, an arm under my legs and another behind my back, and he turned. He was looking around, saying something over my head, but I couldn’t make it out. My ears were ringing.
My eyes were stinging, too, and I was blinking back tears, because oh my god, they were hurting.
His arm shifted, pulling me tighter against him. A hand went to the side of my face, and the pain sliced through me. I bucked in his arms, but he held on tight, and then we were moving.
There was a car, a door opened, and we were inside.
Ashton went with me, so I was sitting in his lap, but I couldn’t let go. I’d wrapped my arms around him. I was clinging to him, and he kept me firmly in his arms. The door was shut behind us; then we were speeding off.
I had no idea what was going on.
Terror.
My body was cold.
Everything was spinning around me so fast. I choked out a sob. A hand began smoothing down the side of my head, pulling me to rest against Ashton’s neck.
I burrowed into him so hard that if I cut into him, I didn’t care. I would’ve climbed all the way in as long as he was holding me.
A phone was ringing. I could hear it distantly. The murmur of voices.
I saw the light. Ashton was speaking on his phone, his other arm anchoring me to him.
I tried to look to see who was driving, if it was the same driver or not, if he made it out, but it wasn’t. A different guy. Ashton had so many guys.
Then I felt the chest behind me. The gun next to my head—the words being spoken and Ashton. He looked. I looked. I knew what to do.
I started shaking again.
Ashton shifted me so I was completely in his lap. My side against his front. My feet were tucked over him, resting on the seat to his side, and he had one arm behind my back, holding me steady. He went back to smoothing down my hair, but he was still talking on the phone.
The phone—I don’t know why I did what I did. It didn’t make sense and wouldn’t make sense to me later, but I reached up. I took his phone from him, and I hit the “End” button. The phone went dead. It lit up again, but I looked up, meeting Ashton’s gaze, and he took it from me.
He spoke over me, pulling my head back to his chest, and he put his phone away.
His other arm came around me, and I felt him rest his cheek on the top of my head.
This. This was the only way to leave or go or whatever we were doing, but whatever we were doing, it was the only way to do it after a shooting.
Just. Like. This.
I decided that was the best time to check out.
CHAPTER TWENTY-SIX
MOLLY
He was cleaning my face.
We were in a bathroom. I was on the counter, and Ashton stood between my legs. A first aid kit was next to us. He was dabbing a cotton ball at my forehead.
