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Once he realizes that I’ve seen him, he rushes the car, grabbing onto one of the girls.I proceed carefully until I’m around the side, where I realize he’s got Odette in his arms and a knife rather than a gun to her throat.
“Come on out, Sinclair!I know you’re there.”
Ballsy.Even with a crowd, all he wants is to hurt the Cavanaughs—which makes the knife make sense.Eyeing him up as I slip around the front of the car, the wailing sirens are coming closer.I’ve got mere moments to pull off putting a bullet in his head before they show up.
“Let her go, Matthew.”Movement from the crowd catches my eye, and I catch my mother and Rex hurriedly walking away.They don’t know that I’ve seen them yet.I’ll deal with them later.“Donny told me you didn’t want to hurt her,” I attempt to reason, as I move into a position that’ll make it easier to line up my shot.
Odette’s face contorts with pain, and she’s barely holding on.“Of course, I want to hurt her.I want to slice the skin from her body, watch her blood drain out slowly.Maybe burn her pretty eyes and peel off her hair for fun.I want to make her suffer.”And people thinkI’munhinged.
“You’re fucking insane,” I laugh, lowering my weapon a hair.I need this prick thinking he’s in charge long enough for Odette to focus on me so I can tip her off to move or drop before I fire.“Odette,” I say her name softly.I can tell she’s not doing well.Something is wrong, and it’s killing me that he has his hands on her.
When her eyes flick up to mine, they show her fear, the pain she’s in, and the acceptance that she might not make it out of this alive.Even if it kills me, she’ll get out.She’ll live a long fucking life because this asshole isn’t taking her from this earth.
“Back off, or I bleed her dry right here,” Matthew warns, tightening his hold and making Odette’s pale face appear more ashen than it already is.
Our eyes haven’t broken contact, so when I continue to look up and down, even tipping the barrel of my gun down a bit more, she gives a subtle nod of understanding.
Recentering my aim, I take a few steps closer.“We both know it’s not Odette you hate, it’s Carmine.You hate the life he gave to Juliette that your pathetic father couldn’t even think of offering.”The more I speak, the angrier he becomes and the less his focus is on Odette.“Be a man, Matthew, come take what you want from me because I’m the one inheriting the Cavanaugh empire, not any of the girls.He needed a son, and he’s got one in me.”I fucking hate having to say this shit like I tricked the man.The Cavanaughs are family to me.
“That old fool wouldn’t know a good thing if it hit him in the face,” Matthew snarls.
“He took Juliette,” I point out.The more I talk about the woman, the angrier he becomes.I watch as he shifts forward, forgetting about Odette in his embrace.His hold loosens, and she drops to the ground.A second later, I pull the trigger, and he starts to go down, a stunned look on his face.Blood pumps from the wound in his forehead; he’s lifeless before he hits the ground.
“Odette!”I call as she lies a few feet from him.People are running and screaming from the scene now, and the sirens are a block away.Cece joins me next to Odette, who is now unconscious on the ground.“Come on, rabbit, wake up for me.”I gently tap her cheek; she doesn’t move.
“Ambulance is here,” Cece says, moving to get up, and it’s then that I notice her broken forearm and the pinched expression on her face.
“Sit, I’ll get them.”She nods gratefully and settles down next to Odette.“Over here!”I shout over the commotion as a fire engine and two police cruisers show up next.
One paramedic begins to help Odette while the other works on Cece.I wave them off when they try to get me to sit down, and glare at the cops who are making their way closer.They know me well enough to know to fuck off, but it won’t last long.
“She’s got a stomach thing.We thought it was from her period, but she’s in excruciating pain.”I say, nearly forgetting about my concern over it being worse.
“How long?”the man asks as he starts pushing on her stomach.
“Almost consistently for twenty-four hours.”
“Could be her appendix,” he murmurs, sounding more like it’s to himself.“Mikey, this one’s emergent.Let’s load them both up.”Mikey agrees, and after wrapping up Cece’s arm, they load a still-unconscious Odette into the back of their rig.
“We’re heading to O’Donnell Trauma Center,” he tells me as they finish up.My ears started ringing a few minutes ago, and when I hear tires squealing to a stop, I know back up is here.
“I’ll meet you there.Get security on them; this was a hit.”He agrees before closing the doors, and a second later, they’re taking off, sirens wailing.
“Mal!Shit, man, are you okay?”Holy grips my shoulders when I feel myself beginning to sway.“You need to sit, little brother.”
“Not now.Matthew may be dead, but Rex and Debra were here to watch.They got away while Matthew was trying to kill Odette.”Even angry, I can hear the waning of my voice.My concussion may be a little more severe than I originally thought.
“Son.”Dad and Carmine step into my vision, and I see Carter approaching from the distance.“You should go with Carmine to the hospital.Let Holy, Carter, and I deal with this mess.”
“No,” I snap.I should have taken care of these three last night, and now, Odette and Cece are paying for my mistake.“I’ll do this.Holy will come with me.You three go to the hospital.They think Odette has appendicitis, which will mean surgery.I need to know she’s safe so I can kill these two fucking pains in my ass without worrying about her.”
* * *
“You really think they’re just going to be sitting there?What, drinking champagne and eating tarts or some shit?”Holy mutters as he parks a block away from Donny’s house.
I called the old man on our way here, and he said Rex had told him they were coming over to celebrate.I don’t even think they realize Matthew is dead yet.They’re in for a rude fucking awakening.
“I’m betting on it.”Getting out of the car, I open the trunk, grab a couple of knives, strip off my shirt, and switch it out for a new one.“We’re ending them.You good with that?”I know he doesn’t give a shit about Rex, but there might be some feelings about Debra.
