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“You’re going to bring me my fucking money or else she,” he says, hooking his thumb in my direction, “is going to die.”
Brandon swings at his father, and the two men wrestle for the gun in James’s hand. Despite his age, Mr. Eastwood is in excellent shape and takes the gun, whipping Brandon at the temple, knocking him down for a few moments.
I bite down on my lip, not wanting the gasps to escape at the scene before me. I don’t need James realizing I’m awake and can hear everything.
Standing seems impossible after having my legs tied up for hours. My legs are completely sore, but I’ll have to bear the pain if Brandon and I are going to have a chance of getting out of here alive.I grab Brandon’s gun that was kicked towards me. I now recognize that the safety is off and it’s ready to be discharged.
Brandon’s been quiet for too long, but I’m grateful when I hear him moan from the pain and clutch the side of his head. He tries sitting up, and there’s enough light to see that his temple is bleeding.
Brandon regains his composure but doesn’t go after his father again. I’m slowly making my way towards the other side where the men are. My bare feet move soundlessly on the cold concrete, and I maneuver as quietly as I can between the racks of hanging animal carcasses.
“You’re just as pathetic as your mother before heraccident,” James spits at Brandon.
As I move closer to them, I can see Brandon’s expression better. He’s incredulous at his father’s words.
“You’re truly a sick man. Don’t do this.” He tries reasoning with the older Eastwood.
“When you bring me what I want, in cash, then maybe I can let her go,” James says.
Just as I’m nearing them, I accidentally knock a large rack of hanging ribs, shifting the heavy meat on the hook that has it suspended in the air.
James whips around towards the sound, and I hide behind a concrete pillar. It’s wide enough that he blindly shoots in my general direction.
I peek my head out to see Brandon trying to wrest the gun from James, and with Brandon’s gun in my trembling hands, I aim for James’s back.
I’ve never shot a gun in my life, and with the two of them wrestling, I don’t have a clear shot.
“Ava, take the shot!” Brandon calls out to me.
At Brandon’s exclamation, James stops suddenly and turns back toward me. I pull the trigger. Bullets from both weapons ring out and Brandon, moving like lightning, runs in front of me. Then silence. My world goes black.
CHAPTER 19
Brandon
“Your husband is awake, Mrs. Eastwood.”
“Thank God.”
I hear Ava’s voice, but I can’t see her. All I see is a bright light shining above me, and we’re moving fast. Much faster than New York traffic would normally allow.
I reach my left arm out, and there’s something embedded at the inside of my elbow and my nostrils are plugged.
Sudden panic that overcomes me.
“Brandon, relax. We’re in the ambulance on our way to the hospital. You were shot in the shoulder.”
I try sitting up, but my right shoulder immediately protests.
“Mr. Eastwood, I’m going to have to ask you not to move. ETA is less than two minutes,” a voice says next to Ava.
I don’t turn my head to see who spoke to me as Ava leans closer and whispers into my ear. “I lied and said we were married so that I could ride with you.”
Her curly hair surrounds her shoulders. Under the bright light of the ambulance, it forms a halo around her.
My father almost killed her. The thought makes me sick. I want to sit up and embrace her, but there’s no way I’m physically able to do that now.
“Where is Ja?—?”
