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ONE
Tobias
Boom!
The crack of gunfire ripped through the night. I flinched, lying on the ground, waiting for agony as I stared at the weapon in my father’s hands. But it wasn’t his gun that had fired.It was another.One that glinted in the darkness from between the trees.
Then, through the gloom, someone stepped behind Dad. But he didn’t see that. Instead, he stumbled forward, then slowly looked down. Blood bloomed black, sticking his white shirt to his stomach. I couldn’t move, pinned by the sight of that stain and my own panic racing through me.
He was going to kill me…He was going to kill me. He was going to—
“I won’t go back to them, do you hear me?” Elle spoke as she moved into view. “I won’t go back to what they made me do.”
Her eyes flared as she looked my way. I waited for the weapon in her hand to follow, for her to take out not one Banks tonight, but two. A panicked glance to my right, at my gun out of reach, and I knew I’d be dead long before I could even move.
But she didn’t take aim. Elle fixed her empty stare on me. “Give her up.” Her words were barely audible. “She’s as good as dead anyway.”
Then she slowly lowered her hand and turned, racing back the way she’d come, leaving with nothing more than the snap of a twig in her wake.
Then there was silence…
Smothered by the booming of my heart.
Jesus…
JESUS…
My father released a moan and pressed his hand to his side, trying his best to stanch the flow. I lunged, scrambling to my side, and grabbed that shine of steel. I was past the point of caring for him now as I swung my hand, leveling the sight of my weapon on him. But he didn’t move…not even to aim at me.
Do it….
Just fucking DO IT.
My finger trembled as I curled it around the trigger. In my head, I didn’t see the few good times we’d ever had. No, I saw him drunk, sitting on the edge of his bed with his shirt buttoned wrong and the stale stench of betrayal wafting in the air while our mother wasted away in the bedroom below.
He’d cheated.He'd fucking cheated!I knew that even without Lazarus telling me the truth. That was the moment he changed for me. He wasn’t a father. He wasn’t even a man…
Then I sawhim,standing inside the door of our home, his shirt drenched with Nick’s blood. He would’ve let our brother die. Just let him bleed out like he wasnothing.When he took her from me.
Ryth.
He’d handed her over.
Gave her to that fucking place.
A wounded sound ripped from the back of my throat.He'd handed her over to them. Let them—he—let—them…
I clenched my jaw, willing my finger to curl tighter until I felt that kick.Doitdoitdoitdoit—
“Tobias,” he called my name, staring at me.
FUCK!
I sucked in hard, panting breaths and lowered my hand. I couldn’t do it. Couldn’t bring myself to pull the fucking trigger. I was pathetic and useless…hating that I washis goddamn son.
His knees trembled, then gave way, sending him crashing to the ground.
I shoved forward, wincing at the agony. But the bullet in my thigh was nothing compared to the stabbing in my chest. One that felt like barbed wire wrapped around my goddamn heart as I grabbed his arm. Squeezing…squeezing…squeezing. “Just.” I pulled him up against me. “Stay the fuck with me.”
