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The distraction is enough to give Micah a chance. He’s recovered from the initial taser shock. With lightning quick movements, he rolls over and kicks his leg out, connecting with the gun and knocking it out of Josh’s hand. It bumps against the wall and skates away beneath the sofa.
Josh scrambles for his taser but he has no time. Micah sweeps his legs out from underneath him and Josh hits the floor, smacking the back of his head on a dining room chair on the way down.
Scrambling to the floor, I grab for the gun beneath the sofa.
Josh has fatally underestimated his opponent.
Even with only one hand, Micah is uncannily strong. He’s now positioned on Josh’s chest, squeezing his knees to keep Josh’s arms pinned while his hand crushes the neck of the man who wronged us both.
The only noise is the desperate sound of choking coming from Josh Ballerini.
I’m rooted to the spot, holding a gun and watching my real father flail around on the floor as Micah squeezes his life away.
Then Micah turns his head.
“Tessie,” he says.
I read the look in his eyes. He’s asking for permission. He will kill if I give the order.
And part of me wants to say yes.
There’s been so much pain already. I want it all to be over.
Too much death, too much suffering. Josh’s death at our hands will not end anything. The act will hang over us forever.
Keeping the gun trained on the man I thought was my uncle, I shake my head.
Micah nods and releases the pressure slightly. Josh’s purple face gasps for breath.
A thud hits the front door. Then another one and the door cracks open.
Here’s Gage, gun drawn, astounded by the scene in front of him. “What the fuck?”
The gun I’m holding gets dropped to the floor. I never want to touch another one.
Sirens scream in the background.
I’ve heard them far too often lately.
But now Micah comes to me, opening his arms and letting me fall into them.
“I’ve got you, Tessie,” he says and he holds me close to his chest so I don’t have to see anything as we leave that house for the last time.
Chapter40
Tess
It’s not often that I wake up before he does.
Right now Micah is serene in his sleep, lying on his side with one arm curled tenderly around me. I turn over very carefully, trying not to disturb him. I just want to look at his face.
He’s beautiful.
My partner. My lover. My protector. My future and my forever.
I would lean in to steal a kiss if he didn’t tend to wake so easily.
With extreme care, I slide out of bed, sorry to leave the warmth of his body but needing to deal with a basic fact of nature.
