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“My mother’s bakery closed down last year because of yours. We have no money, we cannot even pay the rent… when they came to me, I couldn’t say no,” Ruth sniffs, “I didn’t mean to kill anyone… I swear, please…”
“You fucking did, so quit the bullshit,” Ronan grits, and he takes another step towards her.
Quick as lightning, she slips her hands into a drawer in front of her and pulls out a gun.
I gasp in shock. Who is this person?
Ronan halts but doesn’t seem bothered when she aims the gun at him.
Except then Ruth shakes her head and tilts the gun, aiming it at me.
“One more step and she is dead,” she might be trembling, but she means every word, “I have nothing more to lose.”
Ronan’s eyes narrow, his body strained as he weighs his options. The air is thick with tension, and I can almost taste the fear. “Ruth, think about what you’re doing. Is this what you want? To add another crime to your list?”
Ruth’s hands shake more violently, the cold metal of the gun glinting under the bakery’s harsh fluorescent lights. Tears stream down her face, leaving salty tracks on her cheeks. “I… I can’t go to jail. I can’t—” Her voice breaks, the desperation clear.
“You’ve already lost so much,” Ronan says, his voice softening just a fraction, his usual gruffness giving way to a gentler tone. The sound of his voice is like a balm, almost calming in this chaotic moment. “But this isn’t the way to fix it.”
“Listen to him, Ruth,” I plead, my voice trembling. “We can figure something out, but not like this. Please, put the gun down.”
Ruth’s resolve wavers, the gun lowering slightly. The sound of her ragged breathing fills the room, each breath a battle. “I just wanted to save my family…” Her voice is barely a whisper, and the sadness in her eyes is palpable.
“And we can help,” I say quickly, the urgency in my voice matching the pounding of my heart. “But you need to trust us. Please, Ruth.”
Ruth’s grip on the gun loosens slightly, and she sobs, a heart-wrenching sound that echoes off the tiled walls. But then, her eyes harden again, and she tightens her grip, aiming the gun more steadily at me. The click of the safety being released is deafening in the silence.
“I can’t go back now. I can’t,” she says, her voice breaking but her resolve firm. Her desperation is like a physical force, pressing against my chest.
Ronan takes a cautious step forward, his boots scraping on the floor. “Ruth, please, don’t do this. We can find a way to help you.” His voice is calm, soothing.
Ruth's finger hovers over the trigger, her eyes filled with despair and determination. The room feels like it’s closing in, the tension thick enough to cut with a knife. The sound of a clock ticking somewhere in the background feels ominous, each tick marking the passing of precious seconds.
“Ruth, please,” I whisper, my heart breaking. “I always thought of you as a friend… I know you are too good of a person to have orchestrated any of this, please…”
Ruth’s finger trembles on the trigger, her breath hitching as she struggles with her decision. Her eyes flicker with uncertainty, the gun shaking in her unsteady hands. Every second feels like an eternity.
The faint smell of vanilla and frosting seems almost mocking in this dire situation.
Chapter Twenty-One
RONAN
I have had a gun pointed at me more times than I can remember, and that’s fine. I can manage that.
But a gun pointed at Olivia is something I will not allow.
I cannot afford to be reckless or impulsive now. Olivia’s life is at stake. If I make any wrong moves, shit can go south, and fucking quickly. If I’m not fast enough, I will never be able to forgive myself.
I weigh the distance, and the little witch picks up on it, stepping away from me and walking backward into the store.
I hate being this helpless. I should have asked Olivia to stay behind with Liam. I should have fucking thought this through before exposing her to such danger.
Shit.
“Don’t you fucking dare pull that trigger.” I sound like a trapped man, a scared man, and fuck it, I am all of those things and more.
“I should have known,” Ruth scoffs, darting her eyes between Olivia and me, and all the while her hand around the trigger tightens.
