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“He did!” I yelled back. “Now come out.Don’t make me shoot you.” For the first time since I learned how tokill, my hands trembled, and I wondered if I could even pull thetrigger this time.
I caught movement. A shadow behind me. Thefucker had somehow projected his voice in front of me when he’dbeen somewhere at my back. I had enough time to see the fist to myface before I was knocked down. I underestimated my beautiful darktemptation. He’d come in with everything he had. His anger wedgedinto that fist. Biologically bigger than me, heavier, stronger, hehad the upper hand in brute attack. He slapped my gun, yanked itout of my hand, and then quickly popped back to his feet, the gunaimed at the general vicinity of my chest. His breathing labored,face pale.
The deadly silence between us thickened forseveral seconds as I let him process his next move.
“Now what?” I asked from the ground. “Areyou going to shoot me?”
“Don’t make me.”
I slowly climbed to my feet and dustedmyself of the snow. Tomás took a step back. His hand didn’ttremble, his eyes focused on me. I was impressed. I cupped my chinwhere he’d hit me. “I didn’t know you could project your voice likethat.”
He shook his head. “Tell me why I shouldn’tshoot you.”
Because you love me.
That thought just rushed through my headbefore I could pull it back. He didn’t love me. He’d never said heloved me. And what did I care if he loved me? Something inside ofme felt off. “I’m the only one that could save you, Tomás. There’sa dead guy in that SUV that came for you.”
“Why!” he shouted. “I’m nobody.”
Apparently not. “We have to get back to theschool. It’s the only safe option we have before more come.”
“Why?” he took a step back. “Why would youprotect me?”
The fucking love word entered my mind, and Ipushed it back. “Because I don’t want to see you hurt.” Iswallowed, narrowed the gap between us as he continued to move awayuntil he finally called it and stopped moving.
“Don’t, Kieran. Please.”
The please made me stop, but I was alreadyon him. The barrel of the gun pressed against my chest. “I knowyou, though, Tomás. And you won’t shoot me.”
I saw the moment his expression changed todefeat. I hated the look on him. I wanted him to fight, to defendhimself to the death if necessary. Not to give up on life because Ineeded him to at least outlive me. And in this world, he had tolearn to pull the trigger to survive.
I slapped his wrist out of the way andnarrowed the remaining gap. Pressing my body against him, I sealedhis mouth in a kiss. Rational thought left me the moment I saw himin the car. Running away from me. I couldn’t let him go. That markon him,mymark on him, would always mean he was mine. Thethought of him getting away from me ignited something toxic insidemy veins. Different than the want to kill those who hurt me or myfriends. This feeling touched on something like fear. I clung toanger instead and yanked the back of his hair hard, pulling himaway from my mouth. “Get it through your head that you aremine.”
“I can’t,” he said, sucking in air. “I can’tdo this with you.”
I kicked his legs open so I could rub mycock against his leg like a bitch in heat. “You aren’t doing thiswith anyone else.” The thought of him with anyone else drew fireinto my veins.
I knew he had more to say. More questions heneeded answered. But at that moment a car pulled up to the cabin.We both stiffened.
“Keep quiet while I check this out,” Iwhispered and waited until he nodded to pull away from him. Iplucked my bow from the ground and started to head to the cabin butstopped when he started to follow. I pressed my index finger to mylips. The universal sign to shut the fuck up.Stay, Imouthed. I could tell he wanted to argue but didn’t. He pulled backto the tree.
I left him the gun and walked out of thewoods and into the field.
Henry’s beloved SUV sat idling behindAntonio’s. He still had the stickers on the windows his sister hadgiven him for his birthday last year. Little pink butterflies. Wehad all ragged him about it, told him to take it off. It made theSUV stick out, but he hadn’t cared. Henry wasn’t like the rest ofus. He was as average as they came.
Movement caught my eye as he circled his SUVand then came up in front of the cabin. And he wasn’t alone. Oninstinct, I lifted my bow, strung my arrow.
Fortuna Bruno stood behind him. A hitman whotook personal contracts. Although he'd been a legend in his youth,he’d let himself go over the years. I’d heard Cillian say he hadretired.
“I wouldn’t do that if I were you,” Brunosaid, pressing the barrel of his chrome Colt to Henry’s temple.“Toss it.”
I tossed the bow and arrow onto thesnow.
“Sorry,” Henry said sheepishly. That earnedhim a pistol whip to his temple. He fell on his knees but didn’tlose consciousness. Bruno savagely lifted him back up to use as ashield. Blood dripped down Henry’s temple, down his cheek likeblood tears.
The fucker was going to die. I clenched myfists.
“Fortuna Bruno. Do you even know who I am?”I asked, playing the only card I had. Being a Brennan.
