Page 60 of Knuckles

What a jackass.

Groaning, I throw my phone on the passenger seat before grabbing my purse and climbing out of my truck, then I head to face the music with Liam.

It’s weird, since I woke up, he’s been, I guess, attentive, refusing to spend nights without me in his arms, proving to me every second of every single day that I am all he thinks about.

Gone is the man who feared commitment like me, and in his place, a man who refuses to lose me.

Don’t get me wrong, I still have my insecurities, I still think of the what ifs, but I’m also pushing them away or trying to at least because when a man like Liam grabs hold of you, you hold on even tighter.

He’s my world.

Smiling a little, despite the frustration I feel with Trick, I walk into my boyfriend's gym ready to spend the evening in his arms. My smile soon drops as I see Masters holding a gun to Liam's head, who has tensed at my arrival.

A woman, who looks like his mom, is lying face down on the floor, and my breathing picks up, seeing the blood.

Oh God, I forgot about the Masters…

Hearing my presence, the man who looks like he’s been sleeping on a park bench turns and grins as he moves the gun towards me and panic shoots through. Not because of the crazyman holding a gun to my face with a smirk, his mouth open like he’s about to say something snarky, but because of my boyfriend who doesn’t hesitate, and everything slows down.

Masters hears Liam move and quickly turns the gun back to Liam, and my eyes widen before I stop thinking, just like I did three weeks ago and I saw him get shot. I drop my bag and run towards Masters without a second thought, Liam roaring, “No!” just hitting my ears but sounding underwater, and Masters turns my way with a frown before I tackle him to the floor.

He grunts with the impact, and ignoring the throbbing in my left knee that I hit a little too hard on the floor, I lean up before punching him in the face, dazing him slightly, taking the opportunity and quickly scramble over him.

I grab his gun that dropped by his head, but before I can shoot him, Masters punches me in the stomach, making me choke out a cry, and he throws me off, causing me to spin before landing hard, and I swallow the scream that wants to come out.

I expect Masters to jump on me, but instead I hear grunts and sounds of smacking. I quickly look to see Liam punching him several times, and I slowly move, my intent to check the woman for a pulse, but a grunt that doesn’t sound like Masters echoes, and I quickly look to see Liam fall off him, holding his stomach, and I suck in a breath.

No…

“Think you could get away with taking what is mine, huh?” Masters chokes as he stands, then grabs something from his pocket, a knife.

No, no, no!

“She was always mine!” Liam chokes, and I don’t hesitate.

Masters raises the knife, and I aim the gun and shoot, once, twice, three times.

One bullet hits his chest, the second his stomach, the third, his head and my hand trembles as Masters's body drops, bloodinstantly pouring. I take in a shuddered breath and drop the gun, then stumble over to Liam, who is staring at Masters and breathing heavily.

“Liam?” I choke as I grab his arm and help him up, and he cups my cheek, his eyes checking me, but I shake my head and choke, “Your mom!”

His head swings to where she’s lying face down, blood pooling beneath her, and he quickly moves over to her.

I follow and help him slowly turn her, and I choke back a sob seeing her eyes open but vacant.

“Mom?” Liam croaks as he checks her pulse, and tears fall as he leans over his mother’s dead body.

Oh God, this is all my fault…

“Knuckles?” I hear a faint shout, and Liam grabs his phone and puts it on speaker.

“ETA?” he chokes, and Cage replies, “Two minutes out, brother, we’re two minutes out.”

“I need my dad,” my boyfriend says, his tears falling, breaking my heart.

I quickly move, trying my hardest to control my own tears as I wrap my arms around his neck. Instead of pushing me away, instead of blaming me for this as he should, he holds me tighter as Cage rasps, “Your dad is with us, brother, he’s with us.”

Chapter 26