by E. L. Todd
“Scott, I told you to wait!” Zack yelled into the phone.
I couldn’t breathe.
I couldn’t think.
Fuck.
Oh my god.
I still can’t breathe.
Tears burned in my eyes then fell down my cheeks.
My wife.
No.
Please be a nightmare. Please be a nightmare.
Then Scarlet’s voice came onto the phone. “Your man is dead. I shot him right between the eyes. Now I’m coming for you, asshole.” She hung up.
Halle-fucking-lujah. “Thank you. Thank you.” I didn’t know whom I was giving my gratitude but I was giving it to someone or something. Scarlet was okay. She was okay. My wife was okay. The only life on the line was mine. I could deal with that. I could handle that. Now I was almost happy that only I would be taken. As long as my family was okay, I could accept this fate.
Zack stared at the phone then lowered it, clearly in shock.
“My wife is a good shot,” I said. “You shouldn’t have fucked with her.”
He turned back to me with angry eyes. “Tell me where she is!” Now he was insane. He knew he didn’t have any more time. Scarlet was calling the police and it was the end of the road for him.
“Never.”
He hit me in the face again. Blood came out of my mouth. “NOW.”
“I’m not telling you where she is. You may as well kill me.”
He breathed hard while he kept the barrel of the gun at my head.
“You’re never going to change my mind. You’re an idiot for thinking I would ever give her up.”
He cocked the gun and got ready to pull the trigger.
Time suddenly slowed down.
Scarlet told me how we died. We would go to sleep one night and not wake up the next morning. I still had a lifetime with her. I still had to walk my daughter down the aisle. I still needed to take Roland fishing. There was so much left of my life I hadn’t lived.
Scarlet was the love of my life, my purpose for living. And I was the same to her. I couldn’t leave her, not this early. I was made for her and she was made for me.
Zack pulled the trigger.
Chapter Ten
Skye
“These numbers aren’t adding up.” I pushed the folder to Ward across the table. “See? Maybe it was a screw up in Excel but the numbers aren’t matching what I have.”
He picked it up and examined it. “Yeah, it was probably—”
A gunshot went off.
My heart kicked into overdrive and blood pounded in my ears.
Ward dropped the paper, clearly just as affected.
Our eyes met, and the fear was exchanged between us.
Who was being shot?
Then my mind went to my father. It was either him or Mike. They were the only high profile people in the building. I kicked off my heels and ran at the door. Ward was right behind me, running with me.
We came around the corner, and saw everyone under their desks.
“CLEMENTINE!” Ward ran to Clementine as another gunshot went off.
It was coming from my dad’s office.
Ward ran to Clementine, who was lying on the floor.
I didn’t have time to see what happened to her, to see if she was okay. I had to get to my dad. I sprinted as fast as I could.
Mike came out of his office at the exact same moment and he was heading for Sean’s office.
But I got there first.
“SKYE, NO!” He tried to grab me but I was too fast.
I burst into Dad’s office.
Dad was bleeding from the face and it covered his suit. Blood covered the ground in smears. He was locked in a tight embrace with a man I instantly recognized.
Zack.
A gun was in his hand and he was trying to shoot my dad. Dad kept pushing it out of the way and landing blows to his face. But he couldn’t get free.
Without thinking, I jumped into the fight and grabbed Zack by the back. I grabbed his arm and slammed it on the ground, trying to get him to drop the gun.
Dad realized I was there. “SKYE! RUN!”
I wasn’t leaving him. I slammed Zack’s hand on the ground but he wouldn’t release the gun.
Mike came in and the gun went off. It shattered the windows and made everyone duck.
I tried to kick Zack but nothing I did worked.
“Mike, get Skye!” Dad tried to pin Zack down.
“No, help my dad!” I managed to pull Zack off and we rolled together. I used the palm of my hand to smack him right in the nose. I’m pretty sure I broke it.
Dad jumped on him and tried to pull him off.
Mike helped.
Then the gun went off again. And this time it didn’t hit the window or the floor.
It hit me.
Dad got him off then looked at me with wide eyes. “NO!”
I laid still and felt the blood ooze from my shoulder.
Mike was there and put a hand to my wound.
Dad got Zack by the throat then slammed his head into the ground. Then he yanked the gun from his grasp and got to his feet. He pointed the gun directly at Zack’s face and fired.
He shot him.
Then he shot him again.
And again.
He emptied the clip then dropped the gun on the floor. Smoke rose from the end of it. Then he rushed to me. “Skye, I’m here. You’re going to be okay.” His voice came out strong and calm. He pulled off his jacket then ripped his sleeve. Then he tied it around my shoulder. “Put pressure on it.” He pulled out his phone and made a call. “I need a medical helicopter to the top of my building ASAP. My daughter has been shot.” Then he hung up. “Mike, come on.” He picked me up and held me to his chest.
Mike opened the door and jogged ahead while my dad sprinted up all the stairs of the building and made it to the roof. He jogged to the landing area then set me on the ground.
“They’re coming from the north,” Mike said.
“They’re almost here, Skye,” Dad said calmly. “You’re going to be alright.” He looked into my face. His eyes were moist but no tears fell. “The bullet went straight through. That’s good. You’re going to be okay.”
“Daddy, are you hurt?”
“I’m fine, pumpkin.” His eyes watered but he blinked them back.
The helicopter landed and the wind rippled through our clothes. Dad lifted me again then ran to the helicopter. “Mike, call Scarlet.”
“I’m on it,” he said as he ran back inside the building.
The medic moved me onto a gurney and immediate began poking me and touching me.
Dad grabbed my hand and held it tightly. “We’ll be there in thirty seconds, Skye.”
“She’s lost a lot of blood,” the medic said. “Let’s get a liter going.”
I felt dizzy like I couldn’t keep my eyes open anymore. They started to close.
“Pumpkin, stay with me.” Dad leaned over me and looked into my face. “Stay with me.”
“Dad…I’m sorry Zack tried to hurt you.”
He took a deep breath. “I’m sorry I didn’t protect you.”
“You killed him, right?”
He nodded. “He’s gone, honey. He’ll never bother you again.” He kissed my hand and continued to stare at me. “You’re going to be fine. I promise. Daddy will take care of you.”
I was growing tired again. “You always take care of me.”
He cupped my face and kissed my forehead. “Stay with me.”
I tried to keep my eyes open.
The helicopter landed and they rushed me out. Dad ran along with the gurney, staying at my side as we maneuvered through the hospital and down different elevators.
Then they pushed me through two steel doors.
“Sir, you can’t come in here,” the nurse said. “We’re taking her to surgery.”
Dad came inside anyway. “I love you.”
“I love you too, Dad.”
He kissed me again then
let me go. “I’ll see you when you get out.”
I couldn’t keep my eyes open anymore. They fell. And all I saw was darkness.
Chapter Eleven
Sean
Now that I was alone, everything rushed to me in painful waves.
My little girl.
My daughter.
She could die.
Because of me.
I paced the hallway in front of the room and couldn’t stop shaking. Tears burned in my eyes and were about to break. Everything hurt. My nose and mouth were still bleeding but that was nothing compared to what I felt inside.
I could lose my daughter.
I leaned against the wall then slid to the ground. My knees moved to my chest and I started to heave. My arms kept moving because it was painful to sit still. My hands moved to my hair then my face. I didn’t know what to do with myself.
What if I lost her?
She was going to be okay. I kept telling myself that but I never believed it to be true.
What if she didn’t come back?
I couldn’t handle it.
I would die.
I would literally stop living.
I would never forgive myself.
Scarlet ran around the corner then stopped when she saw me.
Our eyes met, and an unspoken conversation happened between us.
I couldn’t hold it back any longer. Never in my life had I sobbed uncontrollably, blubbered like a child, but I did then. “I’m so sorry…” I rose to my feet and she ran into my arms. I cried into her shoulder, falling apart in a way I never had before. My chest wouldn’t stop heaving and my heart was about to give out. I couldn’t breathe. I couldn’t even think straight. “Our daughter…it’s all my fault.” I gripped Scarlet for dear life.
She pulled away and cupped my face. “It’s going to be alright, Sean.”
“She was shot…” Tears fell down my face in waves. I was incoherent and could barely speak.
“Listen to me.” She looked into my face. “I know you’re scared and I’m scared too. But Skye is a fighter. She’s strong and she’ll get through this. When I was shot when she was in my belly, she made it. She’ll make it again.”
“What if she doesn’t…?” I couldn’t go on. No parent should have to bury their child. It was unthinkable.
“Have faith.” Her eyes watered with tears. “I know my daughter. She will come back to us.”
I was hyperventilating because I was breathing so hard.
“Sean, look at me.”
I turned to her but could barely see through the tears in my vision.
“She’ll make it. I know she will.”
Scarlet could always make me feel better. But this time she couldn’t. I wouldn’t be able to function normally until my daughter was back in my arms. Only when I saw her look at me and smile would I be able to breathe easy again. “I failed you…I’m so sorry.”
“You didn’t fail me. You didn’t fail her.”
“Are you okay?” I forgot to ask in light of Skye. I didn’t even think about it. Since she killed the guy I assumed she was fine. I failed as a husband—again. I’d been married for so long but I was still fucking it up.
“I’m fine.”
“Did he hurt you?”
“No. He didn’t touch me.”
“You killed him?” I asked.
“Yes.”
“You’re sure?”
“I shot that fucker right in the head.”
I was so proud of her. I knew she could take care of herself but I didn’t realize just how much. “Good. Don’t ever feel bad about it.”
“When someone threatens my family, I never feel bad.”
“I’m glad you’re okay. When I heard the gunshot—”
“I know. But I’m fine. And Skye will be back in a few hours and we’ll be reunited again.”
How would I go on if my little girl didn’t come back? Memories of her growing up passed through my mind. I remembered teaching her to ride a bike. I remembered carving pumpkins with her on Halloween. I remembered teaching her math when she struggled with her classes. There were too many memories. And I still had so many more to make with her.
Scarlet ran her fingers through my hair. “She’ll make it.”
I had to believe that. If I didn’t, despair would consume me.
Mike came around the corner, covered in blood from the fight. He looked at me with watery eyes. And emotion filled them the longer we stared at each other. Mike and I weren’t emotional guys—only when it came to our families.
He came to me then hugged me hard. “I’m so sorry.”
I rested my head on his shoulder.
“She’s going to be okay,” he said. “She’ll come back, Sean.”
“She’s my daughter.”
“I know.” He held me tighter. “And I’m here for you. Whatever you need.”
“I know you are.” He continued to hold me, crying with me. I knew Skye was a daughter to him just like Trinity was a daughter to me. “Was anyone else hurt?” A few gunshots went off and I hoped no one else was hit.
“Clementine.”
“What?” I pulled him away and looked him in the eye. “He shot her?”
“I’m not sure. Ward grabbed her and rushed her to the hospital. I honestly don’t know…”
“Fuck.” I gripped my skull. “Cortland…”
“I’ll check on her,” Scarlet said.
“No, you stay.” I never told her what to do before but I couldn’t let her walk away.
“I’ll figure it out,” Mike volunteered. “Don’t worry about it.” He walked away. “I’ll let you know the second I find anything out.”
I just remembered someone who was extremely important, someone I completely forgot about. “Mike?”
“Yeah?” He turned around.
“Can you call Cayson?” My lip trembled. “I can’t do it…”
He nodded. “I got it.”
Chapter Twelve
Cayson
My phone kept vibrating in my pocket and I wasn’t sure who was trying to get a hold of me so bad. I was about to go into a meeting and I didn’t have time for a conversation. When I glanced at the screen it said Mike was calling me.
What did he want?
I answered it. “I’m about to go into a meeting. I don’t have time to talk.”
“Skye has been shot. She’s at the hospital.”
My heart stopped beating.
“Cayson?”
I couldn’t breathe.
“Cayson?”
“I…what happened? Is she okay? Where is she?”
“Get down here and I’ll explain it to you. I’m at New York Medical Center.”
“Okay.” I hung up then abandoned my desk.
Mr. Terry saw me in the hallway. “Are you ready?”
“I have an emergency,” I blurted. “My girlfriend was shot…I have to go. I’m sorry. If you have to fire me, I understand. Without waiting for his response I ran down the hall and took the elevator to the bottom floor.
It was moving so slow.
Come on.
Dammit, come on.
The doors finally opened and I ran out.
“I’m telling you, just call him! He knows me.” Slade was talking to the receptionist in the lobby.
“Slade?” I ran to him. “What are you—”
“I’ve been trying to call you! Skye is—”
“I know.” I couldn’t believe it. “Let’s go.”
Slade didn’t say anything else and ran with me.
We didn’t take a cab because that would take too long. We ran through the crowded sidewalk and pushed people out of the way. I was sweaty by the time we got to the hospital. I was determined to get there as fast as I could, and I kept running even though we were inside. “What room is she in?”
“Follow me.” Slade turned left and guided me there.
When we rounded the corner, I saw Sean and Scarlet huddled together. She was holding him and he
was clearly crying. Trinity sat with her dad and he had his arm around her, letting her sob into his shoulder.
What a fucking nightmare.
Slade stared at me, clearly unsure what to do.
I was still in shock.
“I’m here.” That was all he said. “I’m here for you.”
“What happened?” My voice came out weak.
“I only know what Mike told me.”
“Which is?” My chest was expanding so far it hurt.
“Zack came to shoot Sean and she—”
“Hold on.” I raised my hand. “Zack? Her ex-boyfriend Zack?”
He nodded. “Skye went in there to save him, and while the fight was going on, Zack shot Skye. Sean wasn’t hurt.”
“Where was she shot?” I tried to remain in control but I was slipping.
“In the shoulder. It was a clean wound, through and through. Mike told me that’s a good thing.”
My girlfriend being shot was never a good thing. My hands started to shake and I couldn’t stop him. “Where is he now?”
“Mike?” Slade asked.
“No. That motherfucker who’s about to be choked to death.” My eyes were wide and everyone turned in my direction.
Slade knew whom I meant this time. “He’s dead. Sean killed him. Shot him in the face five times.”
“It should have been six,” I said darkly.
Slade stared at me with frightened eyes. “She’s going to be okay. I know she will be. You know those annoying characters in movies that get shot a million times and never die? Well, that’s Skye.”
I didn’t have the patience to put up with his quirks today. “This isn’t a fucking movie, Slade. This is Skye, whose life is on the line. I could lose her forever. So don’t fucking try to make me laugh. This isn’t a goddamn joke.”
Slade didn’t react at all. He didn’t seem hurt or wounded by what I said. “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean it that way.” He put his hands in his pockets. “But she will be okay. I know she will.”
My eyes started to burn with tears. I didn’t care if I was crying in front of my family. I didn’t give a damn. “She’s my whole life…”
“I know, man.” His eyes started to water too.
“I can’t lose her. I’ll fucking kill myself.”
“I know.”
I wiped my eyes but the tears kept falling.
Slade wrapped his arms around me and hugged me. “It’s going to be okay, man. I’m here for you.”