Not Letting Go

by R B Hilliard

  Ignoring his orders, Reyn sat on the floor and only partially unzipped each boot. With a flick of her wrists she flipped her pants inside out at the waist and pulled them down over her boots and off. Her boots were now captured inside her pants and the phone was safe…for now.

  Apparently this was too much for Zeke. He squatted down, grabbed Reyn by her hair and yanked her head back. “What the fuck did you just do?” he screamed.

  “I did what you asked! I stripped!” she screamed back.

  “No! You are trying to trick me! Dooley said I could hurt anyone who fucked with us!”

  “No he didn’t! He said to hurt anyone who fought you, which I am clearly not doing. I am stripping like you asked!”

  “Are you arguing with me?” he roared, spraying spittle from his lips all over Reyn’s face. “I think you are!”

  “I’m not, I’m not!” she shrieked.

  In a blind rage, Zeke lifted Reyn up off the floor by her hair and, with a deafening ‘Pop,’ dropped her to the floor where she lay crumpled and writhing in pain. Blood pooled on the floor underneath her.

  Holy shit! He just shot her!

  “Oh my god!” Ellie exclaimed before turning her head and vomiting on the floor beside us.

  Praying that it wasn’t as bad as it looked, I ran over and squatted down next to Reyn. Her hands were covering the wound so all I could see was blood.

  “Move your hands and let me see,” I told her.

  “He shot me!” she wailed.

  “I know, honey. Move your hands, so I can see it.” She took her hands off and I tried not to gasp.

  “Oh, that’s nothing. It’s just a flesh wound.” Zeke said dismissively. I glared up at him. The psycho shot her in the gut! I need to somehow stop the bleeding. I searched around the room for something to use but there was nothing. Quickly, I stripped off my shirt, balled it up and pressed it against the wound.

  Ellie squatted down next to me. “I’ve got it together now. Tell me what to do.” Her voice wavered, but when I looked into her eyes I could tell that she was with me. Zeke and Lester, meanwhile, were about to come to blows.

  “What the fuck did you just do?” Lester shouted.

  “She fought me!” Zeke shouted back. “You saw her!”

  “Dooley meant with fists and kicks you dumb ass, not words!”

  Reyn moaned and Ellie whimpered.

  The door flew open and in stormed Dooley and Selina.

  “Did I just hear a gunshot?” Dooley demanded, “And why is Piper on the floor with her shirt off?” The room went tense.

  “Zeke shot Reyn when she didn’t strip how he wanted her to,” Lester told him, “and Piper is trying to stop the blood flow.”

  Dooley glared at Zeke. “Get out,” he quietly said.

  “You told me to hurt anyone who argued, so I did,” Zeke nonchalantly replied. Dooley shook his head and sighed. Selina snorted in amusement. Zeke’s eyes narrowed on her. “Did you tell Dooley about the guard in the van? Have you taken care of him, yet? Let me guess? The answer is no. Jesus, Selina! Get your head out of your fucking ass!” Selina’s eyes shot to Dooley.

  “What guard?” Dooley snapped. The rage in his voice made me want to hide even though I knew it was not directed at me.

  Ellie’s eyes met mine and I knew what she was thinking. They forgot to get Bobby. How stupid are these people?

  Selina shot me a scathing look. “I was just about to tell you but she interrupted and it slipped my mind.”

  “Do not blame your idiocy on Piper!” Dooley shouted, causing Selina to flinch as if he had struck her. “Where is the guard now?”

  “Ummm.”

  “Where, Selina?”

  “In the back of the van,” she answered.

  Dooley nodded to Zeke and said, “Go check.” Then he resumed his interrogation of Selina. “Let me get this straight. Instead of gathering Piper like I ordered, you bring me Piper, two of her friends and their bodyguard?”

  “We had a hard time getting her away from them,” she said. Her whiney I’m-so-helpless-voice crawled up my last nerve.

  Lester apparently decided it was time to chime in. “Her bodyguard was down and out and Selina told us to get them all. Piper even offered to come alone. Selina said no because she wanted to hurt Piper by hurting her friends.”

  “Is this true?” Dooley asked.

  Instead of answering, Selina waved her gun in the air like a lunatic. “It’s always about Piper isn’t it?” She pointed the gun at me. “What is so special about you? I mean, first you steal Gage and then, as if that’s not enough, you have to take him too!” I wasn’t a hundred percent sure if she was referring to Dooley or Lester. “She stole from you!” she shouted at Dooley, “and she hurt you!” she screeched at Lester. “You have made us jump through hoops for this bitch for months and she fucking hates you!”

  “Enough of the dramatics Selina,” Dooley calmly said.

  I couldn’t quite determine what she was thinking from the look on her face but it scared the hell out of me. Selina made Dana and Missy look like fucking candy-stripers.

  Grabbing Ellie’s hands, I pressed them against Reyn’s wound. “Stay,” I mouthed. Then I slowly stood up and edged back away from them.

  “Piper!” Ellie whispered.

  “Where do you think you’re going?” Selina yelled. I stared at her but didn’t say a word. She took a step in my direction and I took a step back. I didn’t want her anywhere near Reyn and Ellie with that gun. Like a twisted dance, we moved again. She moved forward, I stepped back.

  “Selina, stop,” Dooley warned but she ignored him.

  She cocked her head from side to side like a boxer preparing for a fight. I wondered what Dooley was doing, but I didn’t dare take my eyes off of Selina’s crazy ass to find out.

  “Gage was mine. Did he tell you about Arkansas? Did he tell you how your whole relationship was one big set up? Did he tell you about all of the times that he left you for me…for my bed? He spent hours worshipping between my legs and now, because of you, he won’t even answer my fucking phone calls!” she screamed.

  “Selina, step back!” Dooley commanded. Again, she ignored him.

  Once more we were on the move. With every step forward I countered with a step back. That is, until the wall was at my back and I had nowhere left to go. Across the room from me were Ellie and Reyn. To my right was the mattress and windows and to my left were Dooley, Lester, Selina… and the door. Selina started to raise the gun and I heard Ellie scream something. Fuck it. Like a bullet, I sprang from the wall and sprinted for the door. As I hit the threshold, a searing pain shot through the upper left side of my back and knocked me to the floor.

  Holy shit! The bitch actually shot me!

  “Have you lost your ever-loving-mind?” Dooley shouted. The pain was excruciating and I fought back the urge to vomit.

  “She ran! You saw her! She was trying to escape!” Selina shrieked.

  Without saying anything, Dooley calmly raised his gun and shot Selina directly between the eyes. She immediately dropped to the floor with a sickening thud.

  Ellie screamed, Reyn moaned and I stared at Selina’s lifeless body. I may have hated her but I would never have wished her dead.

  “Fuck!” Lester shouted.

  Dooley motioned to Lester. “Get her out of here.” Then he squatted down next to me and let out a gush of pent up air. “Let me see.”

  “Don’t touch me,” I said through clinched teeth. My left shoulder blade was on fire. I don’t mean a light-me-up-and-watch-me-burn kind of fire. This was a searing, aching burn all the way to the marrow of my bones. I pulled myself to a sitting position so I could check if Ellie and Reyn were okay.

  “Dooley!” Zeke shouted as he charged up the stairs and into the room. “He’s gone!” His eyes scanned the room and widened in surprise. “What the hell happened here?”

  Ignoring his question, Dooley asked, “What do you mean he’s gone?”

  “What do you t
hink I mean? He’s gone, escaped, run away!”

  Lester dragged Selina past us and out the door.

  “Can anybody get anything right around here?” Dooley screamed and everyone in the room froze. “Lester, when you’re done dealing with Selina, grab some towels from the bathroom closet and leave them here for Piper. After that, lock them in and meet us downstairs.” Dooley’s dark gaze focused back on me. “When I get back, we are going to talk about why you ran.” If I wasn’t in so much pain, I would have laughed in his face. “And when I get you healed,” he continued, “I’m going to enjoy punishing you all over again.” In lieu of antagonizing him and possibly getting shot again, I focused my eyes on Ellie. Dooley made this hard to do by crouching down in front of me and ducking his head in my face, which gave me no choice but to look at him. “No one steals from me, Piper, and I mean no one, without serious consequences.” Then he stood and said, “Zeke, with me.” We watched them barrel out of the room. A few seconds later Lester brought in clean towels. He dropped them on the bed and ran back out, locking the door behind him.

  Chapter Twenty-Four

  “The psycho nut job shot you!” Ellie screeched.

  I stood up and panted through a wave of blinding pain. Ellie grabbed the towels Lester had brought and led me over to Reyn. She helped lower me to the floor. I watched her fold the first one and place it on Reyn’s wound. Using my good arm, I held it in place while Ellie assessed the damage to my shoulder. Reyn’s body shook underneath my hand and knew that we were on borrowed time.

  “Forget about me,” I whispered. “Go get the phone.”

  “I think the bullet is still in your shoulder,” she said as she stood up and waddled over to Reyn’s inside out jeans. After what seemed like hours of wrestling with them, she had the boot out, the phone in her hand and was checking to see if the text to Max had flown. The smile on her face told me that it had. Yes! “He texted back and told us to hang tight. Should I try and call him?”

  “Do you have a signal?”

  “One bar.”

  “Go for it.”

  She punched send and we heard the rattle of keys in the door. Her eyes flew to mine. “Hide it,” I mouthed, but before she had the chance to move the door was open and Zeke had his gun pointed at her head.

  “Well looky here? Dooley said you two would be up to no good and he was right. Looks like I get to shoot me another stupid bitch today,” he growled.

  “Here, take it,” Ellie said and held out the phone.

  He laughed. Then he cocked his arm back and whipped the gun across her face. Like a sack of potatoes, she dropped to the floor and the phone shot over by the mattress. I waited for him to make a move for it, but he didn’t. He just stared down at her with a crazed look on his face that scared the shit out of me.

  Do something, Piper, or he’s going to kill her!

  Ignoring the pain, I reached under my bra and pulled out my nail file. Once I had it situated in my palm with the pointy end out, I rose to my feet. Sensing movement, Zeke’s head started to turn in my direction. I knew that it was now or never. Like a wild animal, I flew across the room, jumped on top of him and jabbed. I felt a sharp pain in my leg as his hands tried to dislodge me, but I was having none of that. I pulled it out and jabbed him a second time. “You will not hurt my friends!” I screamed. Two jabs later, he flung me across the room, where I slammed head first into a wall. Before he could attack, I jumped to my feet and turned to strike him. Only, he wasn’t there. He was on the ground. Ellie was standing behind him with the gun in her hand and a large puddle of water at her feet.

  No!

  “I s-shot him,” she stammered and dropped the gun on the floor.

  I started for her and my legs buckled underneath me. I landed on my side in something wet. What the hell? It took a second for it to register. Blood.

  “H-he shot you and I had to d-d-o something,” Ellie babbled. Then she bent over and let out a painful groan.

  My ears popped and I had to blink a few times to clear my vision. “Ellie, look at me.” Her eyes shifted to mine and I could tell she was in shock. “I’m fine. See? I’m just resting here for a minute.” Her eyes were glazed with shock. I patted the floor next to me and tried reaching her with humor. “Come rest with me for a minute. Stabbing someone with a nail file is exhausting business. I need your comfort.” She started for me and then stopped and let out another groan. “You’re okay. Come sit for a second,” I knew full well what was happening.

  Her eyes flew to mine. “I think I’m in labor,” she whispered.

  “Then we need to get the hell out of here,” I whispered back. Blood oozed from my leg and shoulder and I was cold. Focus, Piper. Lester and Dooley are still out there. I glanced over at Zeke, who wasn’t moving and started making a mental check list. First see if he is alive. Using my good arm, I scooted in his direction. Every time I moved tiny black spots danced like fireflies across my vision. When I reached him, I felt his neck for a pulse. Nothing.

  “Is he dead?” Ellie asked.

  “Yes.” The popping in my ears had morphed into a dull roar and I could now hear my voice echo inside my head.

  “Did you see where the phone went?” Ellie asked. I snapped my head up and stared into her pretty, clear, golden eyes and sighed in relief. She’s back.

  “Lester and Dooley are still out there. I’m going to scoot over to that far wall. That way I have a straight shot at the door. You are going to hand me the gun and then get the phone and join me. Got it?”

  “You don’t know how to shoot a gun.”

  “Are you going to stand there arguing about gun safety or are you going to get your pregnant ass over there and get the damn phone?” I snapped.

  Ellie made a face as she bent down to get the gun from where she had dropped it. Instead of handing it to me like I asked, she marched over to the mattress, retrieved the phone and marched back. She slapped the phone in my outstretched hand. “There, happy now?” she asked and glared down at me.

  An overwhelming wave of nausea washed over me and I found myself panting like a dog.

  She dropped down next to me which could not have been easy in her condition and said, “I’m sorry, Pi. I didn’t mean it. I swear!”

  “I’m okay, I’m good,” I panted.

  “Please don’t leave me,” she pleaded.

  “I’m not going anywhere. Do you hear me? We are going to get out of this. I am going to get patched up and you are going to have that baby. Do you hear me?”

  “And then you and Gage are going to get married…”

  “And Joss will have her baby,” I added.

  Her eyes lit up, which is what I was hoping for. “Really?”

  “Yes, but don’t you dare tell her I told you. Now, point the gun at the door and shoot anyone who comes through it.” I can do this. I held up the phone and focused on the numbers. Slowly, I started dialing. Five-five-three –

  “Elllllllliiison!” Max’s voice boomed through the house. “Where are youuuuuuuu?”

  She let out a sob. “Maaaaaaaax! We’re upstairs! Hurry!”

  Darkness crept across my vision. Something was wrong with my hearing. I could make out a few sounds but most everything sounded far away and incomprehensible. Resting my head on Ellie’s shoulder, I trained my eyes on the door. I didn’t want to die without seeing Gage one last time. “I love you, Ellie.” I felt vibrations and knew that she was talking to me but could not decipher the jumble of words. “Max will take good care of you and Bruiser.”

  What seemed like a year later, the door flew open and in rushed Max, Bobby, Cas, Garrett and Gage. I could tell from their shocked expressions that it was bad. Max squatted on one side of us and Cas on the other. Someone touched my neck but I couldn’t tell who. I could feel Ellie sobbing next to me and I tried to tell her I was okay, that I was just tired, but I couldn’t make my mouth work right. Suddenly Gage was in front of me and I was being lifted into his arms.

  “I knew you’d come,” I to
ld him, or at least I think I did.

  He said something. Again, I couldn’t make out the words.

  “Don’t let go,” I whispered.

  His mouth pressed to my ear and I was happy I could finally decipher his words. “I’m not letting go, Princess. I promise. Hang on. Just, please, Jesus, hang on.” I managed to hang on a few minutes longer and then the darkness took over.

  Fourteen hours later…

  I’m alive. It hurts to breathe and move. I can’t make my eyes open but I know I am alive.

  “She’s crying,” I heard someone gasp. “Can unconscious people do that?”

  “I don’t think there are rules for unconscious people, Marie,” My dad replied. His sarcastic tone made me smile.

  “Oh my gosh! Gage, get over here! She’s crying and she just smiled. I think she’s waking up!” my mom bellowed.

  “Well if she wasn’t, she definitely is now. Keep your voice down, Marie. We’re breaking rules to be in here right now. I don’t want to get thrown out until I see my baby’s blue eyes,” my dad scolded.

  Warmth slid across my hand and wrapped around my fingers. I would know that touch anywhere. Gage. With a little bit of concentration, I forced my eyes to open.

  “I’ll go get the nurse,” Mom said.

  The warmth in my hand disappeared and I wanted it back. My chest seized and panic started to slip in. Where did he go? Why can’t I talk?

  As if reading my mind, Gage’s face entered my field of vision and I felt myself relax. “I’m right here, Princess. The nurse is on her way in to remove the oxygen tube, okay?” I managed to give him a small nod.

  My dad’s face appeared next to Gage’s and his eyes welled up. “You gave us quite a scare, baby girl. Mom is getting the nurse and then she’ll be back.”

  The next face that popped in was someone I’d never seen before. “Hi, I’m Becky, your nurse. I’m going to send everyone out and have the doctor check you. Is that okay?” I couldn’t seem to move my neck, but I managed to turn just enough to glance over at Gage and shake my head. “He can stay if you want,” she assured me and I managed another small nod.