Defenseless (Salvation, #5)(85)

That’s all I can do. That, and keep him off-kilter. “I can assure you that this won’t happen the way you think. I didn’t survive the f*cking hell your father put me through to let you kill me.” I let him think I’m at the end of my rope. I have to play with his mind a little.

Erik points his gun right at my forehead. His anger is defined in his eyes. “You deserve to die the same way he did.”

“How does that make it right?” I ask. I must try to keep him talking. We circle a little, and I maneuver Charlie so she can reach the doorknob. The gun sits right there. If she can open the door, we might have a chance.

Erik closes his eyes, and I use this moment to push Charlie back. She has one shot to get the door open and grab the gun. Or I die.

His demeanor shifts as he starts talking. “I did this because I couldn’t take the pain. Then I saw how you struggled when one of you were hurt. It wasn’t even close to what I was feeling.”

“Do you really think I’ll stand by and let you do this? Do you think you’ll be able to kill us and no one will know?” I’m grasping at straws, but I only need another minute.

Charlie taps my back: Ready.

She’s in position, but this could go so wrong so fast. No matter what, I’ll shield her. If anyone is going to pay for this, it’ll be me. I love her more than my own life, more than anything in this world. She won’t pay for my sins.

I place my hand against her leg and tap.

One.

Two.

Three.





Charlie

I’ve always wished I had a superpower. It would be such a valuable asset for a spy. There was the idea of course, of being bulletproof, but I never thought that was relevant for me since spies aren’t supposed to be seen. I checked that off. Then I considered invisibility—another great power—but I can already make myself practically disappear. In retrospect, it might have helped. So would the lead suit, for that matter. What I always really wanted was the ability to suspend time. Such a cool trick. To stop the movement of life. Be able to fix what you wanted and then start it up as if it never happened.

However, I’m mortal.

I’m human.

I’m not a superhero.

One.

Two.

Three.

I spin, throw the door open, and reach for the gun. It all happens in a split second. I’m thrown to the ground and Mark rushes to cover me. Always protecting me, giving me his body as a shield.

This is love. He’s the guy who will take the bullet. The man I’ve dreamt of being with.

“Mark!” I scream with the gun in my hand. I lift it, but a shot fires before I can get one off.

I hit the floor with a thud and suddenly understand everything vividly. Love lets you see colors for the first time. It paints the world around you in vibrant hues, but once you think you’ve lost that love, it goes gray. Everything around me dims, and I’m certain my life will never make sense again. I’ll know the pain my mother feels.

I’ve lost my perfect match.

Lost him in a way I’ll never forgive.

I lift the gun and wait for Erik to charge. I’ll riddle him with holes the way he’s just done to me.

“Did you get him?” Mark asks while keeping me covered.

He’s alive! “Where are you hit?” I attempt to lift him, but he won’t budge.

“Charlie?” Mandi’s voice rings out. “Are you guys okay?”

Mark rolls to his side and I get to my feet. “Is Erik—?” I ask with a shaky voice.

“He’s down,” she reassures me.

Mark’s clutching his side. I rush to him. “Were you shot?” Mandi has Erik in the hall.

“No, but give me the gun.”

I’m fully aware of what he wants to do. I want the same thing. I need to make sure this is the end. “I need five minutes with him.”

“The f*ck you do.”

I don’t respond. I just walk out the door and lift my gun to Erik’s head, as he lies bleeding in the corridor. The piece of shit clutches his leg. “If there’s one thing I’ve learned, it’s that if you put a gun to my head, you’d better pull the f*cking trigger.”

Mark comes from behind me, puts his hand on my shoulder, and lowers the gun. “There’s no way you’re going to do this.”

Mandi keeps her gun trained on him. “A bus is coming.”

Sirens wail in the background. Mark crouches down, and his voice is cold as ice. “If you ever come near me, Charlie, Jackson, or Aaron, I’ll rip you to shreds.” His hand hovers over Erik’s wound. He pushes his fingers inside the bullet hole. When Erik screams out, Mark twists his finger again. “If you think you’ve suffered, it will be nothing compared to the hell I’ll make you live through. You’re the f*cking coward.”

He stands, and kicks Erik’s leg for good measure.

“I . . .” he struggles to catch his breath. “Win.”

“What?” Mark asks and glances my way.

This isn’t over.

Erik reaches down, pulls a gun, and places it to his temple. Before any of us can move or stop him, he pulls the trigger.

“Son of a bitch!” Mark screams while he pulls me against his chest. “Fuck!”

Now it really is over.