I couldn’t steady my breathing. It was too much. Too much going on around me. Too much.
Dad and Tag throwing punches at each other. Luc climbing across a glass roof with missing panels and a rusty framework.
Another set of glass panels gave way just beside me, and shit, it took out the bolt on the left holding me up.
I screamed as I dropped lower. Now, I couldn’t see Luc at all, but I could see Dad.
“You took everything from me!” Tag yelled.
“Fucking prick. This is on you, not me.” Dad barked back. They both had one gun now that they were fighting to gain control of.
Both had their hands on the handle. They maneuvered it down, and it went between them. Tag was on top of Dad, gaining control over him.
Across from me, everyone was still fighting. Bullets were being fired, everyone was shouting, but I heard that one single shot go off between Dad and Tag.
I screamed again when the two of them went still.
That moment seemed like forever. I watched it in complete horror, chills running down my spine in cold icy tendrils. Time froze right in front of me, like I’d pressed pause on the TV remote.
When Tag moved, my heart squeezed, but then he fluttered back, going limp.
It was him who got hit. Not Dad.
Not Dad.
Dad didn’t even spare him another moment. He came for me. With his face battered and bruised, blood running from his nose, he came to me.
“There, there. It’s going to be alright.” He tried to smile.
“Dad.” I winced.
“I know, I know. We can talk about this tomorrow. Let’s just get home and out of this crazy mess.”
I looked at him wondering how he was going to get to me.
Luc appeared in my view.
“Boss,” Luc cried.
“Lucian, you have to go back. The glass is going to give.”
“I’m going to jump across to you,” Luc said.
I looked from Luc to Dad, seeing their love for me, and felt so complete in that moment.
But damn it, just like with everything since this whole crazy mess had started, there was never a dull moment. Never time to take a breath.
The bolt on the other fixture started to wobble, causing me to drop. Dad saw and leaned in to try and catch the rope, but he was too far up.
“Keep very, very still, Amelia. Please. No sudden moves.”
“Okay… okay,” I answered breathlessly.
“Raphael, let me come help. Move out the way!” Luc yelled.
“Luc, I’m warning you. Stay back. We don’t know what kind of impact you’ll make jumping over here like that. We could all die. The panels aren’t stable.” Dad shook his head.
He leaned in again, this time suspending himself a little over the ledge, and swung in to catch the rope. He started pulling on the part that was just under the bolt. Pulling up with all his strength. I was lifted higher.
