Diablo lifted the gun, leveling it at my chest, and I lunged. It all felt like it happened in slow motion when I grabbed the edge of the bar, using it for leverage as I kicked out. My foot slammed into his wrist, sending the gun wide through the air.
The shot cracked through the restaurant, and glass exploded behind me.
Melanie screamed. Diablo cursed, swinging at me with his free hand. I ducked under it, driving my elbow into his jaw. The impact sent him stumbling, but he wasn’t down. Not yet. I grabbed for the gun, but he yanked me back. And we struggled for a few seconds before his knee rammed into my gut, the pain blooming sharp and fast, but the pain was just another enemy to kill. I twisted, slamming his hand against the bar, forcing his fingers open. The Glock hit the floor, skidding out of reach. Diablo snarled, tried to swing again—I ducked. I drove him backward, slamming his spine against the bar’s edge. He groaned, but the bastard was solid muscle. Taking him down wouldn’t be easy.
Then I saw her.
Melanie. She stepped into view.
Shit. No.
The split second of distraction cost me. Diablo’s fist connected with my jaw, snapping my head sideways. Stars burst behind my eyes.
And then?—
Click.
The unmistakable sound of a slide being racked.
Everything stopped.
Diablo and I both turned our heads at the same time.
Melanie stood there.
Gun raised.
Hands steady.
Her chest rose and fell in ragged breaths, but her eyes burned with fury.
“You know,” she said, voice cold as steel, “I’m not a big fan of my stepdad. So maybe if I pretend you’re him, I can blow your head off without hesitation. You both deserve to rot in hell anyway.”
I’d swear she was a pro if I didn't know better. Melanie stood grounded, the expression on her face was fierce, and I wondered if she really was picturing her stepdad, and what it would feel like to shoot him.
Diablo let out a sharp laugh. “You dumb girl. You think I believe your prissy ass knows how to use that thing?”
Bang.
A bottle exploded behind the bar, glass flying in all directions.
Diablo flinched. Melanie didn’t.
“Underestimate me again,” she said flatly, “and I will shoot you, no hesitation.”
For the first time, Diablo’s cocky grin faltered.
He exhaled slowly. “Easy, sweetheart,” he said, lifting his hands. “I’m already paid. I could kill him, or not. Doesn’t make much difference to me.”
“Then try,” she challenged, her voice unshaking. “And you’ll end up exactly where you belong—rotting in a prison cell.”
Diablo was in front of me. I could signal her to fire. But would she hit him—or me? She may be great at pretending she knows how to shoot a gun but that doesn’t mean she does, and if she misses we both are screwed if I can’t fight. And I can’t take that risk.
His gaze flickered between us, calculating. “We could make a deal,” he offered. “I walk out of here, you never see me again. Like this never happened.” He tilted his head. “On second thought,” he murmured, “it’d be way more fun to see him watch.”
He moved fast.
I barely registered the shift before,crack—His forehead slammed into my nose. Sharp pain exploded through my skull. My vision blurred, and blood flooded my mouth, then I heard a scuffle—Another click.
