I’d been watching the screen so intently that I had let my focus fall from the danger in this very room. Catherine’s hand wrapped around my throat, and I let out a shriek, kicking myself for being so stupid. We went down, and I managed to claw at her face, and she released me briefly. I landed hard on my back, groaning as new pains hit me before I scrambled to grab the gun.
Only, before I could get my hand on the trigger, there was another gun pointed right at my face. “Say goodbye to your daughter, CC,” Graeme said, death burning in his eyes. “If there are no witnesses left, then no one can really prove that footage wasn’t doctored. We both have an alibi after all.”
Catherine kicked me hard in the side; her pointed heels felt like they broke a rib. “This lowlife slut is no daughter of mine.”
Graeme grinned, and I closed my eyes, knowing there was no way I could get my gun out in time. If only I’d left it with Richard, then we might have had a chance, but I’d wanted to finish this myself. Looked like all I was finishing was my time on Earth.
You’ll see Beck soon. And Dylan, Jasper, Evan.
That was some comfort.
“Don’t touch my fucking daughter,” Richard roared, appearing from somewhere with a blade that he launched across the room and right into the side of Catherine’s chest. Graeme swung around in a flash and four loud bangs sounded as he shot Richard in the chest.No! No more.In my head, I was sobbing and screaming, but my body had also gone into this robot survival mode. Without a thought, I whipped out my gun, and as Graeme turned around, I shot at him, landing at least one hit around his throat.
He dropped onto my legs, his gun spilling over to my side, and I snatched it up before managing to kick his gurgling and gasping ass off me, so I could lift myself up. I immediately searched for Catherine. Only there was nothing but a bit of a blood trail from where she’d dragged herself off somewhere.
Richard let out a groan, and I hurried to him, trying not to panic. My father was definitely an unknown entity, having been someone that appeared both trustworthy and also the absolute last person I should trust. But he had helped me a lot lately, and he’d just saved my life at great cost to his own.
When I reached his side, I let out a low cry; there was so much blood. It was everywhere, pooling under him.
“Phone?” I said, frantically patting his arm.
He groaned again, but I managed to find a slim cell in his pocket. I quickly dialed 911, screaming for an ambulance because my father had been shot. I also told them that I’d been kidnapped by Catherine Deboise and she was here. The person on the other end was frantic, and tried to get me to stay on the line, but I told her no. I stayed just long enough for them to trace the address from the cell, and then I hung up.
“They’ll never find the entrance,” Richard said, blood bubbling up in the corner of his lips. “Not in time.”
He coughed weakly, and I held his hand tightly, refusing to leave him. I did keep an eye out for Debitch though, but she didn’t show her ugly face.
“Riley,” Richard said, his voice sounding weaker.
I leaned down closer to him.
“Give me my gun. Wipe it … clean.”
I knew immediately what he was doing. Trying to take the wrap for killing Graeme, so that I didn’t have to deal with that when I got out.
“No,” I shook my head. “Catherine might come back.”
He looked toward the other gun—Graeme’s gun—and I relented, dropping Richard’s into his hand. He managed to pull it to his chest, hugging it close.
His eyes found mine again. “I’m sorry for everything, Riley,” he choked the words out. “So…” cough, “...sorry.”
It hurt to breathe, and it wasn’t just because Catherine had smashed my ribs. It hurt because I knew Richard was going to die, right here in front of me, and I’d already lost everything today. I’d lost my entire fucking family in one fell swoop.
I couldn’t take another loss. I already had my hands pressed to his wounds, trying to stop the bleeding, but it still seeped out, so I shrugged off my jacket and used it like a makeshift bandage, trying to wrap it tightly across him.
“Stay with me Richard,” I said, staring down as his eyelids fluttered. “Don’t give up, Dad. Please don’t give up.”
The slightest smile tilted up his lips, and another sob ripped from me.
“D—d—daughter.”
He managed to open his eyes and look right up at me then, but just as he did, horror replaced the pain on his face, and he tried to shove me aside, but he didn’t have any strength left. I wasn’t letting that bitch get the drop on me again, though, and with his slight warning, I dove to the side, and rolled a few feet away before jumping up. Catherine had a gun pointed at me, her other hand pressing to the knife wound in her chest.
She limped closer.
“It’s all over,” she said, and there were tears running down her cheeks. I wasn’t even sure she realized she was crying. “The pain can finally stop,” she whispered, staggering forward again.
I had my gun up as well, but she didn’t care.
